The "Floating Palace"--A Wonderful Institution--The Girls and the
Patrons--Scenes of Revelry--How Nights were Passed--The Loss of the
"Palace."
Of all Hogan's enterprises, none perhaps ever became more widely known
than did the famous "Floating Palace."
It has been explained in the preceding chapter how Ben bound himself not
to engage in any free-and-easy project in the town of Parker's Landing.
It occurred to him, however, that he might keep within the letter of his
agreement, and at the same time carry on his business on an enlarged
scale. This is how he accomplished his purpose:
He bought a boat with money borrowed from Bill and Mr. Snyder. The boat
measured one hundred and twenty-five feet in length by thirty feet in
width. Having secured this craft, Ben set to work to fit it up for a music
and dance hall. He decorated it in an elaborate manner, stocked it
liberally with liquors and cigars, laid out a spacious dancing floor, and
prepared a bar in the most approved style. This done, he secured the
services of a number of musicians, and also, as the chiefest attraction of
all, a company of pretty waiter girls. These latter were arrayed in
costumes that did not hide any of their charms.
The boat was christened the "Floating Palace," and floated in the
Allegheny river, between the counties of Allegheny and Armstrong. Whenever
the officials of either one of these counties undertook to raid the
"Palace," Ben would float it across the river so as to be out of the
province of the officers. Drifting back and forth in this manner, he
managed to avoid legal difficulties. Nor had he broken his contract,
inasmuch as he had simply promised not to engage in such an enterprise in
the town. He had said nothing about the river. I should not omit to
mention that about this time Ben first became associated with Kitty
O'Brien, alias Bowers. She was a woman of far better education and
appearance than might be supposed from her manner of life. Indeed, I may
say, from personal acquaintance with her, that she was very much of a lady
in her bearing, and gave unmistakeable evidence of early advantages and
refining influences. Kitty, as we shall hereafter speak of her, accepted
Ben as her lover, and joined her fate from that time forward with his.
[Illustration: _ON BOARD THE FLOATING PALACE._]
In attempting to describe the "Floating Palace," I shall ask the reader to
imagine a brilliantly-lighted saloon, filled with dashing-looking women,
and melodious with music. Not everybody could gain access to this floating
hall of revelry. Two small boats were kept running from the shore to the
"Palace," and on these came the choice spirits who were admitted to the
charmed circle.
Bankers and brokers, merchants and oil kings were to be met on the boat.
It was not the sort of place which a man without money would care to
visit. It took the mighty dollar to unlock the mysteries and pleasures of
the establishment.
Champagne corks flew freely, and whatever was ordered had to be paid for
at princely rates. A night on the "Floating Palace" might safely be
estimated to cost a man a hundred dollars; and if he happened to spend two
hundred, nobody grumbled.
For the girls it may be said that they were neither better nor worse than
the average of their class. Some of them were exceedingly pretty, and all
of them had an eye to business. While music and dancing were indulged in
freely, visitors were expected to order wine generously.
Among the more characteristic amusements was a bath which the girls took
toward sunset. All the patrons of the "Palace" were at liberty to disport
themselves in the waters of the Allegheny, and to enjoy the company of the
mermaids, in the exhilerating waters.
The "Floating Palace" was most unquestionably a novelty in its way. As a
novelty, it possessed a valuable charm in those days--a charm of exciting
speculation, and it was also the means of rapidly circulating money.
"Music hath charms," and it charmeth even in a greater degree when
floating on the rippling waters, with the bright lights to add brilliancy
to the scene. Where amusements for the people were few and money plenty,
the "Palace" seemed to break up the monotony of the prosaic hunt for
wealth characteristic of the oil regions. The amusements on shore were not
of the highest order, and the "Palace" was certainly less objectionable in
many respects than some of the amusements which flourished ashore.
The "Floating Palace" cost twenty-five hundred dollars, but so great was
the success attending it that in sixty days Ben was able to, and did, pay
back one thousand dollars of the money he had borrowed.
It should be borne in mind that the authorities were constantly making
efforts to suppress the business. Ben's ingenuity, however, enabled him to
avoid arrest, although he was by no means free from meddlesome
interference.
