Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-10-23
THE srEAMER TARAscoN-The Louis

IHE STEAMER IARASCON-Ihee Louis
vile Journal, in its notice of the launch
of this magnificent new steamer, gives
some items of history connected with her
christening, from which we give liberal
extracts below:
"She bears the name of one of the old
pioneers of Louisville, man identified
with the youth and the more mature
prosperity of the city, and one who was,
in his day, widely known as among the
most enterprising of the business men of
the West or Southwest We refer to the
late John A. Tarascon The boat of
Messrs. Sherley, Voolfolk & Co., could
not be named after a better man, nor one
more worthy to be kept in remembrance
by the merchants and steamboatmen of
the West.
John A. and Louis Tarascon, brothers,
came to this counery from France DUR
ing the troublous times that followed the
beheading of Louis XVI They were
compelled to flee here for safety. Louis
had been somewhat prominent in the
revolution, it being his nature to seek
excitement and prominence, while John
A. was always quiet, reserved, and never
meddled with politics. They settled first
in Philadelphia, and from about 1870 to
1860 Louis was known as one of the
largest shippers of that city, In 1900,
the Tarascons established a shipyard at
Pittsburg, under the agency of the we'll
known Anthony Beeling. Here they
built four large ships, each three masts
and four hundred tons burden, which
they loaded with American produce and
despatched to Europe, the vessels start
ing from Pittsburg, proceeding down the
Ohio into the Mississippi, thence to the
Gull, and thence to Hamburg and other
ports. When one of these vessels (either
the Nanine or Tuscarora, we are uncer-
tain which, arrived at Hamburg and re-
ported herself, the authorities suspected
something wrong, and declared there
was no such port known as Pittsburg;
but they were convinced of their error
when the Captain procured a map of the
United States, and running his finger
along the Gulf to New Orleans, thence
up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers,
pointed out the port of Pittsburg, which
had sent this first commercial messenger
direct from an inland American port to
Europe, inaugurating new era in the
commerce of the world. But CONNER
cial enterprises, like all others, have
their reversions. So it was with this en-
terprise of the Tarascons, who, foresee-
ing the mighty commercial results which
must follow the opening to the world of
the trade of the Great West, had made
this adventure, earnest in the trust that
it was the imaginative of new era in
the worlds trade. These four vessels
were, unfortunately, confscated under
the Berlin and Milan DEGREES, and were
a total loss to Louis, who was principal
owner ip them. This bankrupted him,
and thereafter the whole business of the
brothers was conducted under the name
and with the capital of John A. Taras-
con.
About the time of the establishment of
the business at Pittsburg by Beeling, the
Tarascons also established at Shipping
port below this city, a large milling and
house, under the care and |
supervision of James DerthoOd. A rev |
years thereafter, the Tarascons them |
selves settled at Shippingport, and soon
became leading and influential men
among the trade of this section. In all |
the transactions of this firm, the name |
of John A. Tarascon was known only on
" Change" He did business for many |
years in Louisville, was one of the larg- |
est traders Of his day, and at times really |
controlled the produce market of the
West.
The brothers Tarascon were men of
strongly marked characters. John A.
was plain and unostentatious in man
ners, sensitive, confding, and generous,
and withal man of nice sense of
honor and most sterling integrity Like
all others of our early pioneers, the Ia
rascons had their reverses. John A. in
vested largely in the celebrated d-"Y azoo
Claim, and his losses were heavy. His
energy and enterprise soon overcame
those losses, and he died in possession
OF = handsome competence.
The early works on the navigation of
the Ohio and Mississippi, and Buffers
Kentucky make honorable mention of
the Tarascons, and give them place
among the distinguished pioneers of |
Western commerce Messrs. Sherley,
Voolfolk & Co. have done well to perpetu-
ate the name in their new and beautiful |
steamer. That she may have as pros
porous career as the illustrious mer-
chant and trader, whose name she bears,
we most earnestly wish. @ t3