Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-10-10
eYPsIEs OF THE RIVER.
The shanty Boat People Of the Missis-
sippi-eia Stream Their Dominion.

River gypsies-why not? We have
river steamers, river catfish. rivei
shrimp-then why not river gypsies'
And what else would you call the
dwellers Of those simple houseboat.
which drift down the Mississippi, says
the News Orleans Picayune.
They are not oppressed by poverty
for the wolf not being an amphibious
animal. cannot get to their door. They
are not stified by convention. for such
as they have is of home manufacture;
they are a law unto themselves and
chiefest Of all, they are not unhappy
for their life is utterly without respon-
sibility and the wanderlust Is in theil
blood.
A walk along the levee any day re-
veals untold possibilities In the way OF
learning their life and likings, and
both are freely expressed, for the river
gypsies, the men and women Of the
"shanty boats" as they call their
homes, are friendly to the last degree.
This social instinct shows itself in
the little settlements they form along
the bank. Rarely does a "shanty boat
| lie up alone. Groups Of two or three
are the common rule; anything larger
or smaller, the exception. Sometimes
the owner Of the boat is not a stranger
One small, square edifice erected on a
scow and resting in the shade Of a
larger boat Is thus explained by the
lean, brown-faced workman on the
front Of the latter:
"They drift down mostly In January
he says, with a noticeable contempt for
those who have not been bred and
tawn" in the vicinity.
Some of 'em are big enough-three
or four rooms and a kitchen-but
them's mostly owned by Yankees that
come down on huntin' and fshin' trips
not regular shanty boats people
Some's right nice little boats. People
find they can live cheaper herein land.
and some"-he scowls virtuously-
"some's nuthin' but loafers and vaga-
bonds. They drift down the river,
stealin' a bit here and another bit
there"
But the middle class Of "shanty
boaters," those who were not bred an
bawn" here, neither do they steal, is
less picturesque, II no less interesting.
They have the gypsy blood without
the gypsy morals. Theory Of vagran-
cy is on them, but the habits Of every
dayness have their hold as well, and
the blend is quaint, IL Illogical.
AS fair a specimen as heart could
want of this genus is the square,
topped, red-painted shanty boat with
squarer, larger one just astern, that
floats In a curve Of the river just
where the bank is muddiest, the win
dows droppiest and the view prettiest.
The shanty boat itself is not large.
It is partitioned Off into two rooms
bedroom and kitchen-the first of
which holds a double bed, sewing
machine, several hanging bookshelyes,
washstand, table and several chairs.
The walls are gay with pictures;
bright calendars chiefly, and old pho
tographs of quantity dressed people In
unpleasantly stiff poses.
A picture Of the president adorns
one corner. The owner Of the boat
she who answers the CHEEKY summons
of the old negro with an invitation as
cheery-is tireless in her efforts to en-
tertain the chance visitor.
She Is a large woman, brown Of hair
and blue of eye, and her calico gown Is
comfortable even unto carelessness.
She has been here three years, she
says, and she likes 1t mighty we'll
'mazin' we'll"
She claims a small town In Tennes-
see asher birthplace, and dilates with
feeling upon the superiority Of New
Orleans as a place Of residence.
"Why, when we're a-sittin' down here
aatin' of all these lovely. vegetables
and things. they're just a-tearin' up
the ground in Tennessee to put the
seed down.
mo rent to pay-no housework to
do. (or at least. none worth talkin'
about) A breeze right in the front door
all O. the time: all the water you want
for washin' dishes and clothes"
A tall slip Of a girl, with skin like
the petal Of a magnolia bud, smoothes
her light hair composedly before the
mirror at one side of the room. Posi-
bly, many visitors have rendered her
callous and Indifferent, for she preens
herself as unconsciously as bird at
woodland pool and puffs her locks and
powders her cheeks with the air OF
an artist in such matters.
There comes out Of the growing DUSK
from the other shanty boat, which
floats astern, a little commonplace man
with nothing about him to show that
the wanderlust runs in his veins. he
Is not young; he is not handsome; his
eyes are meshed In crows feet, and
his hair straggles grayly around a bald
crown but the hound Of your fancy Is
on the trail, and you. see him as ne
was and as one other saw him.
The other speaks Of him quite coolly
as "the man who owns the boat" but
she cannot hide a faint flavor Of pro-
prietorship, and she regards him al
most with pride.
my first husband was a veteran,
she says. with that willingness to
speak Of private matters which Is the
trademark of these people, land he
sorter hankered after his OIL stampin'
ground. so three years ago we came
down here, and he"-with a jerk OF
her hand toward the man In the half
dusk behind her-"he was an Of ac-
uuaintance Of our'n. / knew him when
was girl like Mandy there-he up'n
followed u.s. My husband died two
years ago, and it's right nice for US
all to be here together"
The larger boat floats just back OF
the womans and slender plank
reaches from deck to deck. Crossing
this plank, the atmosphere changes In
definitely. The boat Is divided into
three rooms-first, workroom ut Is In
the stern); then kitchen: then bed
room, not a comfortable litter OF pic
lures and furniture like the foremost