The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1889-04-26
UP THE RIVER.
SUNDAY RIDE ON AN OREGON PACIFIC
STEAMBOAT UP THE BEAUTIFUL
WILLAMETTE.
The beautiful upper Villa nette,
Is entirely too crooked a streamlet.

Is entirely too crooked streamlet.
This is what this writer thought as
he stood in the pilot-house of the COM
modious river steamer "Wm. M. |
Hoag" as she ploughed her way
through the waters, slid over the bars,
and rounded the many S S of the
Willamette river, above Corvallis, on
last Sunday on her way up to the
cred warehouse" and intervening
wharves along the route.
On account of the earliness of the
hour, 4:30 a. m., set for leaving her
dock at this place, [ was invited to
take up my abode for Saturday night
on the boat, and was given the upper
berth in the room occupied by the
mate, Herbert L. Hatch. Not being
much accustomed to occupying such
sleeping apartments my sleep was not
of very sound nature .an.l two OF
three times I was awakened by deep
sounds which at first thought was
the putting of the steam from the
large exhaust pipes Of the engines, but
after listening awhile located it as be-
ing the inexhaustive snores Of the first
engineer, genial Al. McCully. A few
rooms to the left of me lay Capt.
James Smith of the government snag-
boat Corvallis" which is now doing
good work on the upper river by re-
moving snags and other distractions.
"Cap" Smith, as he is best known, is
no little fellow either, and when he
begins to breathe hard he does good
work in the business, and can keep at
it Just as long as the next fellow; but
then it is sure sign of good health
| when fellow can breathe extensively
, and that is just what ails AL ano
: Cap.
| 1 was just getting in my work a
cloud breatbing,' trying to distance
e these fellows, when a short toot OF the
i whistle and a ring of the gong, re
p minded me that Capt. Geo. Raabe
: master of the steamer, was at his pos
. and was ready to start on the up trip
In few minutes was out onto tn
floor, into my clothing, had given m
mustache its regular morning curl, AM
J. stepped to the front of the boat to tax
in the sights and scenery along tn
10 river. Hardly had I taken my pc
I, sition, when I heard voice say
r. "Come up here" and on lookln
q around found that these words cam
from Capt. Raabe at the wheel an
70 that was leone to go up into tn
ut pilot house, which accepted in
lie very short time From this posltlo
re one has a much better view of the su
: rounding country, and can also see tt
ma labor and movements that a captal
er has to perform when he is taking
I'M boat through such crooked waters, an
tie sometimes hardly any water at all
=: 70 through. Were any steambo'
:or company to look the state over ce
nit tainly 70 better and more eftlcle'
90 man coald be found to occupy the
OF sition as captain and pilot of Willa'
- cite river steamer than in the person
Mr.. Raabe. There is not bar,
his snao. or an obstruction to a boat'sea
lie passage on these waters, but what
nv knows Just where it is, and he is alwa
ith on the lookout for any new thing til
IN. may appear in this line. The way
nd can swing boat around the sht
mo turns of the river, which are abe
sry like letter S, is, to use the expressit
Ike :sa caution" When it looks as thou
nm the next minute the boat is gol
the right slap-dab on to the bar ahe
tie the captain begins TO make the steeri
, wheel fly around and instantly
stern Of the boat begins to sw
around just the opposite Of where
are expecting it to go and in sh
the time she is over and into deep Wa
all again, all done by having capt
land that s.knows his business"
ions At Finley's warehouse word
sent ashore that on the boats do
,any trip it would stop there to load sc
outh wheat, and the warehouse man
main piled that he would "be at chu
u ne probably when she comes back, but
A. whistle and he would leave
ming meeting and come to the warehou
pen- A rather curious movement to
this church-going person to do, but
lleS there are plenty of others that o.
'A I the Sabbath worse than this man.
,.os: the course of time the red "wareho
was reached where over l, 100 sack
wheat was taken on and after di
.sdav the Hoag started on-its return triI
J. ar Corvallis. This warehouse is on
ps of few miles this side OF Harrlst