The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-10
A Memorable Trip on the Alabama
By MINNIE c. FOSTER

Now that the river has come to Bir- mingham, an occasional story of life on the water may not come amiss, from one who has enjoyed frequent trips on the historic Alabama.
 river trip is delight to all and a novelty to many; and even "old stagers" never seem to tire Summer excursions are frequent but in winter boat travel is more rare: yet there is one trip, taken in the last days of winter, that, in the recent past, was fraught with delight to those along the Alabama-and that was the annual Mardi Gras excursion. to the old Gulf City, when hundreds crowded the famous Nettie Quill, which. was so long a favorite in those waters. Her master Capt John Quill, after whose only daughter the steamer had been nanied was the. most able and trust worthy boatman of his day. and is now residing in Mobile, after a long life of wonderful service on the water. The rail- roads have cut down the river travel to a great extent, as excursions by land can be made quicker and with less time away from home, and the iron horse has now invaded much of the territory formerly reached only by the river.
 The writer has often made one of many pleasant parties on the Mardi Gras trips of the above-named packet, but on the one of February 1899, an experience was encountered that not one aboard then would care to repeat
 On the Mard Gras trip the Kettle Quill usually reached Bridgeport landing about dark on Saturday, and passengers gath cred at their nearest landings, awaiting the well-known, deep-toned whistle, an- nouncing her downward trip, and warn- ing all that a schedule would be main- tained. as the boat was due 60 reach the Gulf City before supper Sunday evep- ing The whistle could be heard for miles. and if one fchanced to miss the boat at one landing, by a ride of 10 or 12 miles through the country, it could be caught at another.
 One dark, cold night a party of us sat in little cabin on high bluff of the river when the musical whistle an nounced that the boat was Just above, and we could see the lights and hear the tap or the great bell. The night was cold, With a stiff wind blowing. All day the clouds had been lowering and the temperature falling, but that did not dampen the spirits of the Mardi Gras crowd. When the DOdt redcHeul our ldHulIib at lV V SioSh' the wind was blowing furiously, and 1t was with difficulty that the landing was made still our ardor was not quenched- Ws were going to Mardi Gras-we had made the trip for years and nothing could hold us back.
 When we. had finally gotten aboard, and had been assigned our stateromns, one young lady. was placed with an elderly one, whose husband was put in the men cabin, as on such trips the ladies rooms are back of the, curtains that divide the salon for the night In looking over her belongings the girls purse could nowhere be found. She was in, dilemma. In 1t were passage money, some extra bills, her jewelry, and the key of her trunk, the latter at her request, having been placed on the guards" by her stateroom door for her convenience. Search for the missing article proved vain and the loser climbed into the narrow upper berth, where she lay and wondered if the purse could have been left at home, or in the room at the landing in the hurry of departure or whether it had slipped into the angry river as she nervously boarded the boat over the narrow and slippery gangplank If the latter all hope of recovering 1t was gone She could not sleep as the wind roared as she shad never heard it, and the boat rocked as if it would go over. There was only the space of two feet between her and the roof, thin and the lightest footfall could be heard as the officers and crew rushed bacl