The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1911-11-25
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How the Molly Abers Second
Pilot Scared Negroes.
MATE HAD BEEN MURDERED.


Ghost INSIDE lie Appearances ovv
the Joke Was Worked.
Know Mark Twain should say
did," Patrick Doyle. Waterman on
the steamboat Chester said ms he set
his lantern down on the deck. got out
pipe and prepared to make himself
comfortable In chair by the railing.
Doyle Is sixty-six years old and has
been navigating the Missouri and Mis-
sissippi rivers ever since 1873 He Is
considerably the oldest man In the
crew and has only one arm, having
lost the other In an accident several
years ago. s
Il was with Mark Twain on the
Molly Abel In the sixties. Captain
Horace Bixby was pilot Of the boat
and Mark was second pilot. He was
really still learning the trade at that
time and always gave Bixby credit
for teaching him. He was indebted
to Bixby for more than that, though.
because Captain Bixby told him he
never would make much of a pilot
and advised him to quit trying and 20
to writing. When he left the Abel he
went to st. Louis and got Job on
the st. Louis Republic. I'll tell you
he made a crackerjack of writer too
Ike read some OF his books" and the
old man chuckled to himself.
ut was on our boat that he got his
name OF Mark Twain. The men took
their soundings Of the river from
boat and called 1t up to some one on
the deck. The sounding then was
passed around to the pilot room. where
the log was kept. and Mark wrote 1t
down. No difference what the result
was when 1t started. though. II always
got into the book mark twain which
meant nine feet. Everybody always
said that was the only sounding Mark
knew. and so we got to calling him
Mark Twain BY the time he left
the boat he was never known by any
other name. He was always good M.
tured. though, and really seemed to
enjoy his nickname. guess 1t had
been so long since he had heard his
own name when he started writing
that he just naturally signed Mark
Twain to his stories.
HE was the greatest fellow to tell
funny stories and play jokes ever
saw. remember one night we almost
lost the negro part Of our crew MS the
result of one of his FRANKS. The ne
groes were pretty superstitious lot In
those days and believed In ghosts rs
strongly as they believed In Abe Lin
coin. Well. Mark began day or two
ahead Of time to talk mysteriously
about the mate who had been muir
dered on our boat several years before
down near Memphis. Mark shuddered
and told how he hated to pass the
place. as they nearly always had
visit from the dead mans ghost. 1t
was a pretty nervous gang of darkies
that crawled into the negro cabin the
night we were to pass Memphis.
About IL o'clock Mark got on the
deck above them and began to blow
into jug. 1t made an inhuman sort
Of groan that could hardly be heard
Mt first. Then II began to grow loud
er and make sort Of moan that
would lift the hair right of your head
Maybe It was Imagination, but we
fellows on deck with Mark thought we
had heard those negroes teeth rattle.
To cap the climax. Mark had lantern
swathed In a sheet and wet with red
Ink. 1t was scary looking object a
few feet of In the dark. He tied
cord to It and cautiously let 1t down
toYard the negroes window. Then
he jerked It up again and let out
blast on his jug. That was enough for
the negroes Captain! Captain! Help!
Helpr, they cried. and such jabber
as they made as they fought to get out
Of that cabin and up on deck l never
heard. They told us about the ghost
and even told us something It had
said to them. Some said 1t came in
the window. and others said 1t was
flying up the river. One poor fellow,
who was almost too scared to talk, de-
clared 1t had called him by name.
Mark told them he didn't doubt them
a bit and that he wouldn't be surpris-
ed II It followed us down the river
Kansas City Times.