MY FIRST YEAR RAFTING, 1878

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    My service on the Mississippi river began in late March, 1878. I had finished the winter term as teacher of the intermediate room in the public school at Princeton, Iowa. About 11 p.m., I boarded the nice steam raft-boat 'LeClaire Belle,' bound for Savanna Bay, for a raft of logs for Carson and Rand, of Burlington, Iowa.

     The 'LeClaire Belle' was owned by Captain Sam Van Sant of LeClaire, Iowa, and S.&J.C. Atlee of Fort Madison, Iowa.

     Captain Van Sant was her manager and he put me on her to do what clerking there was, and with Will Davenport, who became my partner, I stood regular six-hour watches running the nigger-engine while towing rafts down stream, and as watchman going up river.

     As clerk, I had to keep the log book, the time and expense books, buy all supplies, fuel and sundries and pay for them. On the delivery of each raft, I had to get a receipt for it, showing the number of strings, or brails, and the scale in feet, and draw enough money from the mill company, to whom we delivered the raft, to pay the trips expenses. The crew were all paid up at the end of each trip, and also all bills for supplies.

     Captain Van Sant impressed upon me the importance of keeping close watch of my cash book and the necessity for balancing my cash at least once a day, as the work in the office was often done in a hurry amid more or less noise and confusion. I am still grateful to him

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for getting me started right in discharging a duty which in time became a habit that saved me from loss and worry, and gave me real pleasure.

     Getting on board late at night, I took the berth assigned to me, by the mate, but did not sleep much. At breakfast I was made acquainted with James Hugunin, master and pilot, George Tromley, Sr., pilot, R.B. McCall, mate, Thos., Wright, chief engineer, Add. Mikesell, assistant engineer, Wm. Davenport, my partner, Ben Shipley, cook, and Harry Carleton, cabin boy.

     Later I became acquainted with the firemen, John Shannon and Martin Larkins. She had eight or nine men on deck, of whom I remember only one, Johnny Bagley, who often helped me by 'watching the nigger' when I had some work to do in the office, and he posted me about my numerous duties and steamboat rules and ways of doing things. Old Martin, the firemen, also took interest in me, reminding me what my rights duties were. While I made a few cracks, of course, with their help I made rapid progress in getting into my place. We were all on the boat at the close of the season, during which we ran logs from Stillwater, Minnesota, to Atlee's mill in Fort Madison, Iowa.

     The 'Belle' was only six years old, with hull, machinery and boilers in excellent condition. She had a nice, comfortable cabin for the officers, with kitchen, pantry and mess-room at the after end. The office was directly in front, and was fitted up complete, including a good, small safe with combination lock. I was proud to work in this little office, and determined to hold the job. Nothing but gatling guns and police dogs could have driven me away from it.

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Steamer LeClaire Belle

One of the best and most successful boats of the old raft fleet, 1873-1960. Captain Sam Van Sant owned one-half interest. The author was clerk and watchman in 1878.

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The pilot and mate were kind and helpful from the start, as was the assistant engineer, and before the season closed, the captain and chief engineer became pleasant and agreeable.

     The 'Belle's' oak hull was one hundred and twenty-five feet long, twenty-two and one-half feet wide, and drew twenty-eight inches light. She had two boilers, and engines fourteen inches bore by four-foot stroke, applied to a stern paddle wheel. She was a nice, easy boat to steer and handle, and was real fast when running light, but slow when loaded down with coal

     When we reached Savanna Bay, the next morning after I 'shipped,' we found that the raft had been laid up so long that the rope booming was all rotten. We put in the whole day rebooming it and getting it ready to run.

     That night we had a snow storm, and it was late the next day when we got the two pieces dropped down through Sabula bridge, and coupled below Dark Chute, after dark. Here I got into my first trouble. I took red lanterns to hang on the outside corners of the raft next the channel.

     As walking logs was new thing to me, I took a bright lantern to light me back to the boat, I hung my red lantern all right and was carefully picking my way back to the boat, when a piece of rotten bark, covered with snow, gave way, and I fell, hurting one knee. My bright light got wet and went out. I had to crawl back on my hands and one knee. The other was stiff and sore, but I managed to avoid exposure and gaffing.

