The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1917-06-02
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN

that direction. and the ilatbont WAS
their conveyance Flatboats were built
of boards. their propellng power being
the rivers current and when the cmi
grant reached his destination the lum-
Ter was used TO build his house.
The grca; danger of the earliest voy-
ayers on Ia belle rivicrc Che beautiful
river WIS 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
emi2rants by acting as dccoys. The
renegade would call to the tlatboat
man to come and take lin aboard:
that he had been captured by Indians
and escaped ANA If recupturcd 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
eradicatcd but the low grade whites
remained. The river from time to
fine 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 II lloatboat
was carrying number of passengers
between Cincinnati and Louisville.
There We're an freshman. II Scotchman
and Frcnchman, all of whom had
been born in Europe. Besides these
were several native Americans, includ
ing carpenter. Il gambler and II land
speculatur
When the boat reached II turn in the
river, called South Bend. about twenty
miles south Of Cincinnati. while pass.
ing near the Kentucky shore. II passed
a log cabin before which stood wo
man waving n 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 Storage way. were
manned, ANA the boat headed for the
shore. As soon as ii came near enough
for the men on ii to hear the woman
said:
Kin you thar take me down to Lou
eyville Iouisvillcl! Ef you're goin
that way pull in hyar and throw II
line"
IL do not like" said the Frcnchman.
ito 70 TO re bank of re rivicrc | have
heard that those who go to re bank of
la belle rivierc on call for help new
ARE return to re channel.
Nonsense you bloomin' IDIOT 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
EngiShmnn dhe only case on record.
The son of Erin declared that to de-
cline to listen to the call of woman
would he dastnrdly and no one cNcc"t
n coward would do such a thing. But
the Scotchman was In favor of eau
ton.
~ would M go in too far" he said.
without inluirin' what she wants
wi US"
The commander of the craft paid no
attention to these suggestions. but sur,
veyed the woman and her surround
inGs with n critical eye, But he gave
no order to make for the shore.
THAT'S a low down trick. cried the
woman. "for to leave pore woman
who wants TO 90 to her mani"
With this the En@lishman. backed by
the lrishman. threw out so many in.
nucndos respecting the captains action
that he gave in. but with n bad grace.
BY the time you all" he said. have
nav!gated this ycre river as long ms
nave you'll larn that there's only one
place in it that's safe-thc channel. If
you git rid o your money by this
mancuver don't Slamc me. | haint
got nothin' to lose, Jim. head in
The heimsman 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 a stump. BY the rope the stern of
the boat was pulled in so that the wo-
man could he taken aboard. Taking
up n bundle tied in n bandanna band
kcrcllief. she unwound the rope from
the tree and slipped aboard the boat.
which the current took down the river.
ihefe were no separate rooms aboard
the bont. but the stern WAS partitioncd
off into cabin. This the men gave mp
TO the only woman passenger. betaklns
themselves TO the deck. for in 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 abouttwenty.tive
years old. was for a deniZen of Ken
lucky ut that time not bad to look
upon. True. she had no sooner settled
herself on the boat than she produced
corncob pipe with n reed stem and
began TO smoke. but in those days
many southern women-unlcss it were
in the longer settled portions-not only
smoked. but dipped which means
they chewed upon snuff balls. She
proved an attraction for her fellow
L.. Il hon t.nt.