In the year 1839, while at the river one day, I saw a steamer lying
at the wharf-boat by the name of _Wacousta_. The first steward
said I could ship as a cabin boy at $4 per month. I thought this
a great opportunity, so when the boat backed out I was on board
without saying anything to my parents or any one else. My first
duty was to scour knives. I knew they would stand no foolishness,
so at it I went, and worked like a little trooper, and by so doing
I gained the good will of the steward. At night I was told to get
a mattress and sleep on the floor of the cabin; this I was very
glad to do, as I was tired.
About four o'clock in the morning the second steward came up to me
and gave me a pretty hard kick in the side that hurt me, and called
out: "Get up here, and put your mattress away." I did get up and
put away my bed, and then I went to the steward who kicked me and
said: "Look here! Don't kick me that way again, for you hurt me."
He let go and hit me a slap in the face that made my ears ring; so
into him I pitched. I was a big boy for only ten years old; but
I struck the wrong man that time, for he hit me another lick in
the nose that came very near sending me to grass, but I rallied
and came again. This time I had a piece of stone coal that I
grabbed out of a bucket; I let it fly, and it caught him on the
side of the head and brought him to his knees. By this time the
passengers were getting up to see what was the matter; the pilot
and first steward soon put a stop to the fight. I told my story
to the boss, and he took sides with me. He told the officers of
the boat that I was the best boy to work that he had; so they
discharged the second steward at Cincinnati, and you can bet I was
glad. I remained on the _Wacousta_ for some time, and thought
myself a good steamboat man. I knew it all, for I had been there.
The next boat I shipped on was the _Walnut Hills_, at $7 per month.
You could hear her "scape" (whistle) for a distance of twenty miles
on a clear day or night. I would get up early in the morning and
make some "five-cent pieces" (there were no nickels in those days)
by blacking boots.