Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1910-08-24

looking about the city, also climbed th,
bluff to get a bird's-eye view of the cit,
!, and the lake. The sidewalks in that di
rection are either steep inclines or stair
ways. and as l made my way upward
thought to myself. how do the people oi
Duluth ever get home on slippery day
At one point they have made the ascen
easy. however, with a cog-rail electric
railway, but this convenience only a
small part of the inhabitants can avail
themselves of Just below the crest of the
rise natural bench juts out, which ha:
been improved to make a fine driving
boulevard. and from it fine view of both
city and lake may be obtained.
My boat. the Jun iata." was advertised
to leave at 9 P. m, and abou: o'clock
made my way to the docks. At the end
of the docks one is met by porter. who
takes your baggage and shows you to the
purser's Office. The purser On boat is
what clerk is in 1ts Office He as
signs you your stateEo3m, polite .szm fer
cunbJ hole. and Jour place ana seat N
the dining room. which you retain during
the passage. The 'Juniata" is one of the
line OF boats operated out of Buffalo by the
Pennsylvania Railroad. thus you pay trib.
ute to that great corporation when you use
this line, but while you pay we'll foT it. you
| find everything first class
Having completed all the preliminaries
| and investigated my stateroom, took my
seat On the main deck at the stern of the
ooat-for thi; Is to Inc the beginning
OF the most novel part of the journey to
| watch the changing panorama upon tie
| water. Here comes fussy, oficous little
| tug-boat leading big sand barge by the
ear up to the dock, where it holds it with
an injunction to get busy. This the barge
proceeds to do with groan or two by
swinging out long arm with ''clam-
SHELF bucket at the end of a rope. drops
the bucket first in the water to wet it and
then it gets to work grabbing up sand
from the hold, swings the bucket out over
cats on the dock and spits the sand out
into them. A little later under the swing
ing bridge comes a steamboat with sail
ing vessel on each side of it, pompous and
putting, like an old gentleman with a cou.
pie of ladies on his arms. Over there on
the other side of the bay a sail boat is
waiting about On the water like butter
fly, its sheet glinting in the declining
rays of the sun. and often leaning over in
the breeze at such an angle that you hold
your breath for fear the boat will capsize
From behind the end of the wharf comes
four. boat. the oarsmen swinging
the sculls with clock like regularity. 1t
passes out into the lake beyond the bridge,
halts with oars at rest, and in a moment
similar boat and crew darts out from an.
other point, joins the first, and away they
both go; they are couple of crews from
rowing clubs out for a practice spin.
Night comes on and lights are swin2ing
up everywhere. In the deepening gloom
there comes slipping i'll through this chan
mel to the inner harbor one after the ether
three leviathan freighters, as though
weary with their long journey. Each has
little house in front for the pilot and
another at the stern for the power plant.
and long stretch between Of matches that
may be opened for discharg:ng the cargo.
The loading and unloading Of these
freighters is all done mechanically, and il
is interesting to watch various styles of
buckets and things dipping and grabbing
into the boats and bringing out the con-
tents.
While absorbing this water picture,
darkness had closed down. and so quietly
that did not notice it, the boat begins to |
swings around upon its course. Now |
comes a scene that is transcendentally |
beautiful. 1t was as though genii from |
the Arabian Nights had come forth and |
wiped out all contour and outline of city. |
land and lake, and swung the boat upon |
nothing in the black void, and then had |
sown a million bright and scintiilating
jewels in the space, some moving. others
stationary. The passengers hang over the |
rail Of the steamer and gaze upon this re.
markable sight with ordinations of WON
der and delight. There. where the open.
ing under the bridge was. is the wonder
working giant himself, for we can see his |
eyes. one red and the other white, each |
winking alternately at you at the trick he |
has played. Some unimaginative person |
said they were only the channel light. but |
! knew better. The boat gathers speed and |
the city recedes. the lights fade away in
the distance until at last nothing is to be
seen but those two winking eyes. which
finally 90 to sleep themselves. aud then | |
hunt my cubby hole and lik ewise go to
sleep, gently rocked by slight motion of
the boat.
Ito be continued
Il a,