     When we delivered the raft at Burlington, Mr. E.D. Rand paid me in full and gave us an extra one hundred dollars on my explanation about the delay and extra work in getting the raft ready. This settlement pleased our manager when I reported to him about col-

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lecting one hundred dollars more than the contract price, as he had not suggested claiming any extra pay.

     The 'LeClaire Belle' made one trip to Saint Louis during low water in September. She made this trip under charter to the Eau Claire Lumber Company, Captain Peter kerns took charge and Captain Hugunin went with him as pilot. He did not need a clerk, or had one of his own, so George Tromley and I did not get to make this trip, but we were transferred to the 'Silver Wave' until the 'Belle' returned.

     On this trip the 'Belle' lumber raft was put through the new Keokuk canal. Coming back up, while locking through, some of the crew gathered a lot of persimmons, which were growing plentifully along the canal-side. They ate all the ripe ones, and carefully put some green ones where I would find them. Fortunately I boarded the boat long before daylight on her return, and had my first experience with green persimmons before there were many around to witness my struggle to get my mouth back in shape so I could talk and eat my breakfast. I threw the others all overboard, but claimed i had eaten them and liked them. Anyone who has not tried eating green persimmons should try a few to get the correct idea.

     On our first trip to Stillwater, Minnesota, for a raft, there was much to see and enjoy. I had never been above Dubuque before, and that is where the fine bluffs scenery begins.

     Many fires on the bluffs at night added much to the natural grandeur of the Great Canon. At the time, wood cut on the bluffs was the principal fuel used by the many steamboats operating north of Dubuque. Every spring, too, there was a lot of brush to be burned away. The work was usually done at night, and cer-

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Steamer Clyde

Iron hull, side wheel rafter, built at Dubuque, Iowa, 1870, for Ingram and Kennedy. Changed to a stern-wheeler by J. M. Turner and A.F. Hollinhead about 1889. Now (1929) towing pig iron on the Tennessee river and owned by The Arrow Transportation Company. She was the first iron hull on the upper Mississippi  very fast but hard to steer and often broken down.

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tainly presented many beautiful pictures. I stood the forward watch, 6:30 to 12 A.M., and 6:30 P.M. to midnight, so I had plenty to look at, and often stayed up until long after my partner came on watch.

     There were no wing dams in the river then, nor one-tenth as many sand-bars, but there were a few crossings that were bad every season during the low water period (usually during August and September). Places like Bellevue, Queen's Bluff, Chimney Rock, and Beef Slough bars were wide and shallow. I have seen eleven boats aground on, or waiting to get over, Winon bar. These were the first places to which the wing dam or jetty system was applied with success that led to its adoption for the entire Upper Mississippi. The old penitentiary of Minnesota was located at Stillwater. While the crew was fitting up the raft, I had some business ashore, and leisure enough to visit the state prison, in order to get a peek at Cole Younger. He was in for a long term for aiding Jesse James in robbing the bank in Northfield, Minnesota. This was considered a great feat then, but would be a very tame affair in these progressive days.

     Cole Younger was a well built, handsome man. After serving many long years, with excellent behavior, my old employer , Captain Sam Van Sant, having become governor of the state, pardoned or paroled him, and took a real interest in him. He had paid the penalty and had become a changed man.

     On our second trip to Stillwater, we laid there all night to clean boilers. The streets were full if men who had come down on 'the drive. 'They brought the log crop from the woods, down the little tributaries into the main stream, the Saint Croix river, breaking jams, sacking, rolling, and following them down into 

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the great catch booms at the mouth to the Saint Croix, where it empties into the head of Lake Saint Croix, at Stillwater. This beautiful lake is thirty miles long, and empties into the Mississippi at Prescott, Wisconsin. it made an admirable place to hold rafts, and store logs and lumber ready for towing down river.

     These strong, husky men from the woods wore blue or red mackinaw jackets and high boots, with calks in heels and soles so they could hold their footing on loose, slippery, rolling logs.

     They were here drawing their pay and most of them spending it freely. The places of amusement and refreshment were doing good business. After their fling in town, many of these men put in the summer season on the raft-boats engaged in towing logs and lumber to mills and yards down river.

     Durant, Wheeler and Company had a fleet of nice raft-boats, and handled a good share of the output from the Saint Croix. Captain A.B. Young had the big tow-boat 'Minnesota', Captain Hank L. Peavey had an excellent boat the 'Penn Wright', and Isaac Staples who had a part in everything in Stillwater, was building two fine raft-boats, the 'Isaac Staples' and the L.E. Staples.

