The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-11-25

people. They say that some Of their sacred
men, the night before dreamed OF seeiug
some monster Of the waters which fright
ened them very much. As the boat neared
the shore, men, women, aud children beheld
with silent establishment, surposing that it
was some enormous water spirit. coughing,
putting outh breath, and splashing water
in every direction. When it touched the
landing their fears prevailed, and they re-
treated to some distance, but when the
blowing of Of steam commenced, they were
completely unnerved mothers, forgetting
their children, with streaming hair sought
hiding places, chiefs rcnouncing their stoi-
cism, scampered away ike ailrighted AMI
mails"
After the success Of this experiment had
demonstrated the navigabili,y of the Upper
Mississippi by steamboats,, the supplies for
the Indian trade, whose headquarters were
at Mendoza, and which then constituted the
sole trade Of these waters-and the military
supplies for Fort Smelling were brought up
by steamboats, chartered for that purpose
and the Macklnac boat went out Of fashion.
One or two arrivals u year exhausted the
carrying trade between ST. Louis and Men
dota--the boats usually returning with am
pie freights of furs. But the increase in
the trade was rapid considering that it de-
rived its resources entirely from the expan
sion Of the Indian trade-and twelve years
afterwards, 10 1874, we fnd the number Of
arrivals recorded at forty-one. The little
steamboat Otter" under Capt. Harris,
the Rock River aud the Lynx, were then
the principal boats in the trade But it was
not till lS47, that the regular steamboat
trade could be said to have been established,
when Galena became the point Of depart
ure for Mendoza and St. Paul, which had
then just begun to have recognized ,opo
graphical existence
Ii was in this year that the Galena
Packet Company was organized, consisting.
of Campbell & Smith, Brisbois & Rice, II
l.. Dousman, II. II. Sbley and NJ. W. Lod-
wick
A small steamer Of about GO tons bur.
then, of the shrieking, high pressure pattern,
built originally iora lighter on the Ohio, and
appropriately named the Argo," was the
first packet put into tn? trade by the new
company--the modest beginning Of the
splendid line that has since been maintained
under their auspices, by the profits of the
trade. The Argo ran till October, when it
came to that untlm ly " butt which
Othello soliloquizes, upon snag near Wa
bashaw.
In the summer of ls4s. the Dr. Franklin
took the place Of the last boat Those Of
our citizens who remember that Old tub will
be amused to know that she was selected 10
beat the " Senator in the St Louis trade,
which had left the Argo far behind in
speed. The Senator itself was added TO the
iiue in 40, under Captain Smith. Ia the
tall of that year the Senator was replaced
by the Nominee. splendid boat for those
days, and long famous in these waters under
her popular commander, Captain Smith, now
the President Of the Galcna Packet Com.
pany. The Nominee WAS a strictly temper
ance boat, and earned some distinction for
its practical enforcement Of the Maine law.
The Ben Campbell was built in the winter
Of 81, and ran part Of the SUI mer Of 81.
In l849, 80 and 81, the packet line ran
twice a week in 1852, three times week,
the line embracing three boats, the DR.
Franklin, Nominee and Ben Campbell!
10 the summer of lsj2, great steamboat
contest folowed-the lIsrri7es running the
New 81. Paul in opposition to the Packe,
Company. 10 the fall the rivals consoii-
dated, the New st. Paul being replaced by
the West Newton" 10 1853. the Com
pauy ran three times a week In 1851 the
line was increased by the addition Of the
War Eagle, GaIcna and Alhambra, when
six trips a week were made. During this
season the old DR. Franklin and Nominee
were sunk. In June 1856, the Gslena and
/ Chicago Union r. K. Was opened to Dun.
Ici,b, which gave q great impulse 10 the
( trade.
In the following year, 1850 the number
Of boats was increased by the addition Of
/ the Northern Belle and Granite state,
when. besides these bOats, Il consisted Of the
/ War Eagle, Gaiena, Golden Fra Lady
/ Franklin, and Ocean Wave. The Lady
/ Franklin was los, during the summer.
( 10 the winter Of 1856, The Dubuque line
Of boats-including the Excelsior, Fanny