The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-05-30

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commission so long ago that not
many river folks of the present gen.
Grafton remember whether she was
snagged or wrecked, burned to the
waters edge or pulled to pieces in
the boneyard.
She was not one of the Floating
palaces so often written about IN
that day, but she was always on time
as nearly as it was possible for any
craft in the Big Muddy to run with
the clock, and was the best captain
ed of anything that carried jackstaf
and rudder. Her head officer was
prince and diplomat to boot. When
he stood on the forward deck giving
his pilot signals he looked as if he
had been constructed on the spic and
span lines of the white packet. He
was short and alert. His family was
one of that ante-bellum cult that gave
st. Louis it's famous social prestige.
When river travel was an event a
steamer seldom left port without
having at least one fair passenger
who became the queen of the voy-
age. She became such by reason OF
the attention bestowed by the cap
tain. She had to be fair of face,
but the chief requisite was personal
grace. When she appeared at the
captains right at the table the ques-
ton was settled. The distinction
carried with it as many extras as
could be given without sighting the
rights of the others. Actual rivalry
with dramatic incidents sometimes
occurred on the same trip.
Before the steamer turned her
wheels in the water on one OF her
trips the doughty captain heard that
'stwo queens were on his hands. it
did not simplify the situation that the
queens were antithetical. The diplo-
matte training of the captain came
into play at the start. The beauties
were alternated at the table. She who
sat at his right one evening was at
his left at the next dinner. One was
peerless in song. The other was a
mistress in the art of recitation. 1t
was at the little commanders request
that each in her speciality entertained
all who could be crowded into the
ladies' cabin later in the evening.
The skillful arrangement was not no.
ticed by the travellers, but the crew
that had the privilege Of the cabins
not only saw, but. understood, for
never before had they seen the gal
liant head of the steamer with two
rivals on the same trip. All was go
ing we'll. Even the deckhand who
sounded the stage of the water when
called to that duty by the pilots bell
cried out his quarter less twain
in a melodious key.
When the steamer backed out on
the second day of the voyage from
her landing at Herman-one of the
earliest of the distinctly German set
Elements in the west, and it remains
so to this day in customs and archi-
tecture-there was a new passenger
on board. He was a young Prussian.
His bearing quickly indicated that he
was in the service of his emperor. A
foreign uniform in that part of the
country at that time was so unusual
that it caused a flutter. He was
given quarters in the texas, the up
permost structure of the steamboats,
of western rivers. The captain, sat
isfied with the rank and the standing
of the Prussian, presented him to
the TWO queens. The count imme-
diately showed his preference for the
fair-haired girl of the north, at the
same time paying marked Difference
to the dark-browed beauty of the
southland. The captain was pleased
to be relieved in part of playing cava-
lier to his double charge.
The tie-up at Boonville brought
on board another passenger. He was
of the Indian type. His command
ing manner caused the hands on the
bow and even the bluff mate to stand
aside until he passed up the grand
stairway, and the mulatto who fol-
lowed with his masters baggage,
stepped with an air of consequence
that showed he was the servant of a
man who demanded attention and
knew how to accept it. He also was
given quarters in the texas. The cap
tain knew him and in his case no
credentials were necessary. That
night Hidalgo and Heidelberg, so
named by the clerk, met after dinner
in the ladies' cabin, and the assem-
blage looked on as the four types,
two of fascinating womanhood, two
ronrosentatives of manlineSS and cul-