     The 'Helen Mar' and the 'Ada B.' were aid up and for sale. I wanted one of them badly, but could not raise money enough, and my employer, who was willing to take a chance with me, thought the put look was not good anyway. The year 1878 was a dry season, and not a busy one on the river. conditions changed the next year for the better, and improved right along for several years. The 'Mar' or the 'Ada' would have been a good buy.

    The 'Ada B' was bought by the United States engineers 

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Steamer Pauline

Built at Stillwater, Minn., 1879 for Durnant, Wheeler and Company. Engines ten inches by six feet. Owed and operated later by Captain J. M. Turner of Lansing, Iowa.

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and rendered many years of excellent service. When she was condemned and sold, in February, 1924, I was the successful bidder. So I owned her at last, over forty-five years after I first saw her and wanted her. I soon sold her, at a profit, but let her go with great regret, as she was a peach to work with. The United states engineers condemned her so they could buy the Mayo's pleasure boat 'Minnesota', to replace her. I got the 'Ada B.' for $1250,00, and the United states engineers paid $35,000.00 for the Minnesota.

     As my duties going up river were very light, I could spend considerable time in the pilot-house, where I could be learning the river. Pilot Tromley gave me every encouragement, and I will always hold his kindness in grateful recollection. He was a French-Canadian, and, not having learned to read, had retained much of his native dialect, using many expressions that were just delightful. Though not educated, he was bright and well informed. He was a pleasant man to meet usually or to stand watch with, , day and night. Though he had been on the river forty-five years, and was about seventy years of age, he was straight, handsome, and healthy, not only the liveliest person in the crew but the best company I ever had through a season. Several years after, when I was in charge of the 'Ten Broeck' and the 'J.W. Mills', I had him with me as my pilot-partner. He was just the same genial, kindly, fun-loving, old Canuck as when he gave me my first lessons in piloting, on the 'LeClaire Belle.'

     In 1871, Taylor Williams opened coal mines at Rapid City, Illinois, at the upper end of the LeClaire Rapids and soon built up a a big trade supplying coal to steamboats, at LeClaire, Iowa. The coal was loaded into small cars at the mines, one and one-half miles

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from the river, and these were run down by gravity to the river bank, and dumped into barges, holding 1500 to 200 bushels. These barges were towed over to LeClaire by the handsome little steamer 'Jenny Gilghrist'. This coal was found at the time to help steamboating on the Upper Mississippi especially the rafting. The raft boats could fill up on excellent coal at LeClaire, at eight cents a bushel, or two dollars a ton on the barge. Some of the boats could carry enough coal to make the round trip up to Beef Slough and back, while others would have to take on wood up river.

     There were many regular wood yards, where good, dry was ranked, close to the water, to supply boats landing for it at any time, day or night. The most notable wood landings were Harringtons (below Bellevue), Finleys (above Dubuque), Saint Louis wood yard (below Guttenberg), Frenchtown, Clayton, Dave Norells (at the mouth of the Wisconsin river), Fred Worth's (above McGregor). At Lynxville, Wisconsin, Tom Bright and Lish Randall had wood flats loaded ready to be taken in tow and unloaded under way. Jim Latshaw and Bill Tibbetts sold wood at Victory, and Charley Ott , Pearl Oliver and Jo Franzeni, at Bad Axe, also had wood boats and were considered experts in loading it for sale. By putting all crooked limbs wood down in and placing nice, straight split wood on top, an expert could take thirteen cords off the bank and make a good showing of what measured eighteen to twenty cords in the flat boat.

     John Witte had a good yard at Brownsville, and there were others at Hammond Chute, Queens Bluff, The Stone House (above Winona), Fountain City, Richtman's, Belvedere, and West Newton. John Harry had wood in flats at Alma. Above Lake Pepin, we 

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could wood at Trenton, Diamond Bluff, or smith's, and we could get good, coarse, dry slabs at Glenmount in Saint Croix.

    We thought our expenses were high then, when we were only paying two dollars a ton for good coal, two dollars and fifty cents for a cord for dry oak wood, and one dollar and twenty-five cents to one dollar and fifty cents a cord for slabs, piled on the bank, at a few mills that catered to this trade.

