A MODERN HUCK FINN RIVER RAFT STORY

A BRIEF HISTORY AND LESSONS LEARNED
A modern huck finn river raft story
A BRIEF HISTORY AND LESSONS LEARNED
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Prologue…
America is the greatest place on earth to live. It is a nation of principles under God and as
Abe Lincoln so eloquently stated “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal”. But it is also an embattled nation that is constantly
being challenged, again as Abe Lincoln said, “testing whether that nation, or any nation,
so conceived and so dedicated can long endure”. For more than 230 years it has defended
its people’s inalienable rights such as freedom of religion, speech, self determination, and
the pursuit of happiness against inside and outside forces that would move it from the
direction that our forefathers conceived and established. Today, the struggle for America
continues by individuals who never cease to be individual in thought and belief, while
maintaining, even strengthening, their love and bond for each other and for their country.
The nation endures by an “American spirit” that overcomes adversity, maintains the
direction of our forefathers, and provides a continued future for the American dream.
The story of the Barrel Bottom Boat Company is a story of the American spirit and the
American dream where people of humble beginnings can dare to dream and through
perseverance and labor improve their station in life and achieve their dream. The founders
of the Barrel Bottom Boat Company present this story, along with the lessons learned
from it, with the hope that it will illustrate the American way, the principles behind it, and
the spirit that drives America to “long endure”. It is our hope also, that it will inspire
today’s generation to continue the American tradition.
Lesson One … The American Spirit and Way of Life.
To put it bluntly, the American Spirit and Way of Life is an attitude. That attitude
to us of the Barrel Bottom Boat Company is more important than facts. It is more
important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than
failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more
important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break an
individual… a home… a country. The American Spirit and Way of Life embraces a
“can do” attitude. The American Way gives us a choice everyday regarding the
attitude we will embrace for that day. People in other parts of the world do not
have that choice.
We cannot change the fact that other ways of life will continue their impact on
our nation. We cannot change the mindset of fanatics that challenge and seek to
destroy the American way of life. We can only play the strong suit that we have
… and that is “The American Spirit”, our attitude. The spirit that is exemplified
10% by what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it. So it is with you and
all Americans … we are in charge of our attitudes … we are the captains of our
fate; we are the masters of our soul.
The conscious action of men of vision can provide the spark that will set a young mind on a path to fulfill its full potential.
A BRIEF HISTORY AND LESSONS LEARNED
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Inspiration…
Inspiration for the Barrel Bottom Boat Company Story came from two stories, Tom Sawyer
and Huckleberry Finn, by the great American author, Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens).
Twain’s stories illustrated the American spirit of his time from two different aspects. Tom
Sawyer embodied the spirit in a boy that lived by his wits and generally coaxed, cajoled, or
tricked others into doing the job for him; Huck Finn did the job himself.
For those of you who don’t remember Tom Sawyer, the main character in Mark Twain's
book by the same name, let us remind you. Tom is the youngster who, upon being
expected to whitewash his Aunt Polly’s long fence, slips into serious melancholy as he
contemplates the drudgery of all the brush strokes necessary to accomplish the task. By
cleverly playing on their fragile self-esteem, Tom cajoles his friends into doing all the
work by explaining to them that his job requires a high level of expertise that they are
incapable of. Each friend, anxious to demonstrate their ability, all but begs him for a
chance to paint. Tom finally allows them to use the brush in return for whatever treasures
they may have … marbles, whistles, gumballs, etc.
By now we all know the Tom Sawyer types … those who one way or another manage to
offload their responsibilities and duties onto others. “Shirkers” we call them … those who
perform little of the actual work, and yet often receive at least partial participatory credit,
sometimes even all the credit, for the work performed by others.
About all that “shirkers” truly accomplish is to raise our regard and respect for those at
the other end of the work spectrum … those who “dig in” and actually get the job done.
Those remarkable folks who “get it done” are the ones the members of the Barrel Bottom
Boat Company want to support and encourage.
Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, on the other hand, is a character that exemplifies those
remarkable folks who “get it done” and the true spirit of America. Huck’s adventures on
the river raft with his friend Jim, an African American, brought to the forefront the
American way of freedom of thought, getting the job done, and improvising when the
need presents itself. It also subtly underscored the concept of “all men are created equal”
that was espoused by our founding fathers.
If you can conceive it and believe it you can achieve it.
A BRIEF HISTORY AND LESSONS LEARNED
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The members of the Barrel Bottom Boat Company subscribe more to the principles
displayed by Huck Finn than by Tom Sawyer. We hope that our story will support and
encourage students to be of strong moral character, believe in themselves, get the job
done, and protect and improve our way of life.
Perhaps it was the fictional adventures of Huckleberry Finn on a raft down the Mississippi
River that inspired a group of Boyden High School classmates to build their own raft to
ply the Yadkin River. The following narrative is the story about the boys, who in the
Huck Finn tradition, banded together to build, launch, and sail a wooden and steel
barrel raft on the Yadkin River. The boys founded the Barrel Bottom Boat
Company. This narrative gives the history of that founding and the lessons that
the boys learned while building and sailing the boat and the lessons they learned
in the 50 years following.
The Beginning…
In their junior and senior years several members of the Boyden High School Class
of 1961 banded together to build a houseboat and launch it on the waters of the
Yadkin river. No one remembers who first voiced the idea … but the idea became a
discussion, the discussion became a dream, and the dream became a reality. Plans
soon developed to find a location on the river, to design the boat, and to procure
the materials. An uncle of one of the boys allowed them to stage the project on his
lot on the Yadkin River. They decided that the boat should be built of wood lashed
to 55 gallon steel drums and the project was underway.
Lesson Two … Dare to Dream – Dare to Commit.
As Rogers and Hammerstein advised in their lyrics to South Pacific “You gotta have a
dream, if you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true”. To
accomplish the dream you must not only have interest but commitment. When you’re
interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re
committed to something, you accept no excuses, only regrets.
A dream without action merely passes time. A dream with action and commitment can change the world.
A BRIEF HISTORY AND LESSONS LEARNED
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The Design…
The boys researched the dimensions that would allow them to launch a boat on the
Yadkin River without a license. The dimensions fit within a base that would house
fifteen 55 gallon drums lashed together with wooden planks. The boat would be five
55 gallon drums wide and three drums long. A frame would be built to hold the drums
in place. Ropes would be used to secure the drums to the frame. A deck would be
built on top of the frame. The deck would support a simple shelter. The boat would be
moved using long poles. A motor mount was later added to the stern so that a 9.9
horsepower engine could be used.
Plan
Work and Believe
Accomplish
Lesson Three … Set a Goal and Make a Plan.
For any project to be successful it needs to have a goal and a plan. Put goals and
plans in writing. If you can’t put it on a sheet of paper – you probably can’t do it.
The goal may be modified as the project progresses to keep it within a reasonable
expectation.
Plans and Goals are not sacrosanct. You should periodically assess your plans /
goals and adjust them based on changes that have occurred and prospects that
the future holds. Don’t, however, change your goals for the sole self-serving
purpose of achieving them.
The Construction…
Most of the boy’s families couldn’t afford a boat, so the thought of building a huge
river-worthy raft capable of carrying the whole group, was fun to fanaticize about but,
perhaps for this group of classmates, a dream just out of reach; but not for long.
Their enthusiasm spirited them on. The boys gathered the materials to build the boat
and assembled them on the lot on the Yadkin River. The boys had no money to fund
the project. With empty 55 gallon barrels from N. C. Roofing Supply and hard
unfinished oak wood planks and beams scavenged from the shipping crates used to
ship new turbines for the Duke Power plant at Dukeville, all they needed to purchase
were some rope and nails… lots of nails.
Do something that everyone is so absolutely certain can’t be done.
A BRIEF HISTORY AND LESSONS LEARNED
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The shipping crate lumber explains the lack of square corners and straight lines
characteristic of the boat. The materials were delivered to the building site on the
Yadkin River using family cars and trucks from Beaver Brother’s Plumbing and
Dixie TV Radio Service. The barrels were either carried in the trucks or tied to the
tops and/or trunks of family cars and the wood was transported in the same
manner often with the ends of the boards on the dashboard and extending out of
the rear windows. Quite often the cars were so heavily loaded that the suspension
springs were bottomed out and the tires were flattened by the weight.
