"Steamboat Bill" (Ernest Torrence) gets a letter from his son - whom he hasn't seen for many years - saying he is coming to visit. Excitedly, he and his first mate "Tom" go to meet the train... What they meet, after a few mishaps, is a young man who looks more like a Parisian onion seller than a strapping man of the river! Add to this, that it turns out "Willie" (Buster Keaton) is also sweet on the daughter "Kitty" (Marion Byron) of dad's local arch enemy "JJ King" (Tom McGuire) and the poor old fella's disappointment is complete. Loads of daft shenanigans follow as the young man tries to impr...