The Greenville times., 1910-08-19
Western Riuer Celebrates
Bilb Patterson The Boss
Male. By c. c. Duble

IHlDeieu up WfCn the remark: mar |
no streak of Molly in me d We, and
1 can lick the scullion who thinks so,
with that he f1oorel his partner with a |
we'll directed blow, AMI finally letting
| him up, again directed him to side
step Immediately (the latter express
ion big word for Billy.
| Among Billy's peculiarities was the
habit of soiling a clean shirt front be
| fore he donned it. Once the cham
| bermaid was Mortified to observe this
and meckIy asked if it was due to a
display of iIl-temper; looking upon her
| with scorn he said: eff that inquiry
came from a man I would swipe him,
but being its you, my answer is [ don't
believe i'm wearing fine 'biIel' goods.
Besides, they said that Billy was some
what superstitions and he thought that
| such an inroad on tidiness coming from
| him would surely bring about bal luck,
Of which, in his varied experience he
| had gathered and shouldered an over
| abundance. AS for his wardrobe it
| was scant indeed; no comb or brush
was in his kit and the only wearing
apparel comprising his luggage was a
| pair of cow-hide boots or brogans n
couple of soiled shirts, usually minus
| buttons, and a cap; these he shipped
up with and they were brought aboard
| by the porter, enclosed in an old news
| paper for a trunk, and a piece of string
for a key. Billy usually followed,
carrying a five gallon jug full of "bug
| iuice,' good for his seven days al
| IOwance, by a scratch, for on a steady
stretch of twenty-fOur hours working
time, without sleep, they said Billy
could consume an even gallon, without
going down and being counted out.
| While by no means accomplished he
could easily out boss, out cuss and out
work any mate, or combination of
blasphemy, or labor, on the entire riv-
er. Strange to say he could always
raise a full crew of likely, husky
roustabouts; one reason assigned for
this luck was because he allowed them
all day, whether they made. full time
or not, and, besides, he saw that they
were well fed; woe to the cook aboard
who neglected to serve his small army
of labor ''wel and good. -
Personally, Billy commanded the
best wages offered in those haIvcOn
days of plenty; he always dreaded the
lower deck of one of the most commo-
dious through river packets, being such
q tireless worker and driver his valu-
able services were ever in full demand.
On a produce carrying boat he de-
served the whole credit for efficiency
that his master skill showed. for he
could handle immense cargoes and keep
her on schedule, too
When Billy was top mate of the
Great Republic, her first commander.
Capt VIM. B. Donaldson, killed n Texas
tender, on board in 1868, while the
steamer was lying alongside the wharf
boat at st, Louis; this forced the Cup
tainS temporary retirement and as
Billy owned a masters license he was
accordingly place d in charge of the
boat for the trip. The steamer got as
far as Cairo on the down voyage, when
a wordy dispute arose between him
and the new mate, then on the main
deck; from Billy's station on the hur-
ricane roof, he ordered one of the pill
OTIS to hastily take his place, and max
ing the remark: ''Take charge here,
as I am going below to whip the mate
and, besides, heave him overheard,
then I will talse charge of the fore
castle. - They say there were only
two licks hit when he got below, and
his victory was so easy he relented
from further punishment, simply send
ing the man up to the clerk TO make a
settlement, which was done, then he
got ashore, to BiHy's satisfaction. lie
took the discharged man IS place and
said he would remain below, for, armed
with a long, heavy hickory stick for le-
Tense and offense was more suitable
to him than holding down the Cap
tain s job
Reproachng himself in inelegant