Beaver
Brothers
Plumbing &
Heating
The materials were transported mostly at night so that no attention would be
drawn to the novel transportation system. Reality set in as construction began.
Construction of the boat base was slow, difficult, and frustrating. Lashing the
barrels to the ten plus foot long oak beams and to the cross beams with rope was
a daunting task. Many approaches were tried without success. On the verge of
defeat the boys finally prevailed with brute strength and determination and the
frame was finally completed. Although frequently discussed, abandoning the
project was never an option. Once the frame containing the barrels was secured
construction of the deck proceeded with hand tools (no power tools) and lots of
elbow grease and bent nails. The bent nails were the result of using extremely
hard unfinished wood with no pre-drilled holes.
Lesson Four … Plan Ahead for Success.
Make sure that your plan considers the methods and resources required as well as
the materials that you will need to complete the project. Most projects that fail do
so not for a lack of desire or hard work but for a lack of planning in the beginning.
Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left over by those who hustle.
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The Decision…
With the deck of the boat base almost complete the boys took stock of where the
project stood and assessed the amount of time required to gather more materials
and complete the enclosed part of the houseboat. With summer rapidly
approaching the boys unanimously decided to revise the original plan. The new
plan called for a Huck Finn type of raft instead of a houseboat. A structure for
mounting a canvas awning or tarp would be erected approximately mid-raft and for
all events and purposes the project would be considered complete and ready to
use. It was, after all, large enough to hold all of the boys and the awning would
provide shelter from the sun and rain, if necessary.
Completion…
So after a lot of transporting, a lot of sawing, and a lot of hammering, the huge raft was
completed on a river lot across from Goat Island near the old Steel Bridge on the Yadkin
River. Later, outfitted with a motor, lounge chairs, and pole lanterns, it was a sight to
behold.
Lesson Five … Perseverance.
Once you have initiated a project that is worthy of your undertaking stick with it to
its completion. Don’t give up. When difficult problems arise consider them as
opportunities for improvement. Remember the old adage “If at first you don’t
succeed try, try again”. Dare to think “outside of the box” for solutions and
persevere.
Working hard becomes a habit and fun. Satisfaction comes from pushing yourself to the limit and accomplishing the goal.
A BRIEF HISTORY AND LESSONS LEARNED
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The Launch…
Summer was upon them. The boat was ready. Nothing was left to do but to launch
it. Up to this point no one other than the boys and the owner of the land on which
it sat were aware of the boat. They had not told their parents, relatives, or friends.
After the launch the secret would be harder to keep. People would see them on
the river and the story would be told. The boys decided that it would be ok to
bring other friends to the boat but that neither its existence nor their travels on it
would be shared with their parents. And so the boat was launched. It was
propelled by using long poles to push against the bottom of the river. This meant
of course that the boat had to stay within range of the poles reach to the river
bottom. After a while it became increasingly clear that an alternate means of
propulsion was needed. One of the boys owned a 9.9 horsepower outboard motor
and a motor mount was soon added to the stern of the boat. (A 10 horsepower
boat would have required the boys to obtain a license for the boat.)
Lesson Six … Rejoice in Your Accomplishments
Once you plan is accomplished or your goal is achieved take time to enjoy the
fruits of your labor. Share your joy with friends, but retain humility along with the
joy. Be proud of your accomplishments but do not brag about them. Those for
whom your accomplishments are important already know how much they mean to
you.
People rarely succeed at anything unless they have fun doing it.
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A Huckleberry Finn Kind of Time…
The boat was a huge success. Many days and nights of back-slapping good times were
spent on that raft! By day it was used to sail on the river and as a floating deck for
diving and swimming in the river. At night it was used for solitary cruising or cruising
with that special someone. At first not everyone on the river was as enthusiastic about
the boat as the boys were. The Sunday recreational boaters, the flatboat and shore
fishermen, the people in the homes along the shore, and of course the river patrol all
eyed the boat and the boys with suspicion and mistrust. The boys were not prepared
for negative treatment but soon realized that trust and acceptance had to be earned.
