The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-08-18
RIVER NEWS.
Rafters Going to the Bank---A Steam
err SGld-Kiplets.

1 GIN1Nd Uf.
Yesterday morning, Davenport Dem
ocrat reporter encountered Capt. Waite
Blame, of the steamer j. W. Mills OF
shore-"Hello Captain, how is river ;raf
fer
Every dull because of low water, re,
sponded the captain. 'Thnty>on'
steamers have gone to the bank that
know of, and it is likely that ten o
| twelve more that haven't heard of ar,
tied up. The Saltwater and Moline ar,
at LIE Claire: the Artemus Lamb, Lafay-
cite Lamb. Lady Grace, and Nettie Dur
ant, are at Clinton; the Iowa is al Lyons
the Llllie Turner, Nellie and Penguin are
at Dubuque; the C. w CoHles is at Nc
Gregor, the Silver Wave, LIE Claire Belle
Ten Brock aud ]. W. Mills are at Lam
sing, the Lizzie Garnder, Dexter, Mollie
Mohler, Natiora, Z4da, Dan Hue, Daniel
Thayer and Alfred Towle are at La
Crosse; the c. J. Caffrey aud +. G. A.
Denkmann are here; the Sam Atlee is a
Fort Madison; the Julia is at Winona
the Hartford and Jessie Bill are at Wab
| ashaw'
"Well, the low water has stemmed the
tide Of business, hasn't it?"
| Yes, sir, if it hadn't been for low
water We would be kept right on now
But We had to begin double-trippins
from the booms to Bad Axe Bend in May
That cut us out of two months-Jun,
and July-in which we generally do larg,
| work good months for us.
Haven't the river improvements beer
of much usey"
Wonderful aid-wonderfuli If il
were not for them we could do nothing al
| all at this stage of water--uoS We would
all be running ON the Mississippi if the
drives were not hung up. The worst
trouble in the upper Mississippi is al
Crooked Slough, ten miles below Lam
sing. What We need there are dams to
keep the water out of HaIper's Ferry
chute and Winneshiek slough, and in
Crooked Slough Major Mackenzie will
put them in as soon as he gets money.
There is plenty of water to make five
foot channel clear to st, Paul, aud tell
you the northwest ought to demand
larger appropriations for this river.
Captain Blair said Mcdonald Bros. OF
Lacrosse. have bought the hull of the
Belle Mac from the underwriters. They
will thoroughly repair it, and put the en-
glnes and boilers of the Mollie Mohler on
it. The Mohler will be wrecked
THE LAST CHANCE SOLD.
The little steamer Last Chance, fol
many seasons past engaged 10 helping
raft boats over the rapids with their tows,
has been sold'by the LeClaire Navigation
Company to Capt. H. j. King of Cham
extensive repairs at the yard of Van SAINT
Il Edw ards of LeClaire. The Last Chance
was built at Burlington in 1870. She had
fiat-boat bow at first and very small en-
gine McCaffrey & Rambo had a model
bow built on her about eight years ago
She las the third pair of engines on her
and the second cabin. She has had more
different owners aud run in more trades
than any boat that ever turned wheel
on the upper Mississippi, and. as far as
we have been able TO learn. always made
money for her owners She spent one
winter in the south carrying Il circus
went as far as New Orleans. and trdversed
nearly every bayou and tributary of the
lower Mississippi, returning in time to
help run the first raft in spring. the lie.
Claire Navigation Company was organ
lied in 50 with the Last Chance rs its
only property A year later they were
able to buy the J W Mills, aud last
spring they purchased tue fine steamer
Ten Brock. They sell the Chance be-
cause the rafting business has changed Sc
that il is more profitable to use lErger
boats Capt. King, who for five year,
has had charge of the G.. NJ. n 81. 7
transfer Milwaukee at Chamberlain. OF
the Missouri, will take his purchase to the
same point when his sons will run her in t
short packet trade If the Little Home,
as the boys call her. is as successful on the
Big Muddy as she has been here, Capt
King will only have the fultilment of oul
wishes for the future prosperity of tn,
old reliable Last Chance.
RIPLETs
The ST. Paul has given up the struggle
with low water, and gone to the bank
leaving the Diamond 10 line withou
competition in the upper Mississippi
traffic.
The gay Sidney came in last night ant
started over the rapids at daylight thi
morning.
The Libbie Conger will clear for st
Louis tomorrow.
The Mary Morton will be up Saturday
Hancock and Mr. Neece.
When the statement was published il
the Chicago papers that Hancock county
had instructed for Mr.. Neece, for con