New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-01

The Natchez and Lee Contest


GENERAL EXCITEMENT YESTERDAY
Almost the entire topic of conversation
by all circles in the city yesterday was the
grand contest for speed between the Robert
E. Lee and the Natchez. Everybody talked
about it, and half the city bet on the result.
The aggregate bets maybe estimated at
hundreds of thousands Of dollars.
The ladies were quite excited, and colored
gentlemen were expressing their opinions
freely on the street corners. One enthu-
siastic colored man, whose faith in the
Natchez was unbounded, declared that
Captain Leathers would beat the Lee If he
had to blow his boat to pieces. A sporting
man on the levee proposed to bet on the
Robert E. Lee. because OF his faith in the
name, declaring that he knew nothing of
either boat, whereupon delegate from
Yankee land said he would take the bet.
with certainty of winning, if the name was
not more potential than during the late un-
pleasantness.
In fact, yesterday was field day among
steamboatmen, and thousands congregsted
on the levee to witness the departure of
excursion boats and the rival steamers. At
least two thousand excursionists, among
them many ladies, started, an hour or go
before the Lee and Nstchez departed, on the
steamers William 8. Pike, Mayhower, Henry
Tete and the towtoat Mary Alice. hese
boats run up distance of from twelve to
twenty miles to await the approach Of the
contestants for supremacy on the mighty
Mississippi.
Thousands of people congregated all
along the levee, and there we're seas of faces
at the head of jackson street, and at Car.
rollton, to witness the grand spectacle.
The Lee backed out about four minutes
past five, and the Nstchez four minutes
later. According to the information OBJ
tanned by one of our reporters, the Lee was
precisely four minutes ahead when opposite
Market street. had gained slightly when op-
posite Carrollton, was four minutes and
three or four seconds ahead about twelve
miles up the river, and four minutes and
half ahead eighteen miles up. where the
Mary Alice was lying too, though between
two points of observation from the Mary
Alice, the Natchez gained eight seconds on
the Lee.
Governor warmoth, who had just returned
on the William s. Pike from attending the
commencement exercises at the State Uni
versity at Baton Rouge, took passage ten
minutes afterward on the Lee, and will not
probably leave her until she arrives at
Natchez.
Last evening new bets were made, and
the general topic of conversation at hotels,
coffeehouses and other public places was the
race between the Natchez and Lee. But
| the excitement was no more intense here
| than at st. Louis and Cincinnati, from both
of which points we received requests for
| special dispatches giving all the details OF
| the race.
Our dispatches this morning will probably
contain some intelligence from Baton
Rouge, of the progress of the rival
| steamers.
On the return trip there was an exciting
| race between the William S. Pike and May.
| flower but the latter was no match for the
Pike. which ranged ahead with remarkable
| ease.
| We follow this with
Another Report.
THE LEE AND NATCHEZ RACE.
The excitement growing out of this event
| induces us to give it more than passing
notice. For days past the intensity Of feel
| ing has found vent on ly in the widest bet
| ting, until as the hour of departure drew
| nigh, the partisans of each subsided into an
| eager interest to see the lines cast loose, and
as the Lee swung out into the stream the
most frantic cheers were given to her. The
| Natchez left immediately afterward, and
| when the immense throng upon the wharf
had exhausted its cheers and waving of hats
and handkerchieis. those who were not in
tent upon watching the contestants out OF
sight, were rushing about in search OF each
others prefers of betting.
| As we were not deeply affected BY this
| part'of the programme, We quietly awaited
the return of the several excursion steamers,
| which had taken their crowds to points
above to witness the race as SO far de-
| veloped.
The steamer Mary Alice, one of the Mis-
| sissippi Valley Transportation Company's
towboats, ran up to the highest point,
eighteen mile point) and there awaited
the passing of the rival steamers, the Lee
then being four minutes and fifty seconds
| ahead.
It seems that the excursioniss g on board
| the steamer Henry Tete, which was the
| next highest boat, were SO handsomely en-
tertained that they gave too little note to
| the contestants-at least we encountered
| none who kept such notes. We endeavored
to get near enough to Captain Dalferes or
Mr.. Landry for that purpose, but they were
too constantly surrounded by throng.
| We were unable to meet any one on either
| OF the other excursion steamers who had kept
any accurate notes. To. day. when the excite.
ment has somewhat abated, we will gather
| all further and reliable particulars, and our
| readers shall be edited by our efforts TO-
| morrow.
The Great Republic arrived yesterday,
having landed the Coolies-l1 in number
at their point of destination.
EXCURSION TO MAGNOLIA, MISSISSIPPI
| Two trains leave the Jackson Railroad de-
pot at seven o'clock, A. NJ. Tickets to &C
and return only two dollars.
| The Henry Tete leaves at ten this morn