They made sure that they acted respectfully at all times and did not create an
appearance of rowdiness. Soon the other people enjoying the activities on the river
came to accept the boat and the boys as a common fixture of life on the Yadkin River.
The boys were also not completely prepared for the river patrol. Although they were
sure that they had built the boat to specifications that required no license to operate
their first encounter with the patrol was stressful. The patrol questioned the boys
about their intentions and verified that both the boat and the motor met the criteria
for not requiring a license. They did however issue a warning because the boys did not
have enough life jackets for everyone on board. After several more patrol encounters
the boys had their act together for all of the rules and regulations by which they had
to abide. By the end of the summer the boys and the boat were accepted on the river
by the patrol. On several occasions they even provided towing assistance, because of
inclement weather, back to the launch site. The little 9.9 horsepower motor could
barely keep the boat moving forward in calm water much less against a stormy river.
Idyllic times were spent on the boat both day and night until the fall when the boys
left for college. Still it continued to be used on weekends and break times. Amazingly
none of the boy’s parents ever mentioned the boat. Although there were several close
calls as parent’s cars passed over the bridge under which the boys and the boat were
hidden from view. Looking back we are not sure that the parents didn’t know and
were wise enough to allow the boys their energetic and innocent fun.
Lesson Seven … Bonding Friendships.
It is important to celebrate life and have fun with people that you enjoy. Solid
relationships should be established and maintained. True friends are hard to find.
They should to be honored, cherished, and held close. They are there for you in
both good times and bad and are always a source of wisdom, joy and peacefulness.
Be true to yourself. Make friendship a fine art. Make each day a masterpiece of joy.
A BRIEF HISTORY AND LESSONS LEARNED
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Paradise Lost…
Sometime in the late fall of 1961, when the boys were home from college, they found
that the boat had somehow broken loose from its moorings and drifted to the other
side of the river. The boys dutifully swam across the river and towed the boat back to
where it belonged. Several weeks later, the boat was found again on the other side of
the river. The boys again swam across the river to retrieve the boat. This time they
were met by an angry man who informed them that he had purchased the boat and it
was now his floating dock. Disheartened, the boys swam back across the river without
the boat. The idyllic days of the boat on the Yadkin River had come to an end.
Lesson Eight … Disappointments Happen.
Things do not always go as planned; even the best laid plans oft go astray.
Disappointments are to be recognized and acknowledged for what they are and
remembered only for the lessons to be learned from them.
The Barrel Bottom Boat Company…
The boys finished their schooling and went their separate ways but they remained
in contact with each other. Then in June of 1973 tragedy struck. Mike Shaver, one
of the boys that built the boat had a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away. Mike was
a free spirit loved by all of the boys.
His passing was a huge shock to them all, because at that time they thought they
were immortal. At his funeral the boys all realized that they had a special kind of
relationship and wanted to recognize it and Mike in some way. They formed the Barrel
Bottom Boat Company in his honor and began contributing toward a memorial.
In October of 1995 the boys finalized their goal by founding a memorial park near the
site of the Presbyterian Bell Tower in Salisbury and dedicating it in Mike’s honor. The
park contained a fountain and a memorial plaque with a poem on Friendship written
by Karl Rimer. The park is maintained by the City of Salisbury.
The greatness of a man is measured by the esteem he is deemed from his friends.
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Lesson Nine … Memories.
True friends remember. Bonds formed in early years strengthen over time and
become even more precious.
“Why” is more important than the project. Purpose is more important than the object.
