Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 190, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1917 — ON THE “DUSTY” MISSOURI [ARTICLE]

ON THE “DUSTY” MISSOURI

Humorist of Other Days Told Many Yarns About Navigation of River When Water Was Low. There are times when the Missouri river spreads thinly over a bed that Is miles wide. Then it is that its navigation is difficult, between pools. The humorists of other days used to say that the deckhands of* stern wheelers were frequently sent ahead with garden sprinkling pots to moisten the channel, so that the boat could float through it. Once, it was said, the ciiptaln of a steamboat made the trip from Omaha to Kansas City fey taking advantage of rainy days. A story of great popularity in the sixties ran somewhat in this fashion: An upward-bound boat had been grounded for some days when the captain noticed a passenger, who had displayed impatience, carrying an empty bucket forward. “What are you going to do with that?” Inquired the captain. “I'm going to fill it with water from the side and throw it in front to give the boat a start,” replied the passenger. “You’ll do nothing of the kind,” commanded the captain, “we need all the water there is in this river to cook with.”