The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-01-27

-~@ASs
Twsnty-one years ago Henry Lsurey.
the new President of the Keokuk Nurth-
ern Line, was clerk in the Illinois Central
freight Office In Dunleith. ILL.,. rather
short, slim, dark haired. black eyed young
man, of marked energy. 1t was In the
last of the palmy years Of old-time steam
boating, aud every afternoon one of the
splendid packets of the Gslena, Dubuaus
& Minnesota packet company left Dun.
| leith for st. Louis with a cabin full of
passe ngers, and with oil the freight she
could handle. Besides such sternwheel-
ers as the Fanny Harris went out three or
four times q week loaded with freight.
The steamers carried the Unitsd State
mail for $500 per day. and mail agents
and express agent were as necessary on
the packets as clerks and captains M
railroad skirted the river banks. The
Milwaukee s. Prairie du CHEN railroad
had been com pleted, aud was the only
road that tapped the river between Dun
Ieith aud 81, Paul, for there was nc
railroad at La Crosse as now. and We be
| licye st. Paul had not been reached from
the south. So the great stone freight
house of the Illinois Central at Dunieith
with its docks juttiug out into the river
Twas q busy place. where fifteen to twenty
clerks were constantly employed. On tbs
Isubsidence of tho steamboat traffic on ths
iupper river through the interference o.
railroads, young Lourey crossed over tt
/ DUBUQUE. aud went into the grain busl
ness. aud in the course of three or fou
years made fortune of $1,000 or SO b,
; fortunate specu!ations. He married al
excellent and cultured young lady, bull
, the finest resideee :or that day in the city
was nicely settled down for comfort whel
his fortune disappeared in a wheat cor
uer, he plugged ifom wealth to. roornes
in day H. saw hard times for few
month; he sold his palatjai hrne, pal.
debts With il, aud aoyt d toto al hun BILE
abode. HI cast about FOR business, aud il
II few mouths. went onto the river with
par.ner 10 do freight business with tn
steamer Lady Pike. His business place,
him 10 ST. Louis in year. and thithe
he moved his family. II, became iargel,
contested in barge business, in fact. wa
one of the pioneers in what is now
mighty business on the lower river. an,
must soon become such on the upper river
Hard luck followed him for while. FL
lost a steamer and Aeet of coal barges O
the Ohio; had another steamer burned O
blown up; had tow of barges of Pitts
burg coal sunk just above Fort Madiso
somewhere-:n fact mat with almost cor
slant reverses for more than ten years
But he had faith in the barge traffic. an
be stuck to it until the fates favored bir
aud wen success over to his side again
Now he Is heavy owner 10 grea
line of bargss and in the st. Louisiana Ne,
Orleans trade, one of the mightiest trans
psrtation companies in the world. and ha
bean chosen President of the KeoEul
Northern Line because of his knowledg
of river traffic and the best means @
pros ecuting il successfully. We doub
not that If be can have his way. he vii
revolutionzs the carrying system of thi
upper river. aud increase the river trait
four fold as his St. Louis & New Orlean
transportation company has the bushes
of the lower river, for in the past tw
years far more freight has been transport
ed on the Mississippi below ST. Louis thai
| in any two previous years in the history O
river commerce. excepting DO year whs'
STEAMBOATS, had monopoly OF tn
west. Personally Mr. Loarsy 10 a gentle
man, amiabls and affable as need be
while his honor and integrity have nevs
bsen auessioned-havs never been stainst
! by any act of his own.