The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-04-22
he Good Old Days When Cairo
Was a Great River Point
PLEASURE IN A TRIP
THEM THAT COULD NOT BE GOT.
TEN OUT OF A TRIP BY RAIL
COHERENT NOW.

!
always a certain charm about the Mis-.
sissippi to those who lived upon IT'S
\ banks, iust as there about the SCI
To hose who are lnlled to sleep by
the singing Of The waves 10 the shore
when the niglt is soft and tranquil
There is more or less romance, too
about the life Of steamboatman
that is especially fascinating to the
youth, and | can recall 10 memory the
time when | would have rather bear
Capt John w. Cannon of the Robert
e. Lee" or Capt. Thomas P Leath-
ers of the "Natchez," or old Capt,
James Lee Of the Pail Allen than 10
have been a United sta es Senator or
The Chief Justice Of the Supreme
Court
There are many still living who re-
member steamboat life when it was
in its glory Il was NOT an unusual
sight to see from twenty to flf
steamers lying at The leYee at New Or
leans, that many az Louisville and at
Memphis, and quite that many az ST
Louis and Cairo. In those days the
boats were well patronized The cab
ms were filled with passengers and
the decks were filled with freight
There was a life on the river
that has never been since and per
haps win never be again The most
common mode Of travel was by boat
o. stage, there being but few railroads
in the South prior 10 the war, and for
several years thereafter steamboat
traffic was a paying institution
Taere was a pleasure about a steam
boa. trip thar can never be gotten out
OF a Journey by rail, no matter how
elegant the Pullman or buffet or
dining car be. The rapidly Of speed
seems to do away with the pleasure
Of a railroad journey II IL. S but q
day, a trip Is very tedious unless there
is something 10 break the monoiony
There is 40 monotony on steamboat
There is always diversion. and chen
besides one IS not cramped or con-
strained. One can lie down when
weary. or sit on the deck in the moon
light, or walk about the cabin. IN
5thsr words, it is like being al a wafer
ing place or in a travelling hotel with
legant furnishings and up-to-date
surroundings and then, too, the river
scenery in many places is sublime and
Is always picturesque. The Hudson,
the Rhine. and the Kaatuclly rivers
are famous all over the world for their
scenery. No landscape is perfect with
out some body Of water lis represent
ed
In olden times, when the boats burn
I'd wood and a torch was used to fur
nlsh its CHEEKY. dripping blaze for l'ght
throwing it's weird glare upon the
motaley crew of ragged rousters,
chanting their half-sad, halfglad river
songs as they trotted up and down the
Hill ana up and down the stage plank
TO the commands of he mate, the
seene YVES indeed picturesque, and
about It there was cast a sort of charm
thar is isdescribable. In those days,
too, there were no swinging stages
10 be raised or lowered by the work
Of the "ngger" engine, but instead,
when the boat had rounded to- and
was drifting sideways into sore, the
rousters caught hold Of the stage
which lay across the head Of the boat
and showed the stage out % The bank
as they uttered in perfect cadence the
words: "He, bo, ha. whoa-hoa, he, no!
Now come along, all together! He, no
la. HEAVIER longi" ana the jargon.
weird and strange, like the wall of a
soul in despair AT that period boats
had TO stop every few miles TO wool
up al the regular wood yards, which
were located along the banks of The
river, and. by the way, the wood yard
business was at a paying avocation,
for cotton wood. which was the cheap
est grade Of fuel, sold at prices rang,
ing from sl50 to 50 Is per cord, while
oak. blackberry, ash and pecan brought
better prices. aud ths appetite of The
of the average boat for fuel was al
most Unsuitable. There was a sort or
amliction between the woodward keep
er and the captain Of a steamboat very
much akin to that of the depot agent
and the railroad. And, while they bag
gled at prices a great deal, there was
a friendship and reciprocity that made
their relations to each other more
pleasant than otherwise. And seldom
/ did the owner Of the woodward have TO
pay any fare when he took a trip 10
The city on one Of the boats hat was
! his regular customer The woodward
owners occupied, as a rule, a disinc
dive Mace in the community. They
/ were personally acquainted with AT
/ tho river men and were famii ar
enough to be jolly and gay vita The
eaes ain. and the mud clerk, who iseas
ured the wood win streaked rod
eight feet long; called the latter by
his first name and. if he enjoyed a
4 call him by thar cognomen, ate a meal
at The officers table in the forward
4 cabin If the boat happened TO De along
/ at meal time. spit tobacco juice in the
I cuspidores when they missed the floor
( Dafmnized t1e bar and some times
+ eneaged IN d game Of draw poker Of
seven-up-in short, we're privileged
! characters aboard the boat in ihos.