    We were paying men on deck twenty-five dollars a month, thirty-five dollars to firemen, ninety dollars to chief engineers, and sixty dollars to assistants, sixty dollars to the cook, and fifteen dollars for his helper, on boats that only carried their own crew.

    On some boats that carried families and friends of the owners, they paid ten or fifteen dollars more to the cook, and carried an extra boy in the cabin.

    Living was good, for supplies were plentiful, and very cheap compared with present prices. Ice was two dollars per ton, eggs ten to fifteen cents a dozen, meat six to ten cents a pound, with liver and bones for the dog thrown in, potatoes twenty to fifty cents a bushel, cat fish ten cents, buffalo fish eight cents, crappies and sun fish also eight cents, and frogs legs seventy-five cents a dozen. Pancakes and 'jambolaye' were our standbys for breakfast, and our strong suits in desserts were 'Sally Lunn' and 'Dead man's leg'.

    Going down stream with a raft, at the rate of three and one-half to four miles an hour, I frequently had to take one of the skiffs and two linesmen to row it, and pull ahead of the tow, to get ice, meat, milk, and fresh vegetables. Going ahead to Fountain City, we could get our skiff loaded, and easily catch the boat while she was backing the bend in Betsey Slough. at Winona, I 

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would step off while she was double tripping the bridge, and have everything ready at the river side to load in the skiff when she came down with the second piece. We always pulled ahead at Lansing, as it was our best fish and vegetable supply, and a handy place to get ice and mail.

     Gaunitz brothers ran the boat store at Lansing, Iowa, many years, and had a nice boat trade. Their books show that they once had twenty-four steamboats at their pier during the twenty-four hour day. At another time they put up and delivered seven hundred and twenty dollars worth of goods to boats in one night.

     In nearly every town along the river you would see the sign 'Boat Store' on one or more stores on Front street. This usually meant only a grocery store that catered to the steamboat trade during the day and evening. Some few gave a night service too.

     However, there were only a few real boat stores, such as Ward andBrady, at Saint Louis; Hansen and Linehan, and Diamond Jo stores, at Dubuque, Iowa, McDonald Brothers and P.S. Davidson's at LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where they kept groceries, rope in all sizes, blocks and pulleys, shovels, picks, hand-picks, axes, peaveys, augers, and all rafting supplies and tools. They had a sail-loft, where tarpaulins and canvas covers of all kinds were made. I always loved the smell of oakum and rope that came from upstairs.

     During good water stages, we made round trips between Stillwater and Fort Madison in ten or eleven days. When the river got low and we had to double-trip from Read's Landing, at the foot of Lake Pepin to the foot of Coon Slough, it took us fourteen to sixteen days.

     In ordinary stages of water, our boats could follow

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The Artemus Lamb With An Excursion Party

Owned and operated by C. Lamb and Son of Clinton, Iowa, 1873-1898

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'down the shore,' or raft channel, on the Upper Rock Island rapids (fifteen miles long, extended from Rock Island, Illinois, to LeClaire, Iowa), but we always employed a special rapids pilot, and we never started over until daylight. When the river got low, we had to double-trip the rapids part way at least (that is, take over one-half of the raft at a time), with a smaller boat on the bow to shove ahead or back into, the narrow crooked channel.

    These rapids pilots became very skillful in their work. There was a sharp rivalry between them for trips, when business was dull. During the busy seasons, they all had plenty to do. At the time I began rafting, 1878, J.W. Rambo and D.F. Dorrance had nearly all the rapids work, but J.N. Long was edging in wherever he got a chance, and soon held his own with the others.

     Each of the pilots owned or had an interest in a bow-boat, which assisted in getting these big rafts over in low water. The pilots' own pay and their share in the earnings of the bow-boats means a good income, but they spent it freely, and had very little left when the business ended. D.F. Dorrance and John Smith had the first regular bow-boat, the 'Prescott.' Then Dorrance bought the old 'Wild Boy,' cut off her cabin and after using her one or two seasons, dismantled her, and used her machinery on a nice. new boat, built at LeClaire, and called the 'Pilot'. John McCaffry had part interest in in this boat. He had also gotten into this rapids game, after resting up from his arduous and successful operations in running logs and lumber by contract.

