THE CUT-OFF
THE LONGEST LIST OF THE LONGEST STUFF AT THE LONGEST DOMAIN NAME AT LONG LAST

The story of the cut-off.

Back many years ago when paddleboats ran on the Mississippi River, a few of the operators were sitting around in a local tavern in Louisiana. The night was full of fog and they were all talking about the weather. The fog was so thick that none of them were willing to make their run up the Mississippi River. As the story goes, on nights like this everyone claimed the devil was in the Mississippi River and no one would travel by water.

However, one paddleboat operator boasted how he knew every turn on the river and could ride through any fog without any trouble. His boast was one that no other person would even consider boasting. He stated that he would make his run and swore to all the other pilots that nothing would stop him even if the Devil tried to bar his way.

He set out and before long; he could tell that the devil was indeed in the river that river. Nothing seemed the same in the way his boat handled, however, he knew the Mississippi and still was not a bit worried. When he was close to Roccourci, he saw a shoreline ahead where there was no shore. He tried to turn his boat one-way and then another to get around the shore that peered ahead.

The river ran straight on this branch, he knew it so well. However, no matter what he did, the shore loomed ahead. He vowed he would not turn back, and kept trying to go around the shore.

The paddleboat made a quick massive jerk, the engine stalled; the boat shuddered, and overturned.

The next morning at daybreak, the other pilots found the paddleboat with a large hole in its side and the pilot drown.

To this day, on foggy nights on the Mississippi River it is said you can hear the ring of the bell, the sound of the engine, and the curses of the ghost captain.

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