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The Barrel Bottom Boat Company – Redeux…
All of the members of the Barrel Bottom Boat Company formed in 1973 were men who
as boys had participated in the building of the Barrel Bottom Boat. Prior to the 50th
reunion for Boyden High Class of 1961 a few members of the original company came
to a consensus that the group needed to be reformed and dedicated to ‘giving back’
to Boyden High and to its future graduates. The Barrel Bottom Boat Company was
revived. This time it included fellow classmates from 1961 who had not participated in
the building of the boat but had bonded friendships with the original founders in the
years following graduation from Boyden. The company consists of 11 founders and
Mike Shaver as a memorial member. The company has pledged to fund a perpetual
scholarship for a male member of each graduating class of Salisbury High School
(formerly Boyden High School). The funding is augmented by other classmates of ’61,
company members at large, who contribute to see the scholarship succeed and grow.
Lesson Ten … Replenish the Resources.
Resources must be renewed and sustained; otherwise they will not be maintained to
ensure the growth and strength of America. The most valuable resource America has is its
youth. Encouraging their continued education and growth will help to safeguard the
American way of life.
About the Boys of The Barrel Bottom Boat Company…
The boys who built the raft (the Barrel Bottom Boat) had little in the way of resources and
even less in boat building experience. However, they did have abundant enthusiasm,
creativity, resourcefulness, and energy. The members of the group were active
participants in many of the activities that took place at Boyden High School between 1957
and 1961. Members of the group worked on the Yellow Jacket Staff, participated in the
technical support and cast of our School plays, Oklahoma, South Pacific and The Mikado,
which were organized and directed by George Wilson, the Music teacher. The group had
boys who were members of The Science Club, The Key Club, The Junior Civitan Club,
DeMolay, and the National Honor Society and were active in school sports, politics,
parades, fund raisers and many other functions. The group had no leader. They all
contributed toward both leadership and accomplishing the task, whatever it was they
undertook. They gave freely of their time and effort and sought little or no recognition for
their accomplishments. They were humble boys who truly believed in truth, honesty,
trustworthiness, honor and friendship. More importantly, they neither expected nor
wanted recognition. Their reward was helping make Boyden a better school, increasing
school spirit, causing Boyden staff and classmates to wonder who performed some of their
activities, and increasing the enjoyment of the four years they spent together there.
There is no limit to what a man can accomplish if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.
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About the Men of The Barrel Bottom Boat Company…
The men who founded the Barrel Bottom Boat Company have all retained their belief in
truth, honesty, trustworthiness, and honor. Their bond of friendship is stronger today
than it was when they were building the boat. They each achieved success in their own
right and owe that success, in part, to the foundations generated at Boyden High School.
All of them received the benefits of an excellent education and some received monetary
support from school scholarships. They firmly believe that the time has come for them to
give back what was so generously given to them during their four wonderful years at
Boyden High School and to pass on the legacy of the boys that built the Barrel Bottom
Boat. Thus they have created “The Barrel Bottom Boat Company Scholarship” which will
be given annually to a male graduate of Salisbury High School who has been judged to
exemplify the character, creativity, resourcefulness, and energy of the boys that built the
boat and has given freely of his time and energy to create a stronger Salisbury High
School. They hope that their story will inspire others to dare to dream, believe that the
dream can be accomplished and, in the spirit of the boys that built the boat, make the
dream a reality.
Lesson Eleven … Believe in Yourself and Your Friends.
In today’s world, dare to adhere to the values of truth, honesty, trustworthiness,
honor, and friendship. Believe in the American dream. Believe that you and your
friends can achieve that dream and make it a reality for you and the others around
you. You are America’s future. Strive in every way you can to make it better.
Epilogue…
The America that we pass on to you is not the America that we received from our
parent’s generation. It has endured the challenges of war, terrorism, and the
financial insecurity of recent times. It has changed to fit into a more global
environment but has remained constant in its protection of the inalienable rights
of its citizens and in its staunch belief that all men are created equal. The future
now lies in your hands. May you grow in wisdom, hold true to the beliefs of truth,
honesty, trustworthiness, and honor, and lead your country to continue to revive the
values that were instilled in her by our founding fathers.
Lesson Twelve … Vigilance.
Americans cannot be complacent if our nation is to long endure. We must evaluate
proposed changes in our country’s direction and embrace them if they strengthen
our beliefs and rebuke them if they undermine them.
Strive not to become a man of success, but a man of value.