Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-05-15

Bend" for five years. Ins October
my brother Charles and myself went
over to get out logs for our house.
Our minds were full gof visions OF
6ne crops, new rife, and great
sport in hunting and fishing. We
had cut and scalped a few logs, and
had begun on nice walnut. ! was
cutting limbs, and Charles hewing.
BY some chance his axe glanced from
a hard knot, and cutsIdeeply into his
foot. That accident became a turn
ing point in our lives.R Before we
could resume work in the Benz"
our uncle, John R. Harris, came from
Mississippi on a visit. After having
managed for Mr.. John Barker for
several years, he had, iii 1915, gone
to Mississippi to manage the cotton
plantation of Gen. Gustavus Henry,
the eagle orator of Tennessee. Our
uncle had been very successful, and
came with several thousand dollars
to invest in darkies and mules. He
persuaded my parents to move to
Mississippi. This decision was made
in December, 1850 and we had a
busy time in getting ready. Finally,
in January, 1851 we set out for New
Providence. The picture of the to-
bacco fields, dotted all over with
dark spots, where tobacco stalks had
proudly stood until that fateful
frost, is still very distinct in my
memory.
My first view of steamboat was
as it turned the bend, coming down
the Cumberland from GAINESVILLE.
We took the next boat about mid.
night, in drilling rain. Our great
est anxiety was to get two3highly
priced ours, Polk and Dallas, safely
stored aboard. Our little stern
wheel packet was the Senator" a
name that carried great weight in
my mind in the days Of Clay, Web
ster. Calhoun and Benton. One pas
senger, a low, stout, laxative gen.
tleman, attracted much attention.
He was Gen. Gideon Pillow, fresh
from the bloody fields of Mexico,
and my first live General. He was
going to Paducah to make a speech
in favor of railroad from Nashville
to Paducah. The trip down the Cum
berland was full of interest and
pleasant scenes till the last night. A
warm and windy day and cloudy
night ended in violent storm, which
threatened the destruction of the
Senator" and at last drove it,
creaking and groaning, into drift
Of logs and brush on an island in the
Ohio, just above Paducah. The sun
next morning was bright, but the
wind was brisk and cutting from the
north, and cold as Xmas.
Paducah seemed to be a small town
Of one-story frame buildings, on land |
low and level. We here took an N. !
o. steamer, the Caroline E. Wat
kins," for Vicksburg. Our crowd |
and baggage got on somehow, but
Polk and Dallas were carefully in
stalled in new quarters. Our next
stop was at Memphis. 1t was town |
of some 1000. In an old field be-
tween the river and Front street, |
were several thousand bales of cot |
ton, lying on the ground and in the
rain. What a change in 60 years!
Memphis is a city of nearly 100000
and rapidly growing.
Life on the river was a new world |
to US. The splendid fare at every |
meal was wonder! A we'll stocked |
bar greeted you as you entered the
cabin, and rows of tables extended
far into the cabin, at which sat ST.
lent, stern, DeWhlskered gentlemen,
with cards in their hands, and rolls
Of bills, and piles of white and yell
low coins within reach. These were
samples of Mississippi river gam
blsrs, so numerous and Furnishing
class.
la those days the river was swarm.
ing with all kinds Of water craft
Huge RATS of logs, flat boats, keel
boats and steamboats, were always |
in sight. Below Memphis | saw my
first tramp. He had been stealing
"a ride, but mourning the dispIeasure
Of the deck hands he was kicked,
cned and driven ont By the mighty