r ruin. It is the custom, also, to place
ladders against trees, in the branches of which provisions are kept in
time of danger, and to have skiffs, containing food and water, ready on
the galleries of the houses.

CHAPTER XLVIII

OLD RIVER DAYS

Among the honored citizens of Vicksburg, at the time of our visit, were
a number of old steamboat men who knew the river in its golden days;
among them, Captain "Mose" Smith, Captain Tom Young, Captain W.S.
("Billy") Jones, and Captain S.H. Parisot--the latter probably the
oldest surviving Mississippi River captain.

We were sent to see Captain Parisot at his house, where he received us
kindly, entertained us for an hour or more with reminiscences, and
showed us a most interesting collection of souvenirs of the river,
including photographs of famous boats, famous deck loads of cotton, and
famous characters: among the latter the celebrated rivals, Captain John
W. Cannon of the _Robert E. Lee_ and Captain Thomas P. Leathers of the
_Natchez_. Captain Parisot knew both these men well, and was himself
aboard the _Lee_ at the time of her famous race with the _Natchez_ from
New Orleans to St. Louis.

"We left New Orleans 31/2 minutes ahead of the _Natchez_," said Captain
Parisot, "made the run to Vicksburg in 24 hours and 28 minutes, beat her
to Cairo by 1 hour and 12 minutes, and to St. Louis by more than 3
hours."

Captain Parisot's father was a soldier under Napoleon I, and moved to
Warren County, Mississippi, after having been wounded at Moscow. He
built, at the foot of Main Street, Vicksburg, the first brick house that
city had.

"There was a law in France," said the captain, "that any citizen absent
from the country for thirty-five years lost all claim to property. My
father's people were pretty well off, so in '42 he started back, but he
was taken ill and died in New Orleans."

Captain Parisot was born in 1828, and in 1847 began "learning the
river." In 1854 he became part owner of a boat, and three years later
purchased one of his own.

"I bought her in Cincinnati," he said. Then, reflectively, he added:
"There was a good deal of drinking in those days. When I brought her
down on her first trip I had 183 tons of freight, and 500 barrels of
whisky, from Cincinnati, for one little country store--Barksdale &
McFarland's, at Yazoo City."

"There was a good deal of gambling, too, wasn't there?" one of us
suggested.

"There was indeed," smiled the old captain.