The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-02-16

presume she stood without a rival
Those boats, built after long experience In
the trade and a thorough knowledge of its
wants, could be nothing else but what
they were-a perfect success. The regu.
larfV Jot the packets was interrupted
Tor short intervals by the impressment o.
the EsprsSS into the Government service
During. one of.those trips she was sunk
but finding that abe had sustained no
serious damage, d successful effort was
made to raise her, and the necessary re-
pairs having been made, she resumed her
regular trips. ~, @'
During the war these boats brought an
immense amount of agricultural products
to the city. laH
The successful character OF the trade
thus built up'lgd TO the building Of or pur.
chasing Of other boats; some OF them with
q view Of extending TIE lines Of trade 10
moro distant points, and others to take the
place Of the larger boats in the Wheeling
and Parkersburg trade during low water.
Among these were the ReUenus, built in
1868, and the Highlander, built in 1865.
About that time, too, the &eto State was
built by Captain John List, but not en-.
tirely finished before his death. After his
deathit was finished by the company Of
which he was member, and put under
the command OF Capt John Mcclure, and
alter being run awhile in different trades
was sold TO the Wheeling and Parkers=
burg Company On second Of Febru-
aryI 1867, during thegreat ice break, the
Eagle, with the Rillman and one or two
other boats, was carried away, and the
former yas.sO iBjured that the company
concluded 10 wreck her. After the loss
Of the Eagle the company purchased the
Rebecca, a splendid side.wheeler, which
had been built and run for q short time in
the lower Ohio trade. She was put into
the Parkersburg trade under the COM
mand of Capt. Jack Harrison. In the same
Spring the company concluded to perma.
nently extend their line OF operation 10
Cincinnati and built anew boat, the PHI.
Sheridan, and put her under the COM
mand Of Charles Muhleman. This gen.
tleman, one Of the most efficient clerks
known to the river trade, had many
times been in command for short periods,
but the Sheridan, VIC believe, was the first
boat upon which he was regularly in
stalled as chief officer. 49,
After short run in the Cincinnati
trade the Sheridan was sold for the Upper
Mississippi traffic. Tho HttdSoD, which
had been built 10 1858 By Captain T T q.
Russell and William List was aIso inithe
Cincinnati trade. After the sale of the
Sheridan the Company bought the Poto-
nlGc, lone of the finest stern.wheelers aflost,
She had been built by Capt. John Fink
and his son, and was already q regular
Cincinnati packet. Capt Charles MThle.
man took command Of her and so con-
tinued until she was burnt at the
Cincinnati wharf in 1867. The company
then purchased the Major Anders6n and
placed her In the trade, where she contin.
ued untilshetoo was burnt at the Cincir.
natl wharf in the year 1871. In 1870 the
company built the Express No. 2, the
first having been literally worn out In
faithful service. The Re6eee1 had been
sunk in the fall Of 1859 by collision with
q stone boat at one OF the piers OF the B.
i D, X. r. Bridge at Pafkersburg, and
her place substituted by the Ret0 STATE
and others until the spring Of 1871, when
the company brought out theneW Courier,
so that the Parkersburg portion Of the line
was. thus supplied with two new. boats Of
the first class, The Neto STATE, which
served the company many q good turn,
and yet was never really profitable boat,
was finally irretrievably- sunk by a col
lision in May, 1873. Her place was i'm
mediately supplied by the purchase Of the
Mdttle 'RegGn. The company have now
under contract q new boat intended TO
take the place Of the Hudson, which has
gone yallent service for the COMPANY
SINCE 1855. That this line should have
peen always popular with the travelling
pubic and inc shipping interest along the
nyers NOT surprising when We know the
men under whose auspices It's business
has grown up. To the men who now
control the management Of our river lines
and to those who have preceded them / ~
gether with all who have from time n
time assisted in building this, long and in.
ROLtaut uuG VI CUuluuulChuOQ, ana Who
have commended with difficulties, the his
tory Of which would fill q volume,
Wheeling owes the large and prosperous
trade which she now enjoys over the
whole length Of river controlled by these
boats '' . '''Aul7 ~ e"'
Some very upgenerously claim thAtye
owe much ofthis trade TO iortuitous cir
cumstances; that Pittsburgh having be-
come the great centre from which "a.
dates extensive lines Of railroad which
carry her manufactures to all parts Of the
West and South, independe Of the liver,
had practically given up all claim to such
slver trade as ought legitimately to come
70 Us, and has ceased TO be Ill natufed 10
ward US in our attempts to bnild oursel-
YES ? name and Rplace. Butt would 81
q legitimate question 70 ask. who gave ,,s
9 commpnica don that keeps al in1 perpet.
ual readiness 10 derive adyantSpe fto sS
any iortuitous circumstance ,thst mivhf
arise, even II We, copla safely Sdsnit ffSt
proposiHpne We deny, however, that