Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-15

like to take trip down the Missis
sippi in a fat-boat, for it must b'
lots OF fun
eyes, some little fun mixed up with gooc
deal of hard work. When l go boating L be
heve I'd rather try boat that l could handle
instead of one that goes only with the current
and when you want to make landing, you "
got to begin mile up the river to get hey u
the shore at the proper time"
But just see how comfortable you'd be OF
board that one, for instance" and True Bart
lett pointed to the neat-looking flat-boat that
was floating down the river, and which had
caused Benton Howard and himself to STOP
TO watch her. There must be three or -four
good-sized rooms there, and a Fellow would
be just as well off as at home. provided he
had good cook with him. Hello, Jimmie,
where did YOU come from?'
This last remark was addressed to boy
about IL years of age, who had Just come on
to the levee from Sycamore street.
Jimmie Warder was a resident OF Clncln-
natl, as were the other two boys; but, as
could be plainly seen, he did not move In ex-
actly the same society that True and Benton
did. These two were the sons OF prosperous
merchants in the city, and had almost every
thing that boys of fifteen and sixteen years
of age could desire; while Jimmie was the only
support of widowed mother, ana, lnsteao
of having any of the luxuries OF hte, often
eessities
i've been down on Fourth street trying to
find some work to do" replied Jimmie, IN
answer to True's question.
Didn't you succeed
"No. l can find plenty of chances IN stores,
where | can earn about enough to support
myself; but | must have a place, no matter
how hard the work is, where l can provide
will be if she goes on working as she did last
fall, and I'm determined she shan't do that
There must be places somewhere in Cincinnati
that are worth five or six dollars week TO
strong boy like me- and I'm gong t to atls hnd
"and small stock of groceries on board OF
her, don't think l should worry much about
how to support mother"
"What could you dor asked Bent, who
liked Jimmie quite as well as True did, and
was equally interested in his welfare.
"Do? Why, I'd go down the river trading;
There are lots of such boats on the Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers, and you never knew OF an
owner of one, who attended to his business,
but that made lots of money. You see the
people living on the river bottoms don't have
any chance to go to a store, unless they travel
good many miles up or down the river
Now, when trading boat comes along, they
got that the trader fancies, and thus the
dealer makes two profits-one on the gro
ceries and another on the things taken in ex-
change"
Jimmie was growing enthusiastic in his ,ex;;
planation, for to be floating trader had
been his ambition since the time when he was
employed as clerk on a trading boat from
Cincinnati TO Cairo.
''Theres good deal of fun to be had in a
trim down the river, and when | was with Mr..
Grout we met lots of boats that fellows had
bought to make the trip to New Orleans in,
for the hunting and fishing that can be found
through the cut-offs and behind the islands.
Why, if / had a boat and stock of goods
Il lor.x in hncI nd
can make up your mind that my mother
wouldn't have to worry about money matters
any more. But there" he added, with faint
smile, what's the use of my talking about
what I can't have? / shall act more sensible
if l keep on looking for few jobs along the
"Don't 20 for minute yet" said True,
quickly 'trell me what a fatboat costs.'
"fVen" answered Jimmie, with an air OF
wisdom, ''that depends. You can buy one as
low as twenty-five dollars; but new boat
with good house of two or three rooms on
her, will cost seventy-five or eighty dollars
Then, when you get into New Orleans. she will
sell for third of that price; for, of course
you know you'd have to sci. her, as it would
never pay to tow her back"
"What would stock of groceries COST"
II don't know; Mr.. Grout told me that he
had two hundred dollars worth on board his
boat, and that he intended to buy some al
Cairo. Memphis and large places like those
whenever he needed anything"
"Then, it wouldn't cost more than three
hundred dollars to start you in business" sale
Benton.
"and it'll be long time before / get it
more especially, if l idle my time away wher
/ ought to be at work. So here goes; I'm
off"
inc I'D Third street in determined way, quit,
as if he intended to obhge some one to Civ,
"Bent," said True, in serious tone, a.
Jimmie disappeared, "let's you and l see if W,
can't get our fathers to set Jim up as a fiat
boat trader, and then we will take tie first
dSet Jim up as trader?" repeated Bent
m bewilderment.