Mr. Orville Johnson,

It's good to meet you. I just went through a few back issues of The Waterways Journal and the Sons & Daughters Of Pioneer Rivermen REFLECTOR---the ones featuring either of Dennis Trone's two boats. I was hoping there might be a photo of you.------Where was the JBS based when you were aboard? I know she was down on the Ohio for a few years--out of Evansville, Indiana. Also on the Tennessee River.

I really wanted to be at the reunion you mentioned but was out of it right then & it weren't doable. Dennis Trone is the whole ball of wax there at River Cruises. He makes it WORK and that's all there is to it. It was a pleasure to watch him respond to crisis after crisis---emergency after emergency. When Denny took over, you just knew it'd be cool if you just had some patience. And patience was something I developed on the JBS. Now-a-days, whenever things are going too slow for my liking, I close my eyes and pretend we're hung up in a lock delay. A double tow is going through and there's nothing to do but marvel at the river and be thankful for the extra time.

I used to ride the Julia Belle Swain upriver and when we'd meet the Twilight going down, I'd be landed on an island and switch boats. I'd do a show on the downbound boat like I did on the one goin' upstream------and I'd wind up where I started the day----where I'd left my car-----so I could drive 68 miles home. By doing it every other day, I played for everyone on all of their trips on both boats. It was a 16 hour day from the time I left home to the time I got back there. And I loved it. Would do it again in a minute if I could. Sure do have some grand photos from those years.

You must know Paul and Dorothy Anton, correct? Dorothy is doing well but Paul passed on a year or so ago...

Art Thieme