The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-07-03
SUP SOAP"
From the eosauoua Republican 7

r lHVin INC hepsauqua Republican.
Long ago, when eamboat-m
ioona IN the navigation of the river
les Moines, source of profit and
uahser' biii Phelps was Captain of
q 'ii,aii steamer which was plough.
ing her way up to Raccoon Forks
TIlots tamlll ar with the channel
were scarce. i'helps who had fiat.
ooated on the iver fer many syears,
knew every tree on the bank and
every "rlffie and niger head'' in the
stream.
On this trip, Phelps was assisted
ny pliot who had never made the
"Trip before, and who ran the boat in
DAY time, Ph clips running her at
night. Phelps had been on deck all
aay giving directions in passing the
"Sweet home,1 aud other "rifies'
ana shortly before sundown, desired
10 go down and have short nap be-
fore taking charge of the wheel him
self at night.
The boat was near Iowaville, and
ior the next ten miles the channel
was plain and the sailing clear with
the exception Of an Island about FIVE
miles above W here the boatthen was,
and mile or SO above the mouth of
the Soap creek, which puts in on the
left side of the river as you 90 up.
and has mouth almost as wide and
inviting as the river itself. A few
rods up the creek, however, it sud
denly narrows to thirty or forty feet,
and is overhupg by immense cotton
woods, wreathed with grape-vines,
and which lock their limbs overhead.
Phelps informed the pilot that five
or six miles ahead he would come to
an island, and that he must take the
left hand cha annel, and going below
was soon snoring as only the Captain
OF steamboat or ocean steamer can,
when he has made up his mind to
trust to luck and somebody else to
run his boat.
The river was calm as maiden's
bosom, and everything went lovely.
The passengers had cleared the ia
BILE, and gath cred around it for
night session of cold sledge." Dark
ness had begun to settle down upon
the water, when the gorgeous mouth
OF Soap creek hove in sight. The
uasuspecting pilot, not having been
apprised of any creek as big as the
river and lured by the tempting ex-
panse of water, concluded without
hesitation that the point above the
mouth of the creek was the island,
to the left of which Phelps had di.
rected him to run, and straightway
plunged the boat into the mouth of
the creek, and in few minutes was
plowing through waters never before
trod by the foot Of q steamboat, and
tearing thro ugh cottonwood limbs
and grape-vines at rate fearful to
contemplate, especially in the twi-
light.
The terrible breaking and crack
ing aroused Phelps, and just as the
frightened players had turned up
"Jack" and the table with it, and
came rushing into the state room to
see what it all meant, the jackstaff
and chimney ys came laundering down
on the hurricane deck
Phelps comprehended the situa.
ton i'll a mo oment, and exclaimed as
he stumbled out of his birth: Cup
Soap by Cd - He arrived on
deck as the boat came to a standstill,
wreathed with the grape-vines of
defeat, wang auished by the monarchs
of "Soap," who had demonstrated
their supe riority over steam and
the white man, in the combat of ten
seconds.
The boat being but few rods up
the creek, was soon backed out and
plowing her way onward with sap
ling for jack.staff, the sparks and
smoke sweeping over her deck from
the stumps of her chimneys, and Bill
Phelps at the wheel.
TIE disgrace of the pilot was mix
ed with the pleasure OF knowing that
be was the first and only man that
ever run steamboat "up Sosp."
The EXPIRE ssion passed into the his,
tory of the Des Moines Valley, and
when person is completely corner
ed in this region, he is considered
Cup Soap"