Why was the position of steamboat pilot the best Mark Twain?

A steamboat captan was the equivalent of all the Star Trek captains put together. He controlled the highest technology of the time, he proved his worth by testing, every second of his life was involved in keeping his crew and passengers safe, the faced a messy and dramatic death if his ship malfunctioned, he travelled and saw places none of the landlocked folk would, he was romantic and dashing, he hobnobbed with criminals, thieves and card sharks but stayed honourable, he wore a spiffy uniform. And only one person in a thousand even got to try for the job.What adventurous lad wouldn't aspire to this job!