A Canal Boat Caper

Folklore and stories associated with the canal system in Pennsylvania in the 1800’s are innumerable. The boatmen, were, for the most part, a hard-working lot. They could be serious, faced with the task at hand. But they often found opportunities to play jokes on other unsuspecting river travelers.

Such is the case of a story shared in an article written by Edwin Charles of Lewisburg in 1911. Early Conditions Leading to the Building of Canals in Pennsylvania, was published in Pennsylvania German Magazine Volume XII JULY 1911 Number 7.

It tells of a farmer, who gave up the plow (briefly) to try his hand on a canal boat on the Susquehanna River.

THE FARMER BOATMAN

A certain farmer whose estate bordered the banks of the Juniata Canal, seeing the boats in gay colors daily gliding by, became tired and dissatisfied with the routine and tedium of farm life and therefore exchanged his farm for a canal outfit. Instead of hiring an experienced crew to help him in his new line of work, he undertook to get along with the aid of his ploughboys. All sorts of laughable happenings and mistakes naturally followed. The most ludicrous of which perhaps was the boring of a hole in the bottom of his boat to let the leak water run out. It was only by the quick action of others who knew better that the boat was prevented from sinking.

By dint of great perseverance, this bunch of landsmen bumped along for a number of days until finally they arrived at the town of Shickshinny. This place is midway between Beach Haven and Nanticoke in a sixteen-mile level. Here they stopped for the night. While they were soundly sleeping, some other boatmen, practical jokers, turned the boat about endwise at the wharf. In the morning the crew arose and unwittingly started in the direction from which they had come the day before. Thus, they went on eight miles to Beach Haven when the driver exclaimed, "Why this looks just like the town we came through yesterday." It was indeed the same town. Then, if ever, there was an explosion of eloquent profanity. The deluded farmer made several trips, then became disgusted and sold his boat and rigging for less than it was worth.