New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-02
IN THE OLDEN TIME.

navigation on the MISSISSIPPI river was un-
known. Flatboats and barges lay along
the river front where now thousands of
steam craft swing in and out of their places
at the landing. Those were ruder days of
civilization, when we had none of the mag
niticent floating palaces which are now SO
common that three of them can burn up in
an afternoon and not be missed. Steam
boats came to New Orleans, as everything
else naturally comes, through the instru-
mentality of rings having a monopoly. 1t
was proper enough that the inventors of
machinery for the propulsion of boats by
steam should be rewarded, but at this
time it appears strange that the right and
exclusive privilege to own and be blown up
on steamboat should be given to two
men; yet such was the case.
= On the nineteenth of April, 1911, was
passed an act by the Territorial Legislature
of Orleans vesting Robert r. Livingston
and Robert Fulton with the sole and ex.
elusive right and privilege 70 build, con-
struct, make, use, employ and navigate all
and every species or kind of boats, vessels
or water crafts which may be urged or i'm
PEELED through the water by the force OF
fire or steam, in all creeks, rivers, bays and
waters whatsoever, in and within the juris-
diction of the Territory, for and during the
term OF eighteen years. This was about the
language used by the lawmakers, who had
no idea of what steamboat or fire boat
would be like. There was prOviso to the
act probably suggested by some tiatboat-
man, to the effect that Livingston and Full
ton should, within three years from the
passage of the act, satisfy the Governor of
the Territory that they had constructed
boat of at least seventy tons burden,
and propelled her at the rate of
four miles an hour through still water. 1t
was also in the bargain that Livingston and
Fulton should never receive more than
three -fourths of the average price for
freight that was then charged by other
mercantile boats. 1t was further provided,
that if the venturesome young men, Living
stOn and Fulton, should establish more
than one steam or boat to 60 by fire, further
privileges should be extended, say at the
rate of four years for each additional steam
boat, the monopoly in no case to be extend
ed beyond January, 1882. The sum of
$4,000 was the penalty to be paid the two
infringe upon vested rights, and build
boat for steam appliances. Parties SO
offending were also to have their engine
and apparatus contis Gated and given
to the same monopolists. 1t was provided,
however, that no person should be pre-
vented from inventing or using any craft
which might be urged or driven through
the water by any other force or power ex.
cept fire or steam. This latter provision
left the way open for calorifc, electric or
some other then undeinable power.
On the tenth Of January, 1912, the first
steamboat astonished New Orleans. The
historian says, 1.-The whole population
fiocked to the river to examine the wonder
full creation of the genius Of man" This
boat was built a Pitts burg, and was called
the Orleans. She was beauty. She had
big propelling wheel at the stern, and
also had two masts, the builders being un
der the impression that the use of sails
would be indispensable. Her capacity was
100 tons. The Orleans made the trip from
Pittsburg in fourteen days, ana thereafter
continued to ply for two years between
New Orleans and Natchez. Her fate was
to be snagged near Baton Rouge. 1t was
boasted that this boat could make three
miles per hour easily. In going up river
this was almost lightning speed compared
with the barges which depended on the
cordele and warping process. The
cordelle plan was to make the crew tow
the boat where the absence of trees and
the nature of the shore permitted. The
warping was accomplished by sending out
line with ySwl boat, which line was
made fast to snag or any stationary OBJ
ject, when the crew on the barge would pull
up to it. Passage to Pittsburg then was
about $l60, and freight was near s. per
100 pounds. The excitement caused by the
appearance of the first steamboat can only
be imagined, though it is possible some of
the boys who run down from Carrollton
and reported that steamboat was coming,
at the rate of three miles an hour, may yet
be living.
In those days it was charged that the
bargemen were frequently in league with
the robbers ard pira tes who infested the
Mississippi, and men hesitated to risk their
lives and property to the tender mercies of
river men. The widest stories are told of
Mike Fink and James Girty, who for many
years ruled the river. Then there were
troubles with the negroes. Gayarre tells of
an insurrection which occurred in 1911, IN
the parish of st. John the Baptist. 1t
called out the troops from Baton Rouge,
and 100 or SO negroes were killed. Sixteen
were sent to New Orleans for trial, or
rather to have their heads cut off, for they
were intended as a warning, and "their
heads were placed on high poles above and
below the city, along the river, as far as
the plantation on which the revolt began"
The Colfax massacre was scarcely more !
barbarous than the fendish disposition
which placed deaths heads on poles along
the river banks.
The era of steam navigation was most |
important one for New orleans. The
granted to Livingston and Fulton
was finally dissolved as unconstitutional in |
1919, and the water way was left open to
The wonderful improvements
that have since been made are known to all. |
In place of the rude steam craft which |
putfed and wheezed up stream at three |
miles an hour, We have river palaces that |
can skim the water 300 miles from here to |
Natchez in seventeen hours. The greatest !
improvement that can be made now |