"" as a ma ^ boat running once a day from Paduka to Cairo, Illinois, 
where I could get a Mississippi River boat. This struck me right; 
by this route I decided I could soon get to Arkansas City, so I pur¬ 
chased a ticket for Cairo. During the day while waiting for time to 
leave I took part in a spirited poker game and it was not long until 
I was a busted merchant. This put me to thinking. I went down 
to watch the men load and unload freight. I decided I could do the 
work, so I approached the first mate of the boat and struck him for 
a job. He told me I was too young to stand such work. I assured 
him I wasn’t, so he consented, finally, to let me try, promising me a 
man’s wage if I succeeded. Off went my coat and I started to work. 
1 stood the work all right as I was hard, tough and as active as a cat. 
One day the boat was to be loaded with wagon hubs, the sun 
was shining bright and the landing faced the south, making it very 
hot. The hubs were fastened four to a stick and in carrying them 
one hub would press against the front of the shoulder and the other 
against the back, which was very hot and would chafe and rub the 
skin off. Several of the men quit, making it worse for the remaining 
ones. I carried hubs until both of my shoulders were bleeding. The 
second mate was an old Dutchman and through carelessness he had 
loaded too many hubs on one side of the boat, which tilted it. As I 
arrived with a load the first mate was scolding the second mate for 
not keeping the boat balanced. The first mate turned to me and said, 
'‘Alexander, can you balance this boat?” I replied, “I can do any¬ 
thing any other man can do.” The first mate then said, “All right, 
you take this second mate’s place and put him to moving these hubs 
until the boat is balanced.” I obeyed orders, put my Dutchman to 
work and as the other boys brought in the hubs I would have them 
place them on the light side until I balanced the boat. When the 
boat was loaded and well balanced, the first mate came to me and said 
he wanted me to continue as second mate. I said I didn’t want to 
take the old Dutchman’s job, but he insisted and said he could not 
use the old Dutchman as second mate any longer anyway, so I agreed 
to take the place. I worked at this for two weeks but became dis¬ 
gusted with steamboat work so, quite the boat at Paduka one night 
and the next morning began to enquire of the farmers as to employ¬ 
ment in the country. I met one old farmer as he was leaving town 
in a covered wagon. I approached him and enquired of him if there 
was any work in his neighborhood for a farm hand. “Yes,” he said, 
“I have a neighbor by the name of Earnhart that has a large farm 
and I am sure can use another man.” So I asked the farmer to allow 
me to ride out with him. “Jump in,” he said, “You are welcome.” 
After four hours of drivin he drew up his lines and “Whoa’d” 
at his mules. “Now,” he said, “You see yonder white house, that is 
where Mr. Earnhart and his family live,” I walked up to the gate of 
the white house and hollored, “Hello.” Mr. Earnhart and his wife 
were sitting on the front gallery and invited me in. I went up to 
where they were and stated my mission. Mr. Earnhart asked me to 
sit down and then started questioning me as to where I had worked, 
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