Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-11-20

A R.x,u.c.xcu-Tav FIssr FLAsRoA,
LOADED AT DAvsxrosr.-A quarter Of
century in the life Of our thriving city ha'
seen many ehspgss, and it 70 ss'do" ths
ws youngs.srs catch glinPss Of 'hes'
earlier dave; and when W do. il ssen'
nor. Of = romance than reality. Durisl
.ll these wears. the old river hes wsndsi
II. v.v even ~ now, uamindfal u d
changes. Gould il tell Of the bsginsing d
eur large shipping. il would be - follows
lust A. We have heard it from Assistant
Postmaster McKown. Who Vas one of thl
parties in.. rested in. perhaps. - unpronta
bic . venture - ever left Davenport. Al
least il did NO. indicate the success that has
since been achieved.
In November. 1e42, Mr.. A. @. Fulton
loaded the first flatboat at DAvenpor, with
the products Of Scott county; on the 10th
be started of boat with 1900 bushes Ne.
l onions. at . cost Of 20 to s7i cents per
bushsl. The "Eliss." with Capt. Andsr.
son on deck, John AcClosksy - mae, D.
P. McKown. = Mr.. King and ssvera 9th.
ere 1t the sweeps, bore away with cslsrs
1ying and smart wind ahead. Only one
mile out and the feet grounded land
grounded eftsn. until the fearful night Of
the 18th, we'll remembered BY oil living
here At that time. Five miles shis ads Of
Burlington. just at night, the beat very
fortunately come fast on . sand bar. At
midnight the whsls crew we're aroused By
the sound Of floating ice, and fsarisl sf
losing held Of the bar and drifting II in
the ice. were busy until near daylight
sparring of the floating cakes. The night
Was fearfully cold and stormy-ss much 30
that BY msrnins six men were on the ice
with axes, ehopping . channel the Width
of the boat for one hundred and sixt, ,.fsuf
yards in length to the foot Of Otter l.And.
This done the boat was towed up the Ams
day Sunday, whore she remsined until
about the goth Of April, whom III. river
opened and they proceeded to st. Louis.
making the trip in six months lsss one
week.
In February the boat sprung alsak, and.
in order to ascertain where the leak va,
the onions we're thrown up amidships from
the gunnsls oil around the vessel. This
was tho worst thing that could hsppn to
the cargo. or course, the onions we're
ruined. The whole venture, cargo, Veal.
tsckle, &C.. &C., cost our entsrprising citi-
zen 81. 800, net cent Of which he svsr
realized. He was only too glad there we're
no recamatiens after settling for lav.uit,
lawyers fees resulting from running irts
small boat at st. Louis, license. auctiorssrs
and printers, the whole concern nstt.t The
handsome sum Of $S3, oil Of which Vas
equally divided between the hands.
Thus ended one Of the NEST intsreGiue
and important items in the history Of D.
vsnport in fts infancy. How many b'sls
have since been loaded at our wharves WITH
cur ownsprod ducts none can tell, and waas
Of the future let none predict.
The men employed on the Eliza w.rs
oil citizens Of the place but Mr.. King, vio
was . clever, jovial bachelor, rowing abtst
the country, and ever ready for IN adv.a.
ture. He owned good farm in Psnnrl.
vania. The others have scattered except
the historian Of the excursion. Ar. Ne
kown, and the lady after whom the bat
Was namsd-then beautiful ysung lazy,
and now the good mother Of large FANNY.