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Updated: May 5, 2025
Furthermore, A. de Puy Van Buren, noted as a common sight in the Yazoo district, "especially in the ditching season, wandering 'exiles of Erin, straggling along the road"; and remarked also that the Irish were the chief element among the straining roustabouts, on the steamboats of that day.
"Well, I can do a cartwheel and " "Oh, fudge!" interrupted Teddy. "That's more than Tucker could do when he joined the show. Do you know what he did, first of all?" said Phil. "No; what did he do?" chorused the boys. "He poured coffee in the cook tent for the thirsty roustabouts. That's the way he began his circus career." "I didn't do it more than a day or two," Tucker explained, rather lamely.
Inspired by the ceaseless profanity of both mates, the roustabouts began unloading cargo at once, a steady stream of men, black and white, burdened with whatever load they could snatch up, moving on an endless run across the stiff plank, and up the low bank to the drier summit.
While a force of soldiers was engaged in carrying boxes of ammunition from the warehouse and loading them to waiting army wagons, smoke was seen issuing from a box of ammunition. In an instant the cry of fire went up, and soldiers and negro roustabouts piled over each other in their scramble for safety.
They used to kick the roustabouts about and run them around but they never laid the weight of their hands on him. "They wouldn't allow him to go to school in slavery time. After the War, he got a Blue Back Speller and would make a bowl of fire and at night he would study sometimes until daybreak. Then he found an old man that would help him and he studied under him for a while.
I have found the men and recruited them from the ranks of the plain people who were already ripe for action for the following reasons: "Labor circles here are just now very bitter toward the city government because of its course toward Negro roustabouts. The white men in charge of the boats that ply the river, fed their Negro hands poorly and made the whole crew eat with spoons out of one pan.
Should anyone in the twentieth century wish to see the old-fashioned prime negro at his best, let him take a Mississippi steamboat and watch the roustabouts at work those chaffing and chattering, singing and swinging, lusty and willing freight handlers, whom a river captain plying out of New Orleans has called the noblest black men that God ever made.
And on the few surviving steamboats those lingering ghosts and remembrancers of great fleets that plied the big river in the beginning of my water-career which is exactly as long ago as the whole invoice of the life-years of Shakespeare numbers there are still findable two or three river-pilots who saw me do creditable things in those ancient days; and several white-headed engineers; and several roustabouts and mates; and several deck-hands who used to heave the lead for me and send up on the still night the "Six feet SCANT!" that made me shudder, and the "M-a-r-k TWAIN!" that took the shudder away, and presently the darling "By the d-e-e-p FOUR!" that lifted me to heaven for joy.
Susan, trembling a little, so tense were her nerves, waited until the last struggling roustabouts were staggering on the boat, until the deep whistle sounded, warning of approaching departure.
The Great Sparling Combined Shows had been on the road a week, and by this time the various departments had gotten down to fairly good working order, for, no matter how perfect such an organization may be, it requires several days for the show people to become used to working together. This extends even to the canvasmen and roustabouts.
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