From Canal Boy to President | Page 7

for a
city store or office. He was strong enough, and he thought he knew
enough, for he had not at present much idea of what was taught at
seminaries of a higher grade than the district schools he had been
accustomed to attend.
"Well," he said to himself, "I've done what mother asked me to do. I've
tried to get a place here, and there doesn't seem to be a place for me.
After all, I don't know but I'd better go to Ohio."
Cleveland was not of course a sea-port, but it had considerable lake
trade, and had a line of piers.
James found his way to the wharves, and his eye lighted up as he saw
the sloops and schooners which were engaged in inland trade. He had
never seen a real ship, or those schooners and sloops would have had
less attraction for him.
In particular his attention was drawn to one schooner, not over-clean or
attractive, but with a sea-faring look, as if it had been storm-tossed and
buffeted. Half a dozen sailors were on board, but they were grimed and
dirty, and looked like habitual drinkers--probably James would not
have fancied becoming like one of these, but he gave little thought to
their appearance. He only thought how delightful it would be to have
such a floating home.
"Is the captain on board?" the boy ventured to ask.
"He's down below," growled the sailor whom he addressed.
"Will he soon come up?"
He was answered in the affirmative.
So James lingered until the man he inquired for came up.
He was a brutal-looking man, as common in appearance as any of the
sailors whom he commanded, and the boy was amazed at his bearing.

Surely that man was not his ideal of a ship-captain. He thought of him
as a sort of prince, but there was nothing princely about the miserable,
bloated wretch before him.
Still he preferred his application.
"Do you want a new hand?" asked James.
His answer was a volley of oaths and curses that made James turn pale,
for he had never uttered an oath in his life, and had never listened to
anything so disgusting as the tirade to which he was forced to listen.
[Illustration: THE CANAL BOY]
He sensibly concluded that nothing was to be gained by continuing the
conversation with such a man. He left the schooner's deck with a
feeling of discomfiture. He had never suspected that sailors talked or
acted like the men he saw.
Still he clung to the idea that all sailors were not like this captain.
Perhaps again the rebuff he received was in consequence of his rustic
appearance. The captain might be prejudiced against him, just as the
shop-keepers had been, though the latter certainly had not expressed
themselves in such rude and profane language. He might not be fit for a
sailor yet, but he could prepare himself.
He bethought himself of a cousin of his, by name Amos Letcher, who
had not indeed arrived at the exalted position of captain of a schooner,
but was content with the humbler position of captain of a canal-boat on
the Ohio and Pennsylvania Canal.
This seemed to James a lucky thought.
"I will go to Amos Letcher," he said to himself. "Perhaps he can find
me a situation on a canal-boat, and that will be the next thing to being
on board a ship."
This thought put fresh courage into the boy, and he straightway

inquired for the Evening Star, which was the name of the boat
commanded by his cousin.
CHAPTER IV.
ON THE TOW-PATH.
Captain Letcher regarded his young cousin in surprise.
"Well, Jimmy, what brings you to Cleveland?" he asked.
"I came here to ship on the lake," the boy answered. "I tried first to get
a place in a store, as I promised mother, but I found no opening. I
would rather be a sailor."
"I am afraid your choice is not a good one; a good place on land is
much better than going to sea. Have you tried to get a berth?"
"Yes, I applied to the captain of a schooner, but he swore at me and
called me a land-lubber."
"So you are," returned his cousin smiling "Well, what are your plans
now?"
"Can't you give me a place?"
"What, on the canal?"
"Yes cousin."
"I suppose you think that would be the next thing to going to sea?"
"It might prepare me for it."
"Well," said Captain Letcher, good-naturedly, "I will see what I can do
for you. Can you drive a pair of horses?"
"Oh, yes."

"Then I will engage you. The pay is not very large, but you will live on
the boat."
"How much do you pay?" asked James, who was naturally interested