The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-04-22
THE GOODRICH STEAMBOAT
LINES.

way between this portion of the west and
| the eastern states. Young men can re-
member how, before the days of through
trains and palace cars, those floating pal
aces the "Grapite State, plymouth
| Rock" and others whose names are
dimmed in memory by the haze of years,
used to float proudly around the lakes,
crowded TO the utmost with passen rers
and freight, their arrival at each port Gna
! departure therefrom events of thrilling,
interest running through days of eager
anticipation. But the railways were
slowly making their way to Chicago from
Michigan and the east. The Michigan
| Central was commenced in 1888 and, by
slow approaches lessening the length of
the remaining stage travel and cores
pondingly increasing its amount, finally
in 1852, arrived at this city, the Michi-
gan Southern also being completed in the
same year. Then began competition
| with the lake in earnest, and ere long the
magnificent side wheel steamers began to
lose their business, and finally were driv-
Ell out of the trade entirely; their upper
works, resplendent with paint and gild-
ing, were torn away, their great engines
were removed, and their hulks were con-
verted into humble barges, to drag out
| the remainder of their existence unhonor-
ed and unsung, though not altogether
unwept. The stately side wheelers gave
place to the plain, practical propellers
for freight carrying, and the new rail-
ways virtually supplanted the old lakes
for through travel.
Still the lakes remained, and there
were routes left which even the extraor-
dinary railway building of these latter
days has not wholly closed. The water
way has its own claims and advantages,
and lake Michigan still boasts line of
side wheel steamers that will continue to
| carry On peaceful and honorable compe-
tition for part of the year with its for
midable rival the railway.
This line, the only line of side wheel
boats on lake Michigan, is that of the
Goodrich Transportation Company, and
some facts about it will be of interest.
1t forms six separate routes, as follows
West shore line.-From Chicago to
| Racine, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, bIanito-
voc. Escanaba and Green Bay, Wis, dis
tauea $50 miles sarn1- uentIv
From Chicago to Racine, Milwaukee,
Sheboygon and Manitowoc. 1877 miles,
daily.
East shore line-From Chicago to
Grand Haven and Muskegon, Mich, 125
miles, daily.
Daily from Milwaukee to Ludington
/ and Manistee, 100 miles.
Daily from Milwaukee to Grand Haven,
S5 miles.
From Manistee to Frankfort, Mich,
30 miles, weekly.
The steamers owned by this company
are now nine in number. They consist
of five large and elegant side wheel low
pressure steamers and four A upper cab
in propellers, as follows:
Side aUheey steamers. Chicago, length,
220 feet, tonnage, TAG; Sheboygan,
length, 220 feet, tonnage, GA; Muske-
gon, length, 2l0 feet, tonnage, 61S; Al
pena, length, 21O feet, tonnage, 653;
Corona, length, 1s5 feet, tonnage, 40.
PropeNers. Menominee, length, 100
feet, tonnage 1876; DePere, length. 1S5
| feet, tonnage, 1856; Oconto, length, 155
feet, tonnage, sos; Truesdell, length. 100
feet, tonnage, 499; also the barge Mani
towoc, length, 225 feet, tonnage, $50.
In 1878, the boats of this line carried
SO, 731 passengers, and the business of
this year will be fully as great, if not
larger. The total miles Travelled by all
the boats in 1873 was 271,175.
The Goodrich Transportation company
was organized April IS, 1868, under spec
ial charter in Wisconsin, with capital
stock of 100000, paid up. Since that
time it has built five side wheel steamers
and four propellers, and bought two pro-
pellers.
Capt. A. E. Goodrich, the president,
commenced his career as a steamboat
owner and commander in 1856, by the
purchase of the little side wheel steamer
Huron. of 34S tons, from Capt. E. B.
| Ward, and between that time and April,
1868, he built, bought and owned nine
side wheel steamers and five propellers
He is quiet, unostentatious man, pos
sessed, as his achievements show, of that
energy and ability that undertake and
accomplish great things. The other off,
GERS of the company, all excellent men,
| strong in their respective departments,
are: L. G. Butlin, superintendent; W.
H. Wright, treasurer; G. Harson, secre-
tary; John Singleton, passenger agent.
While these lines are to considerable
extent competitors Ct some of the rail
ways, they are feeders of others. The
roads of which they are for portion OF
tie year rivals, recognize the fact that,
as the lake affords great, free highway
which can never be bought, leased ol
otherwise absorbed by the railways
but will always transport a certain
amount of business, in spite of the grea
advantages of the railways in respect tt
speed. certainty, freedom from tht
storms that make lake travel sometime
dangerous, and continuous operation th
year round, it is better for them to hav'
an honorable, responsible competitor il
place of many petty rivals, that Nigh
harass and injure without reason, an.
hence we believe that the relations Of th
railways with the Goodrich Transports
, ton company are friendly and mutuall