The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-11-01
THE Usage MONSTER,
How a Steamboat Whistle At.
fected Missouri Pioneers.
STORY OF A HISTORIC HUNT.
Armed For the Fray, the Frightened
but Determined Old Settlers Sought
the Feroeious Beast With the Fear
full, Screeching Voice.

The first steamboat that ever turned
her PROV against the muddy Usage wa
tiers was the Flora Jones in the spring
of 1874. There was no commercial
club in those days to stimulate river
traffic, no telegraph or telephone to her
aid to the hardy pioneers the approach
of the boat--only the unearthly shrill
screech of banshee-like whistle,
enough to blanch the cheek of the sim
pie minded folk who had lived far
from the worlds progress.
The little boat went up as far as
Harmony, Mo-, in Bates county. His
tory records the fact that when the
Flora Jones puffed her way along the
St Clair county shores and the wall OF
her siren was tossed back and forth
by the limestone bluffs many of the
old settlers were not only frightened
tiguratively out of their boots, but lit
orally out of their homes Matthew
Arbuckle, a pioneer, tradition tells us,
was blowing in his field about mile
from the river when the wall of that
whistle struck his ear. He unhitched
his horse from the plow, managed to
get on it's back and, wild with terror,
struck for the hills. In one hour he
was at Papinville, fifteen miles dis
tant the horse white with foam, the
rider white with terror. He had bare
ly strength to tell of IAN awful ami
mali from which he had made his es-
cape. He had not seen the fearful
beast. he confessed, but he had heard
it's voice, by which he knew 1t to be
a monster of terrific proportions.
Arbuckle's neighbors were brave and,
though much disturbed by his account,
determined upon campaign of exter-
mination. They had defended their
homes against Indians, and they rea-
:soned that no wild animal, however
ferocious, could withstand their rifles.
They gathered at Uncle John Whit
1ey's He had seen service under Jack
son at New Orleans. His home was
up the tortuous stream from Ar
buckles farm.
The next morning a crowd of hardy
pioneers, with guns and dogs. were
ready at Uncle Johns. The gallant
band numbered among its members
Uncle John Whitley, James Brecken-
ridge, Benjamin Morris, William Ba-
con, Hamilton Morris. Benjamin
Burch, William Roark, Frank Roark
Benjamin Snyder, Snowden Morris
and Matthew Arbuckle.
They were agreed that there should
be undertaken a quest for the mys-
FERROUS monster threatening their
homes and families.
Just before the signal to start was
given Matte, a daughter of Whitley's,
went down to the river, 300 yards dis
tant, for water In her absence the
Flora Jones, which had tied up for
the night at bend in the river below
again sounded the terror inspiring
whistle.
Charge men" roared Whitley seiz-
ing his gun. Matt went to the river
for water, and l reckon she's dead
afore now"
The crowd rushed to the river, deter
mined to rescue the girl If she was yet
alive. But Matt, 1t is hardly neces-
Sary TO state, was met on the way.
She was headed homeward, her hair
streaming behind and her face
blanched with fear.
With their weapons ready for instant
action the determined hunters contin-
ued riverward. The crew of the Flora
Jones, proud of her whistle, continued
to sound it at frequent intervals, and
its reverberations rang from bluff to
bluff increasingly. Each fresh blast
added to the uneasiness Of the band Of
settlers. Frequent councils were held
The failure of the dogs to take the
scent nonplused them.
The hunters secured the Usage thick
cts all day. Breckenridge lost faith in
hounds and declared that he would
go to ST. Louis for Newfoundlands
Meanwhile the Flora Jones had pro-
ceeded up the river to Harmony, and
her whistle was no longer heard. AS
night came on storm broke, and the
hunters took refuge in cave.
With the return Of dawn there began
again the hideous wall of the mysteri-
Gus monster. The Flora Jones was
making an early start on her return
trip down the river. Nearer and near
er sounded the whistle, until the hunt
ers, who had tumbled hastily from
their cave, could distinguish a putting
and blowing, supposed to be the snorts
of the advancing foe.
The moment of decisive action seem
ed at hand. The hunters rushed to the
river bank. Each selected tree to
stand behind and looked to the printing
of his gun.
An instant later the Flora Jones
rounded bend and doomed into view.
Upon her deck was a gay crowd Of
passengers watching the early sunrise
flooding the water with rosy light.
Uncle John Whitley, Jimmy Brecken-
ridge and their band of heroes were
too astonlshed to answer the friendly
halls as the boat swept down to the