Evening star., 1912-10-06

coal and other freight from Cumberland
down to Georgetown. The boats carry
from 10 to 40 tons, and those boats that
travel during the day and tie up at night
can make about three round trips
month. SO a boat carrying 11o tons one
way can make $13S a month. The hire
of helper comes out of this. Our living
expenses are not as high as yours. We
have no house rent to pay, we eat plain
food and we buy country produce along
the way.
Down stream we make two and d
half or three miles an hour, and make
thirty. thirty-five and sometimes forty
miles a day. Upstream, because usually
we so up light, We travel three and three
and a half miles an hour, and some very
good walking teams Will do close to four
miles an hour. AT this rate We some
times make fifty miles day, and some
times better than this by towing from
the first streak of dawn until far on into
the night. This boat, as most OF the
others, uses four mules, that Is, two
teams. Myself and my helper drive by
turns. OF course, We are some walkers,
but it's healthy work and we do not suf-
fer for want of appetite at meal time
Il was born at SharpSbuTg in 1852. and
was ten years old when the battle was
fought there fifty years ago l remem-
am sixty years old and feel as strong
as 1 did when 1 was thirty. Most men
guess my age as forty or forty-five years.
/ went to work on the canal in 1858, and
! have been boating every season since
that time.
.'The boatmen do not generally work at
anything during the winter months. or
between the closing and the opening or
the canal Some men are careless III
spending their money and they have to
@lo n0lI thar h,lt
of us live at home for about four months
in the year and take it easy. Have you
been to dinner? Well, come in and have
something to eat"
A lean, well built, clean-cut and intel.
ligent youth had dipped q bucket Of
water from the muddy canal, and two
thirsty mules were tugging at their hal
ter shanks, saying as plainly as mules
can speak: "Give me drink; I'm aw-
fully thirsty Enough corn lay in the
bottom of the mules feed box to show
that they had had all the grain they
wanted.
I'VE always water the stock out Of the
canal" said the boy. I'VE water before
we feed and we water the mules again
about three hours after feeding. Mules
are not as big grain eaters as horses,
but they have great relish for nay All
that a mule gets out Of this business is
his feed and his shoeing. Some of them
begin working on the canal when they
are three years old, and there are plenty
of them still in harness that are twenty
years old and over.
.'This mule is Jack and this one Sadie.
They both know me and have very kind
natures Come into the stable and see the
other pair.
The housed-in part of the canal boat at
the forward end was the stable. 1t was
about the size of an ordinary box stall.
but the two mules. rather small but
strong animals, had room enough-as
much room as the average city work
horse has in his side stall. The ceiling.
or deck, gave little head room, but the
mules no doubt by numerous hard bumps
had learned not to toss their heads.
This cabin" said the boy, leading the
way along the runway to the little house
in the middle of the boat. is my room. y
Longitudinally through this cabin was
partition, on one side of which was the
bows quarters. rude bunk. mattress
and comforts" or padded quilts, stool
and a box serving as trunk. The toilet
accessories were few. He did his washing
on the open deck. On the other side of
the partition was the feed room. stocked
with baled hay and sacked ear corn for
the mules
II get So a round trip the boy said.
Some of the boys get from 81 to IS.