     At this time, Rambo and Long were using the 'Last Chance' as their bow-boat, getting a percentage of her

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earnings, she being owned by LeClaire Navigation Company. I was on her as master all season, and while she was engaged on the rapids, in low water, I learned to bring her back up between trips while the rapids pilots rested for another trip. This was a fine chance for me to learn the rapids, and I embraced it, and soon had removed from my pilot's license the phrase: 'The Rock Island Rapids excepted,' so that the license allowed me to pilot from Saint Louis to Saint Paul and Minnesota, and to Stillwater, on Lake Saint Croix.

     Dorrance later sold the 'Pilot' and built a larger boat called 'Irene D.' at Kahlke's boatways at Rock Island. Her engine, twelve inches by eight- foot stroke, were built by Kattenbracker and Weithe in LeClaire, and she was a strong, fast boat.

     Then Long and McCaffrey had the 'Jo Long' built by Swain at Stillwater, with engines twelve inches by six-foot stroke. She was very fast and more satisfactory in every way than the 'Irene D.'

     Meanwhile, Captain J.W. Rambo and his backers, which included Mr. Jacob Suiter and Joe Manwaring, built the 'West Rambo,' neither as large or as fast as the others, but she was a handy, useful craft, and did a lot of work.

     The 'Pilot' was still owned at LeClaire, towing rock to Davenport, and the 'Jennie Gilchrist' was there, towing coal. This made five nice, light, handy boats that tied up at LeClaire every night.

     The rapids pilot's fee for a straight, single trip down, was ten dollars. If he had to double-trip from Duck Creek or Stubb's Eddy, it was fifteen dollars. In low water, when they split the raft, at LeClaire, and put it down steamboat channel with a bow-boat, we paid the 

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pilot twenty-five to thirty- five dollars and from forty-five to ninety dollars for the bow-boat.

     When we had good water, and no fog nor wind to delay us, we gotcoupled up and under way from below Davenport bridge by 9 A.M. and had an easy, open run, with no bridge, to Burlington, Iowa, reaching there at daylight the next morning. After splitting the raft in Rush Chute, we coupled up below the bridge about 8 A.M., went on down and reached Fort Madison, our destination, that day We delivered the raft to the sawmill, got our lines and other stuff aboard, and were off up the river again by evening.

     Our expenses were divided under five headings:

     Portage, or salaries and wages.

     Fuel, including coal. wood, etc.

     Provisions, including ice and all eatables

     Sundries, such as oil, rope, tools, packing, etc.

     Rapids expense, including pilotage and bow-boat service.

     At the end of each trip, I closed up these accounts and senteach owner a statement taken from the books, something like the following:

Steamer LeClaire Belle
Statement Trip No. 10 - June 20 to July 2, 1878

EARNINGS
Running fourteen strings of logs, Stillwater to Fort Madison for S. & J. Atlee, at $110.00 per string	$154.00
Towing barge Fairport to Red Wing	$100.00
Two round trip passengers Davenport to LaCrosse	$30.00
Total	$1,670.00
EXPENSES
Portage, 13	$468.33
Fuel, 13 days	$260.15
Provisions	$104.55
Sundries	$159.06
Rapids expense up and down	$35.00
Total	$1,027.09
Profit	$642.91

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     We often made trips when we had no earnings outside the raft, and some trips were lengthened by log, storm or some mishap.

    I cant remember how many trips the 'Belle' made that season, but I do recollect that she was over seven-thousand dollars ahead, when she broke her shaft, above Eagle Point, on her last trip down, in November, 1878.

    Captain Van Sant then chartered the 'Artemus Lamb,' which came up, and after taking the 'LeClaire Belle' to the Diamond Jo boatways at Eagle Point, hitched into out raft and delivered it to Fort Madison.

    This ended my first season on the river, which had been interesting, pleasant and profitable. I saved my wages, for there was no opportunity all summer to spend money.

    I recall, however, one evening in Burlington, Iowa, when the boat was double-tripping the bridge. I had seen the cards announcing a lecture by T. DeWitt Talmadge on 'the bright side of things.' The ticket was fifty cents, and I was there greatly enjoying this fine treat, when I heard the 'Belle' whistle for the landing. Reluctantly but hurriedly, I withdrew from the hall and reached the river bank as the boat came in. They put out some lines, and I then asked the captain if they were going to lay over in Burlington, and he answered 'Yes.' I told him I was sorry I didn't know that for I had left a fine lecture in the interesting part. He then urged me to hurry back to the hall. I did so and enjoyed one of the best things the great orator ever gave to the public.