[Margaret Peabody]

Sent to my Congressmen:
Please, please do not shut down the Delta Queen. There is no need to talk about her beauty and elegance, those are well known facts. Please consider her historical value and the love she garners from any who have crossed her path. She is a member of the family, the matriarch with the stunning strand of pearls resting on her ample bosom. I beg you to go back to Congress and ask for more exemptions. I cannot fathom why they would allow one of America's memories to be put to rest. The old girl is still full of "**** and vinegar". Please do not allow this to happen. I grew up in Natchez MS, on the river, down Learned's Hill. I watched her as a child and loved her melodies as she came and went. As a young girl, I fell in love with her. She was all I could think about. So much so that I quit college and got a job on her as a Purser for a year in 1997. As I grew up and lost contact with those friendships we swore we'd never lose, She never left my heart. I still have one friend, Captain Gabe Chengary who was First Mate under Captain Wagner and then Captain from that year on. I have always said, "that is the only year I'd go back and do again". I go back to Natchez a lot now for my ailing mother and I still listen and hear her calliope. Please, do not stop her siren song.