The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-02
On the Beautiful
River
An Episode of a
Century Ago
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN

cation the Ohio river was the main
thoroughfare for emigrants moving In
that direction, and the datboat was
their conveyance. Flatboats were built
Of boards. their propelling power being
the rivers current, and when the emf
grant reached his destination the lum
Der was used to build his house.
The great danger Of the earliest voy
ayers on la belle riviere tthe beautiful
river was the Indians. The scum Of
civilization is always washed toward
new countries. and mingled with the
redskins were white men who assist
ed their native allies to plumber the
emigrants by acting as decoys. The
renegade would call to the fatboat-
man to come and take him aboard;
that he had been captured by Indians
and escaped and If recaptured would
be tortured and killed. If the voyager
yielded to the call he would be am
pushed by the savages.
With the beginning of the nineteenth
century the Indians had largely been
eradicated. but the low grade whites
remained. The river from time to
time was infested by pirates. who.
though they did not always murder,
robbed their victims.
1t was during the second decade of
the nineteenth century that floatboat
was carrying a number Of passengers
between Cincinnati and Louisville.
There were an Irishman. a Scotchman
ax.I oh al nh NH oh
been born In Europe. Besides these
were several native Americans, includ-
ing a carpenter. a gambler and a land
Spectator.
When the boat reached a turn in the
river, called South Bend, about twenty
miles south Of Cincinnati, while pass
ing near the Kentucky shore. 1t passed
q log cabin before which stood a wo-
man waving a white cloth and indicat.
ing by her gestures that she wished
to speak with them. The sweeps.
which were intended to increase at
times the boats velocity and were
needed to give steerage way, were
manned, and the boat headed for the
shore. As soon a. 1t came near enough
for the men on 1t to hear the woman
said:
"Kin you thar take me down to Lou
eyville Nouisville)? Ell you're goin'
that way pull in hyar and throw Z
line"
II do not like" said the Frenchman,
ITO 20 to re bank of re riviere. have
heard that those who 60 to re bank of
Il belle riviere on q call for help new.
ARE return to re channel"
Nonsense, you bloomin' idiotv' said
the Englishman. You're thinkin' Of
the last century, when the Indians
used renegade whites for decoys.
That's all in the past now"
The Irishman accorded with the
Englishman (the only case on record
The son of Erin declared that to de-
cline to listen to the call of q woman
would be dastardly and no one except
a coward would do such a thing. But
the Scotchman was in favor of eau.
ton.
81 would ma go in too far" he said
without inquirin' what she wants
WI u.s."
The commander Of the craft paid nc
attention to these suggestions. but sur
veyed the woman and her surround
ings with a critical eye. But he gave
no order to make for the shore.
That's a low down trick" cried the
woman. "for to leave q pore woman
who wants to 60 to her man.
With this the Englishman. backed by
the Irishman. threw out so many In.
nuendos respecting the captains action
that he gave in. but with bad grace.
"By the time you all" he said. "have
navigated this yere river as long as
have you'll larn that there's only one
place in It that's safe-the channel. II
you git rid O. your money by this
maneuver don't blame me. / hain't
got nothin' to lose. Jim. head inv'
The helmsman turned the fore part
Of the boat toward the shore and when
sufficiently near swung the stern In,
from which stout rope was thrown
caught by the woman and made fast
to stump. By the rope the stern of
the boat was pulled In so that the wo-
man could be taken aboard Taking
up bundle tied In a bandanna hand
kerchief. she unwound the rope from
the tree and slipped aboard the boat,
which the current took down the river.
There were no separate rooms aboard
the boat. but the stern was partitioned
OF into a cabin. This the men gave up
to the only woman passenger. betaking
themselves to the deck. for I'm all new
countries there Is a singular Difference
on the part of the men for the few
women they have among them, and
this woman. who was about twenty-five
years old, was for a denizen of Ken
lucky at that time not bad to look
upon. True. she had no sooner settled
herself on the boat than she produced
a corncob pipe with a reed stem and
began to smoke. but I'm those days
many southern women-unless 1t were
In the longer settled portions-not only