Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-26
EARLY STEAMBOATS,.
HOW THE SACRAMENTO WAS NAY
IGATED IN PIONEER DAYS.
Names of Some of the Vessels and
Owners-Price of Frssights
Other 1ncide.its.

early navigation OF the Sacramento river.
To hear the pioneer dilate upon the beau
ties of the scenery along its high, bluff and
well-wooded banks, and listen to his de-
scription of the beauty, clearness and purity
of It's watecs-as pure as snow, so clear that
the smallest pebble was disceTnible at its
rocky bottom-one can hardly imagine
that the sluggish, shallow and muddy
stream that flows by our city is the beauti-
ful river under considerations it ap-
peared before hydraulic mining so nearly
completely wrought its rain.
THE FIgsr SAILING VESSEL
That made the voyage from San Francisco
to where Sacramento city now stands was
the schooner Isabella, chartered by CaptGin
John A. Suffer, about the 9th of August,
1889. and owing to the numerous intricate
outlets OF the Sacramento river he was
eight DAYS Sn discovering its main cksnnel,
and whel about ten miles below the pres
ent siteof Sacramento two hundred armed
and hostile Indians intercepted his pro-
gress. :,
These, however, he succeeded ia concili-
atinr. sid was then allowed to proceed OF
his Se,rage accompanied by tive of the ma
tives Other sail vessels followed at DIFF
ferent times in the wake of the pioneer
schooner Isabella but as the object of this
article is more particularly intended to de-
scribe the steam navigation, no more sail
vessels will be mentioned.
TIE FIRST STEAMBOAT
That ever plowed the waters of the sacra-
ulento from San Francisco was the SHka, a
Russian-built stern-wheel vessel, about
sixty feet in length by seventeen in breadth,
owned 'bv Captain Leidesdorff, and she
reached what was then known as Suffers
Embarcadero, now Sacramento city, in the
summer of 1S47.
The Hext was stern-wheel steam scow
named the Lady Washington, built at SUIT
ter's Embarcadero in September, 1S49 and
was owned by Simmons, Hutchinson Il Co.
and Smith, Bensley & Co. 1T was run upon
the upper rivers, and was the pioneer steam
vessel above the mouth of the American
river.
The next was side-wheel steamer that
was sent out on board ships from New
York, put together in this city, named the.
Sacramento, and was run between this city
and 80 New York of the Pacific "a city of
great pretensions that was located near the
mouth of the San Joaquin, and there con-
nected with
LINE OF scHooNERs FRoS SAN FRANCISCO.
This vessel was owned and commanded
by Captain John Van Pelt.
A small craft called the Mint was ithe
next steamboat, and ran on this route
through from San Francisco to Sacra-
mentO.
The large propeller McKim, of about
400 tons burden. was the next in rotation
and made her trip frem New Orleans
through the straits of Magellan to San
Francisco in 1S49 and took her first trip up
the Sacramento in the latter part of October
of that year.
By far the most beautiful, most COM
modious, most comfortable, and at the
same time
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STEAMBOAT
That ever ran on the Sacramento river was
the Senator, of 500 tons burden. She
made the voyage around Cape Horn, and
arrived here on the 9th of October, 1919,
and her first trip up to Sacramento City on
the 5th of the month following. Her rates
of fare were SIS per passenger up, and $50
meals, 81 each stateroom, $40; freight per
ton, $40 to $50 During the first year on
this route her net profits exceeded $50 900
per month and for many years afterwards
was very profitable to her owners. The
number of her passengers in those days
would average 800 per day, and her freight
from 200 to 800 tons.
The next was a sternwheel steamboat
called the Lawrence, los feet in length by
IS feet in width. She was brought out by
a New Bedford company, and put up at
New York of the Pacific; and when fin
ished was sent to Stockton about the latter
part of November, 1S49, and was the first
that ever sailed for or arrived at
that city. In December following, the
Lawrence was brought to this city, where
she was sold to parties who sent her up
the Feather river to Maiysville in COM
mand of Captain Chadwick, and she was
the first steamboat that ever assembled that
river.
The Linda, stern-wheel steamer, was
the next, owned by a company OF which
Mark Brummagem was one of the princi-
pal members. She ran
BETWEEN SACRAMENTO AND EVANSVILLE.
Freight on the Lawrence and Linda was
from to 10 cents pound; drinks, so cents
each.
The first steamboat that ever assembled
the Sacramento river as tar as Tehama was
the Jack Hayes, commanded by Captain
Mosley in May, 1850. She was first named
the Commodore Jones, but, being length
ened and otherwise changed, she lost her
identity and her name at the same time.
The Gold Hunter, commanded by Cap
tain Brennan, afterwards the United
States surveying schooner. was put on
about this time, but soon Withdrew.
The Captain Suffer, small ,stern-wheel
boat, although only the second boat TO
Stockton, was the first to make regular
trips from that city to San Francisco. She
was put up by Captain James Blair, of the
United States Navy, and was more success
full ia proportion to her size than the SEN
ator, on the other route, and cleared not
less than 100000 for her owners the first
year.
1t might be mentioned, in order to illus
trate the
LARGE PROFITS MADE BY STEAMBOATS,
At that early date, that the Lawrence made
trip from Sacramento city to Lassens and
received 80 cents per pound for freight on
her entire cargo.
The following list of the various steam
boats running upon these different routes
prior to 1860 is as complete as can be made,
and embraces every boat of any consider
able size or notoriety:
.Propellers -MeKim, General Warren,
Preble, Hartford, Endora,
Major Tompkins,, Chesapeake.
Side-wheel, high-pressure, uritda, Co
manehe, ]. Bragdon, II. ]. Clay, American
Eagle Helen Heasley, Anna Abernethy,
Willamette, Eclipse, Queen City, Kate
Kearney, Express, Caleb Cope, Sycamore,
MaFiposa, w. Z. Robinson, Governor Dana
No. 2, Sophia Union iron vessel), Cornelia
and C. NJ. Weber
Side=wheel, low prsssure-Senator. New.
World, Confidence, W, G. Hunt, Antelope;
Thomas Hunt, Surprise, Goliath, El Do
rado, Gold Hunter
Stern SeEeel, high pressure = 10slng
America, Goodman Caste, Governor Dana,
Shasta. Plnsnas, Gazelle, Cleopatra, Besle,
Gem. Captain Suffer, Pike, Orient, Fashion,
Nevada, Daniel Moir, Kennebec, Marys-
vile, Clara, Medea, James Blair, Enter
prise, Lawrence, Latona, Maria, Pearl
Etna, Sam .Soule, Swan, Sal Joaquin, Te-
hama, Firefy. Kangaroo.
: DEFUScT cITg.
As New York of the Pacific has been
necessarily referred to several times in
this article. a little description will not
be out of place. of this defunct town, which,
like Boston and Hoboken, lives only in his
tory or the memecy of the Pioneers. E.
Gould Buffum, in a book Published by
him in 1850. entitled Six Months IN the
Gad Mines" thus speaks of the then
prnsnising-to-be commercial metropolis.
- 81 the junction OF the river San Joaquin
and she Bay OF suisun lies New York of
the Pacific. The town is seated on
broad and well-Satered plain, covered
With many groves Of magnificent oaks, ey-