The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-11-21

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the Delta" country. The sec
ds almost from the Tennessee
I'd 30 miles east of Mississippi
much like any other river town.
The first two blocks were the
oldest and most disreputable sec
tions and certainly needed some
thing done In the way of sanitation.
On the way back to the boat Bob
was very nearly showered by .
connection Of dishwater and garb-
age tossed negligently over q Sec
ond story balcony railing.
Goats Noticeable
Nothing was being done TO keep
these old habitations in repair, and
the goats, browsing aboN the
street next the river. did nothing
to help the general aroma Of the
section. The town itself was prob
ably very nice. but these unsavory
river entrances always leave q bad
taste in our mouths. We learned
later that the great middlewestern
exodus Of yachts that cruise south
every year from the Great Lakes,
usually pass vicksburg by because
Of lack Of docking facilities.
The town misses . bet In not
having at least . small municipal
dock, for this yacht-tourist trade
10 growing by leaps and bounds
every year. Not river vagabonds
like u. but trim white yachts, with
parties aboard who are ever on the
lookout for an interesting spot to
tie up for q few days to lessen
the tedium Of everyday cruising.
They arc good spenders, n given
= little Encouragement
Pass Packet Boat
Darkness was settling down fast
when Bob returned to the canoe,
but we showed off anyway, hoping
to find q sandbar at the next bend
below the town.
Just outside Of vicksburg we
swept past the Tennessee Belle,
one Of the few packets still operat-
ing on the rivers. She was loading
bales Of cotton and her lower deck
was lined with them. Because OF
the intensely cold weather. neither
OF us were adverse to hitch-hiking
and we tried to talk the captain
into taking us on for. at least,
part Of the way down.
He was willing. but the chip
was booked full and, besides, Il
wasn't due to sail for two or three
days. Because Of pressing finances
we could not afford such = long
delay 20 we thanked him and
pushed on, hoping there were ne
inspectors about to bring US In
for running without lights after
dark.
Gold IL Intense
For II was pitch dark by the
time We pushed away from the
packet. We could. Of course, guide
our course by the navigation lights,
but they were always on the
opposite side from the sandbars.
Az the canoe eased into the bend
Bob shut off the motor and
brought the paddle into use. The
cold really was beginning to bite
into us now and we wanted to find
. sandbar and get a fire built be-
fore we became thoroughly chilled.
1t was % dark that we nearly
ran into a shanty boat before See
ing It. even though there were
lights aboard. We had seen the
lights for some minutes, but they
were 20 dim that we had thought
them to be some distance up the
bar.
People Hospitabls
There was welcome film OF
smoke coming from the chimney
and we hailed the nhabitants for
q place to get warm. They were
hospitable enough and asked us
right in. They were eight people
crowded into that tiny shanty
boat. all listening avidly to brand
new radio that had just been pur-
chased by the grixxled old owner.
Nobody paid much attention to
us, 20 we just sat down on the
floor close to their roaring wood
stove and listened to a weird line
OF chatter and worse music from
a famous patent medicine station
down on the Texas border. How
ever. we did manage to get warm.
Questions Tossed
About nine o'clock the other
visitors took their leave and the
radio was shut down for the night.
That was q signal for throwing
questions at us.
This was rather peculiar shanty
boat family. In the course Of con-
versation we learned the owner
and his wife never had bothered to
get married. but that the 2o-year-
old girl living with them was their
daughter. To carry on the tradi-
ton. or example. set by her elders.
the girl had just born her third
lllegitimate child.
However, they assured us there
was nothing to worry about. She
was going TO get married to an
other shanty boat fisherman IN a
couple Of months and two OF the
three children were going with her.
Sleep In Canoe
The third had been In q home
in Memphis these last four years.
/ suppose II was q natural ques-
ton. but we were somewhat taken
sback when they asked us il we
were married.
There wasn't enough room In the