Two Paddleboats Left Port About The Same Time ...

Two paddleboats left port about the same time down the Mississippi River. As they traveled side by side, the sailors began to taunt one another; challenging words were exchanged until finally a race began. After a time, one boat began falling behind; its fuel supply nearly expended. Although there had been plenty of coal for the trip, there had not been enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burnt their cargo.