io6 A RAFT PILOT'S LOG 



get ice, meat, and provisions aboard in a very short time 

 and Mr. Shiplor always had our mail ready for us. 



Going down river we would always pull ahead in 

 the skiff and tie up to the wharf-boat, load in our sup- 

 plies and be ready to pull out to our steamer as she was 

 towing by the town. 



In 1880 there was an epidemic of small pox in Belle- 

 vue but we had not heard much of it while up river 

 and on our way down I went ahead as usual with our 

 skiff and got needed supplies. 



It was nearly six o'clock when I got back to the boat. 

 After I saw the stuff taken out of the boat and properly 

 put away I went upstairs and took my seat at the supper 

 table with the captain, engineer, mate and watchman. 



Someone inquired if there was any truth in the ru- 

 mors about a small pox epidemic in Bellevue. 



I told them all I knew about it. That Ben Stuckey 

 the watchman of the wharf-boat had had it and was 

 now nursing others who were sick with it. That Big 

 Jake the colored man who did the hauling for the 

 wharf-boat, was very bad with it. They did not think 

 he would live through the night. That Mr. Shiplor was 

 having a hard time running the wharf-boat as no one 

 would come to work with him. That it was pretty bad 

 up town. There had been several deaths recently and a 

 good many new cases. But I found myself alone at the 

 table before I finished my story. I don't remember just 

 what they did call me, but when the cabin-boy heard 

 what I said he ran back to tell the cook and as a result 

 I got no more waiting on and the other "watch" would 

 not come to supper until I had left the table. 



Then to make matters worse, we tied up two miles 

 below Bellevue under a high bank and cooled down for 



