The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-05-17
THE Mighty sslSSOURI.
Facts of Infer<st Concerning Navtga-
ton ON ahas Stream.

Facts OF lnfPTest |
tton ON shas Stream.
One does not have 10 look up the ''oldest
inhabitan," along the Big Muddy 70 learn
something Of the time when the departure OF
n boat from st. Louis for Montana, or even
Dakota. was an event heralded months in ad-
vance and an enterprise supposed to be at
tended with the greatest possible dangers'
Not only were the Indians that lined the
shores Of the river feared, but the perils OF
the turgid stream itself were supposed to be
of the most imminent character, and only the |
most hardy mariners could be induced to at
tempt such voyage. 1t would probably be
rs easy now to find crew to go in search OF
the north pole as in those days to secure one
for q trip into the unknown land through |
which the upper Missouri winds its sinuous |
course But what a change has come over
the scene! What was then an unknown re- |
gion and densely peopled with savages has
come under the control Of the white man and
the upper Missouri is transformed into great
artery of trade and commerce, being Of more
Importance, in q commercial sense, than the
lower stream. It is safer to say there are
more steamboats, plying the Missouri and It's
great aftluent, the Yellowstone, above Bis
marck than below that town, while the busl-
ness of to-day is but q 1.-THE of what it will be
decade hence The fact that the business
of the upper river is growing so rapidly,
fairly outstripping in commercial importance
! the lower stream, suggests the proprle'y AND
justice of expending the greater portion of
The appropriation for the Missouri in i'm
provemen,s between Benton and Bismarck
where the best results Can be obtained aud
the greatest benefits secured. Il the appro-
| p.iation is 10 be allotted to certain parts OF
the stream our Delegate in Congress should
be on hand to show why the upper river, as
q matter of right and justice, should have the
bulk Of it.
AS evidence that the carrying business on
the upper Missouri Las reached such import
ance as to demand consideration ut the hands
OF Congress and the country we appeneha list
Of the boats now plying the same together
with the officers of each craft:
| BENTON LINE STEAMERS.
Black H.lls-Gllham, master; James hee'
nan. clerk.
Butte-Andy johnson, master; }. Nc
Arthur. clerk; Chas. Blunt, Jr., and John
LaBsrge, pilots.
Helena-Joseph Fecto, master; WI Rec
tor, clerk; Bob. Wright and Thomas Ander
son. pilots.
Benton-Thos. Townsend, master; Johr
Doyle, pilot.
q ooULsON LINE OF STEAMERS.
/ Dacotah-Joe Todd, master; j. Q. a
o Parr, clerk.
Wyomiog-W. w. Coulscn. master; s. s
Coulson, clerk.
k Josephine-W. II. Gould, master; ]. s
Coulson, clerk; Thomas Wiseman. pilot.
II Big Horn-Wm Braithwait, master; Joh
e HAYS, clerk; John Coonce, Lew Coonce
pilot.
y Rosebuo-E j. Anderson, master; Ed. /
d Higbee, clerk; Ben Jewell, pilot.
y Dan w. Maratta, general superintendent
= headquarters, Bismarck.
n PECK LINE STEAMERS.
o Gen. TerIy-W. II. Sims, master; w.
IS Gilman, CLERK; Alya Wright and Nike Fole,
u pilots.
! Gen. Meade-J s. Smith, master; Get
Hughes, clerk; John Justus and Ed. Papll
er pilots.
% Far West-John Beck, master; Epf
| UToaI nl.,L T..otno Wrirht rink
10 Nellie Peck Nelson Todd. master; n. !
# Carpenter. clerk; Charles Blunt and Charit
a. Bagley, pilots.
I'd Col. j. G. OConnor, general agent, hea'
at quarters, Bismarck.
If INDEPENDENT BOATS
.. Eclipse-Tnos D. Mariner, master; Harl
10 Bachelor, clerk.
ct This boat is the property of Joseph Leig'
as ton q Co, of st. Paul. She will run duri1
4 the summer in the Yellowstone trade.
j Red Cloud-John Williams, master; Ale
9, Stewert, pilot.
" The Red Cloud is owned by |. &. Bake
ce of Fort Benton, and is employed in carryir
rk private freight for her owner.
J. John w. Behan-Grant Marsh, maste
Flucky Marsh, clerk.
se Key West-Joe Todd, master: and
.st clerk. This boat and the Montana, whit
N will probably be in the upper waters durli
en- the year, are owned BY joe Todd and Hlc
ih Beusen.
These boats have an average carrying .
D. pacity of 800 tons and as they will mai