VOYAGE ENDED.
And here our voyage ended. The doctor moved ashore to join his wife and
children. Millie went to St. Louis, and Jim to Oklahoma; while Frank and
Jake remained on the boat until it was finally disposed of. Frank had
worked on the engine until he had mastered her, and found the
difficulties. She had never been properly installed, so we got blue
prints from her builders and reset the engine in accordance with them.
We got new batteries, a block tin pipe in place of the iron one which
took the gasoline from the tank to the engine, and rust from which had
figured largely in the troubles we experienced. The pump had been
literally cut to pieces by the mud in the river water and a new one was
obtained. When thus refitted, she ran without a balk; and we really
believe a child could have managed her. She turned out to be what had
been claimed for her, remarkably fast. In fact, we left her with the
determination that our next engine should be a Fay and Bowen, also. She
was sold to a resident of Baton Rouge, for $300; the alterations having
cost the Doctor about $50, in addition to the boys' wages. One thing we
learned--never order work down here without a distinct agreement as to
the work and the price. Frank ordered a little fixing at a local shop,
for which he said $6 was a liberal price; but the man brought in a bill
of over $16.
The small boats, guns and shells were sent back to Chicago, most of the
furniture sold for trivial sums, and the cabin boat left in the charge
of Mr. S. S. Lewis, of the Lewis Lumber Co. for sale. All attempts to
obtain a tow up the river failed. The big coal companies' agents
referred us to the home office, but said the price would not be less
than $300. We heard that the captains of tow boats going up would take
us up for a trifle, but we did not find one of these chances, after
waiting two months. Some men talked of buying the cabin and launch and
taking it around to the Bayou Manchac for a hunting and fishing lodge,
but nothing came of it.
We might have sold by bringing the outfit around to the Gulf ports, but
had no leisure for this. A plan was suggested to load the cabin with
palmettoes and take them to St. Louis to serve as decorative plants at
the Fair; but the Superintendent of Audubon Park said the plants would
not live, that when the root of a palm was cut it died back to the
stalk, and it was doubtful if a new growth of roots would take place.
But men who try to extirpate the palms say they are unkillable; and the
two we took up and replanted in the boat were still living after two
months, and had out two new leaves each. Possibly we might have made a
good thing, as the boat could have carried 1,000 good-sized palms.
At New Orleans we hear these cabin boats are so plentiful they cannot be
given away. The _Desplaines_ was sold there for a good price.
[Illustration: BAY ST. LOUIS, MISS.]