The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-05-11
-. LSuis aad keokuk Packet &c.
The st. Louis Republican, Of q late date,

IL AO0is aa0 AcOkuk packet &c.
The st. Louis Republican, Of late date,
contains history of the rise, progress and
present condition of the St. Louis and Keo-
kuk Packet Company, some material facts OF
which we condense for our columns, furnish.
ing ~ they do q fair index of the incr ease OF
the trade and population, and the develop
ment Of the resources Of the upper Mississip.
pi. We do this the more readily because
this Packet line is both astanding and run
ming advertisement to the travelling public
and the world in gene raj, OF our own city
and its rapid rise in commercial Importance.
The establishment Of a line of packets be-
tween St. Louis and keokuk January /, 1912,
by J. S. McCune, j. E. Yeatman and others,
With capital of $4,000, employing
only two boats in the trade--the Boreas and
Die Vernen-smal - was it's beginning,
Indicated keokuk as strong point, and the
subsequent success and rapid increase Of the
capital, business and boats Of the Company,
coon settled the fact that Keokuk was an i'm
portant shipping point, and that the ST..
Louis and keokuk Packet Company was
decided shit" and : great success as bust.
ness enterprise.
The business Of the Company was con-
ducted from the very star, with great energy.
And with clear apprehension of the pros.
pect've extent OF the business Of the trade.
and the rapidly growing Importance of the
line. The praises OF the Packet Company
were in the mouths of all travellers. and bust
ness men all along the river entertained great
condolences in its reliability and promptness
Us Transportation line. The Company soon
obtained the contract for carrying the mails,
which served to increase its importantance
and proved very beneficial to the public, in
transferring the mails from the slow and ir.
regular coaches and wagons, to the speedy
and regular mode of conveyance furnished by
the Packet line.
The increase of the business of the Com
pany demanded corresponding increase in
the number and size Of the boats, and as oc-
casion required, the steamers Laclede. Lucy
ber'ram, Kate Kearney, Sam Ga,y, n new
DE vernon, new Lucy, Jeanne Deans, West
erner, keokuk and Quincy, were built at ST.
Louis al cost OF near half million Of dol.
lars. Besides these boats, built by the Com
pahy during thirteen years, they have bought
'he steamers olaucus, J. Mckee, Ben Camp.
bell, Regulator, Jenny Lind, Conewaro.
York State, Winchester aud Thomas Swami.
There are three boats now in process Of con-
struelion for the Company at various points
on the Ohio river-the s.Louisiana.o two
hundred and fifty feet in length, the "Hanni-
bal CITY," two hundred and thirty.seyen fee,
IN iength, and the "Des Moines," two hun
dred feet IN length. These boats are to cost
$4,000, and will be complete, frs. elias
passenger boats in every particular, and
amply furnished in the latest style, with nil
the recent improvements.
ihe trade which employed two small
boats in the early days of the Company, now
demands six magnificent steamers. FORMING
TWO aaiiy lines, one to keokuk and the other
10 Quincy. And the stock Of the concern.
which amounted to SIS 900 at the start. and
was owned by three or four persons in st.
Loais, has now increased to $i0o, 900. and IL
held By the principal shippers in St. Louis,
heokuk and the intermediate towns.
The officers having charge Of the packets
nave always been of the very best on the
RIVER, as is indicated as we'll by their general
popularity, as by the fact that but one aeci-
den', ana that not a serious one, being but
tue collapse Of aue, has occurred in the
faeketfine, during the entire fifteen wears OF
us existence. Indeed the admirable manage.
mens OF these boats and the perfect reliabili.
ana pronptness IN fulfilling their engage
ments, with the reputation for safety, which
50 long an exemption from accident has given
them, makes the line great fayo.ite with
Shippers AMI travelers-the former seldom
incurring the expense Of Insurance, and the
iAs'er having no apprehensions of collisions.
explosions or other dreadful steamboat acei-
dents.
ms reputation is great eemen, OF
strength 70 the Company, but there is anoth.
or feature which adds great strength in the
iAes 'has 50 large portion of the stock is
owned by shippers, whereby the interests OF
Shippers aud owners are harmonisei and
an''eo Ia 'he action of the Company. After
aii' however, the chief element, of power, and
thit 10 which II has been indebted for ;,s
great success heretofore, is It's efficient eb;er
JouS ). McCrSK, Esq, Of St. Louis. the
originator and chief manager Of the Packet
Company for fifteen years. The Company.
h't less than the public, award to the busi
ness capacity, industry and perseverance Of
john D. McCune, the credit OF achieving ia,
the Packet line its present proud position !,
sae Mississippi Valley And the numerou,
stockholders OF that Company rejoice to be.
ieye that the ST. Louis and keokuk paeke,
Ans viii bla1oa in brigh. ANA glowing char.
aeEers 70 coming generations the name and
the Tame OF lis founder.
EAPLANAroEY.--T Ze.tunq Of last Tbur..
Gay Gays that our notice Of the Rihemep,,
pafaae, some days ago, ''smells somewhat o,
haow Nothing tendency" We said ..rb,
iaeinsn paraded Yesterday under Cap.air
C1!e." The writer Of the article IN the Z,,
tang "smelis Know Nothing tendency, i
tlsse words. What smellers he must have
We reckon nobody else who knows Richard,
ever smelt Know Nothing tendency in him
AID perhaps when the llussrous Capt. Ben
e&e' "ho Keeps lager beer saloon near the
r''s olise,--(w don't charge him ANYTHING
Tor tnIs pun comes 10 know him. he will