The opportunity presented itself, while on the "Palace," to settle up
accounts with J----, who, it will be remembered, had instituted the suits
against Ben. J----, who visited the boat on a number of occasions, became
desperately smitten with the charms of one of the girls, named Lizzie
Topley.
Becoming aware of this fact, Ben posted Lizzie, who, while she professed
the most ardent love for J----, was still loyal to Hogan. One night, in
attempting to reach the "Floating Palace," J---- was tumbled into the
water, apparently by accident, but really by a preconcerted plan on the
part of Ben. That rather dampened his ardor for the fascinating Lizzie,
although he may never have suspected that she was at the bottom of the
mishap.
I have already intimated that large sums of money were made out of the
"Floating Palace." For the benefit of the reader who may not be posted in
such matters, it is well to explain that the profits were not all of a
strictly legitimate character. For example: A man might order half a dozen
bottles of champagne without once suspecting that the article furnished
him under that name was concocted from Catawba wine and soda water.
Little dodges of this kind were harmless enough in themselves, and perhaps
the fellow who paid five dollars a bottle for Catawba and soda was just
as well off in the end as though he had drunk genuine Piper Heidsick.
The "Floating Palace" visited Catanan, and while there a scheme was
entered into by a brother of J---- to procure the indictment of Ben for
various offenses, and particularly for selling liquor without a license.
Ben happened to meet this man J---- on the street one day, and he chased
him through the town, capturing him finally in the mayor's office. Had it
not been for the interference of that official, Hogan would have taken
satisfaction out of Mr. J----'s hide. As it was, he compelled him to
withdraw the charge, and pay the cost of the proceeding.
Determined upon having his revenge, Ben succeeded in getting a number of
the leading lawyers and some of the jurymen on board the "Floating
Palace," and while these worthies were enjoying themselves in the saloon
with the girls, he ordered the ropes to be cut, and the boat floated down
the stream. Before this was discovered by the jolly company inside, the
"Palace" had drifted sixty miles from Catanan.
The lawyers and jurymen were in a high state of resentment. The court was
to convene the next morning, and it would be very difficult for them to
offer any plausible excuse for their absence.
Ben professed to be equally enraged at what had happened, and threatened
to do all sorts of things with the fellow who had cut the ropes--when he
found out who that fellow was.
The victims pleaded with him to return to the town, but Ben showed them
that it would be utterly impossible to do so that night. There was no
alternative, of course, but to remain on board the "Palace" all night and
take the train back the next day. This the legal gentlemen did, but it is
doubtful whether they revealed to anybody the real cause of their absence
from court.
The "Floating Palace" continued its course until it reached Pittsburgh.
Before entering that city Ben dispensed with all his people except Kitty,
Lizzie Topley, and Steve Kinney--the latter of whom was his bar-tender.
A landing was made above Shapsbury Bridge, and there the "Floating Palace"
was anchored.
Ben's success up to this time had been so encouraging that he had
determined to follow out the idea on a larger scale.
It was his intention, as soon as he could complete the necessary
arrangements, to go down the Mississippi river with two additional boats,
modeled after the "Floating Palace." These were to be stocked with women
and wine, and some new features were also to be added, such as a museum
and dollar store. The project was a big one, and would undoubtedly have
been put into execution, but for an unforeseen accident.
When Ben anchored the "Floating Palace" at Pittsburg, he was well fixed in
the matter of money. This, however, did not prevent him from endeavoring
to add to his pile, which he did by patronizing that game commonly
believed to have been named in honor of one of the kings of Egypt--faro.
Every night, as regularly as the night came, he visited the bank,
conducted by Tony and Johnny N----, and so good was his luck that he
almost invariably went out of the place from thirty to forty dollars
ahead.
Making his way later than usual one night toward Shapsbury Bridge he made
the unpleasant discovery that the "Floating Palace" floated no longer. In
other words, the boat had sunk. This put an end to the project of visiting
the South, and Ben concluded to go back to Parker's Landing.
The loss of the remarkable craft was quite in keeping with its latter
history. It had been the scene of many revels, and had been brightened
with laughter, music, and wild merriment. Its brief career ended as
suddenly as that of some of the revelers themselves. The river became its
resting place, as it has often become the last haven of many a
tempest-tossed soul.
[Illustration: _KITTY BOWERS._]