The Master of the Mississippi
Encyclopedia
The Master of the Mississippi is a Scrooge McDuck
comic by Don Rosa
. It is the second of the original 12 chapters in the series The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck
. The story takes place from 1880 to 1882.
have travelled to America to seek his fortune. He finds his long lost uncle Pothole, and helps him on his riverboat
alongside Ratchet Gearloose, trying to be first at a site where a ship sunk 30 years earlier, carrying government gold. The Beagle Boys
are also in pursuit of the gold, in Scrooge's first meeting with them.
After being caught by the Beagle Boys, Scrooge tricks them, and their riverboat is destroyed. In the end no one gets the gold, as the government takes it back. Scrooge then takes full employment on Pothole's riverboat, and after a few years, when Pothole retires, buys it for himself. However, this is just as the railroad is being laid across the land, making riverboats somewhat obsolete.
During one ride, Scrooge carries more government gold, when he comes across a lady giving away free firewood - a deal that Scrooge simply can not resist. However, the lady turns out to be a Beagle Boy dressed up. The Beagle Boys take the gold and locks Scrooge and Ratchet in the boiler room, after having stuffed one of the boilers full of pine knots and pitch - so that it will explode due to pressure. Scrooge and Ratchet hide in the other boiler, which they stuff with cotton.
In the mean time, the riverboat, only running on one boiler makes a turn in the water and runs ashore, and follows the Beagle Boys across land. Upon reaching their hideout, the boiler - and with it, the riverboat - explodes. Scrooge and Ratchet, having hidden in the other boiler, are all right, and the Beagle Boys are taken to jail.
Since he no longer has a riverboat, Scrooge decides to move west, along the railroad and so he takes a job as a fireman on the Wabash Cannonball
.
Scrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Scrooge is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a red or blue frock coat, top hat, pince-nez glasses, and spats...
comic by Don Rosa
Don Rosa
Keno Don Hugo Rosa, known simply as Don Rosa, is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other characters created by Carl Barks for Disney comics, such as The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.-Early life:Don Rosa's grandfather,...
. It is the second of the original 12 chapters in the series The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is a comic book story by Don Rosa about Scrooge McDuck. Originally, the story had twelve chapters totalling 212 pages...
. The story takes place from 1880 to 1882.
Storyline
In 1880, young Scrooge McDuckScrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Scrooge is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a red or blue frock coat, top hat, pince-nez glasses, and spats...
have travelled to America to seek his fortune. He finds his long lost uncle Pothole, and helps him on his riverboat
Riverboat
A riverboat is a ship built boat designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such...
alongside Ratchet Gearloose, trying to be first at a site where a ship sunk 30 years earlier, carrying government gold. The Beagle Boys
Beagle Boys
The Beagle Boys are a group of fictional characters from the Scrooge McDuck universe. Created by Carl Barks, they are a gang of criminals who constantly try to rob Scrooge McDuck. Their introduction and first appearance was in Terror of the Beagle Boys, in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #134,...
are also in pursuit of the gold, in Scrooge's first meeting with them.
After being caught by the Beagle Boys, Scrooge tricks them, and their riverboat is destroyed. In the end no one gets the gold, as the government takes it back. Scrooge then takes full employment on Pothole's riverboat, and after a few years, when Pothole retires, buys it for himself. However, this is just as the railroad is being laid across the land, making riverboats somewhat obsolete.
During one ride, Scrooge carries more government gold, when he comes across a lady giving away free firewood - a deal that Scrooge simply can not resist. However, the lady turns out to be a Beagle Boy dressed up. The Beagle Boys take the gold and locks Scrooge and Ratchet in the boiler room, after having stuffed one of the boilers full of pine knots and pitch - so that it will explode due to pressure. Scrooge and Ratchet hide in the other boiler, which they stuff with cotton.
In the mean time, the riverboat, only running on one boiler makes a turn in the water and runs ashore, and follows the Beagle Boys across land. Upon reaching their hideout, the boiler - and with it, the riverboat - explodes. Scrooge and Ratchet, having hidden in the other boiler, are all right, and the Beagle Boys are taken to jail.
Since he no longer has a riverboat, Scrooge decides to move west, along the railroad and so he takes a job as a fireman on the Wabash Cannonball
Wabash Cannonball
"The Wabash Cannonball" is an American folk song about a fictional train, thought to have originated in the late nineteenth century. Its first documented appearance was on sheet music published in 1882, titled "" and credited to J. A. Roff...
.