The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-10-06
TEXTS ON THE CABIN WALLS,
The Great Change in the Steamboat
Since Mark Twain's Day.
Ct I o,1ic C1ohe-Denocro+

Since Mark Twain's Day.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
When Mark Twain ran" the Mis-
sissippi river and shot the chutes and
bumped the towheads of the then
busy stream, the principal accomplish
ment that elevated mates toward per-
fections pinnacle was their ability to
keep the roustabouts moving with
profanity. Those times are gone;
Triggers" no longer perch on safety
valves and river racing is thing of
the past. Where steamers were lined
tiers deep against the St. Louis wharf
there is comparative solitude, but with
the change new things have come, and
now Bible boat and a "cussless'
mate run from St. Louis in the CAL
houn trade.
The boat is the J. B. Richardson,
hailing from Nashville and plying
southern waters in the winter time.
Her main saloon is plain and comfort
able, not even suggesting the glass
and glitter of the old time palaces
of the good old. days, but she has
one feature that distinguishes her
from all boats that ever ran he river
the Bible verses painted in black
against the shiny white of cabin walls.
Over the low, wide window that
opens into the office of the clerk is
a monition that all must see: Choose
you this day whom you will serve
Joshua xiv" And then the story
comes. In 1882 Captain J, G. Ryman,
the founder of the line, whose son
now commands the Richardson, was
converted. Being a man Of positive
convictions who never did anything
by halves, he evidenced his change Of
heart by remodeling his business to
conform to his new theories of life.
His first move was to stop the sale
of liquor upon his boats, and since
then no steamer of the Ryman 5;~e:
has ever had a bar Then, to ma :.
-isible this r1ew-found faith, he had
each of the seven boats that he own
ed blazoned with Bible texts appro-
pirate for those who brave the perils
of the waters.
AS one comes up the main stairway
Of the boat a text above the door of
the main saloon is seen. 'What allied
thee, 0 thou sea, that thou fleddest?
thou Jordan, that thou vast driven
back?-Psa1ms, cxiv." Facing this,
and directly above the main STAIR
way, there is another verse from the
same psalm. THE sea saw it, and
fled; Jordan was driven back" And
far at the after end of the boat, blaz-
oning the wall of the ladies' cabin,
there is this message to assure those
who fear travel upon the waters OF
the river: ''When thou passest
through the waters, I will be with
thee; and through the rivers, they
shall not overflow tiee-Isaiah, xiii,
2"
There seems to be an air of q1,ietness
about the boat. The cussless mate
stands on the stage plank and sees
that each roustabout does just as
much and just as quickly as he can;
but there isn't any swearing to be
heard. Dave Martin is the mate
from Nashville, Tennessee. He is
broad with physical strength that is
apparent, but he is low voiced and
soft spoken. When freight is coming
on the boat he stands by to superin-
tend it's storage, and when he speaks
his words are mellow-toned, but every
dusky rouster on the boat holds him
in wholesome respect, for there is
a look behind his eyes that tells that
manliness can lie behind words free
from profanity, and the 31appy-go-
lucky darkies swing to and fro from
wharf to deck with wondrous loads,
grooming the old-time river songs that
reach back to the good old river days
Captain Ryman of the Richardson is
a son of the founder of the lire, and