The Ouachita Telegraph - Steamboat Hand Drowns Date: Oct. 2000 Submitted by: Lora Peppers ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, May 28, 1880 Page 3, Column 1 A Floater. The body of a negro man, apparently a steamboat hand, was found floating in the river at the Willis place below Monroe last Wednesday. The drowned man was about 5 feet 8 inches in hight; (sic) had on a red flannel shirt, a common bandana hankerchief (sic) was tied around his waist, and in his pockets a knife and gimblet were found. This is evidently he same negro referred to in the river column as having drank too freely. He guzzled the whisky and the Ouachita guzzled him. The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, May 28, 1880 Page 3, Column 2 Ben Cornwell, clerk of the John H. Hanna, reports that while the boat was at Monroe, one of the roustabouts straddled a whisky barrel, and, after broaching it, proceeded to fill up, which he succeeded in doing to his heart’s content, and went asleep. All efforts to awake him proved futile, and he was left across the barrel in his glory. The next morning all that was left of him was his hat, and the conclusion arrived at, was that he during the night, drained the barrel dry, and then crawled in through the bunghole, and thusly “mizzled.” At least, he was missing, and that is all that is known of his whereabouts up to the present time.” # # #