The Democratic advocate., 1891-05-02
Our 0liO.
Early Flatboating.


"The changes on the western rivers have
been many" said an old timer one evening.
.The first steamboat on the Mississippi
was. think, in 1911 Prior to that time,
and for many years after, for that matter,
the river commerce was carried on In keel
and fatboats. A keeelboat starting from
Pittsburg would reach New Orleans in
about sixty days with from thirty to fifty
tons of freight. Some of them carried
Messengers, families, travellers, hunters and
Others going down the river frequently
taking passage on the keel.
''The keelboats were light, long and mar
row. sharp at both ends and round bottom
ed. They were rugged with one or two
sweeps on side for propelling purposes,
and a sweep on one end for use as a rnd-
der. These sweeps or bars were usually
made of small trees about thirty feet long
and hung to the side of the boat on iron
pins. The big end of the tree was in
board or on deck. The small or outer end
had an inch board, about foot wide and
eight feet long, nailed diagonally across it
to form the blade of the oar.
@These sweeps were used in still water
and for working the boat out of bends in
the river, out of eddies and making cross
ings and landings. To work the sweep the
boatman would take the pole against one
shoulder, and quartering across the breast
would push, not pull, with walk up about
fifteen feet, carrying it back to get another
hold in the water. 1t was extremely hard
work, and very trying on clothes and shoe
leather.
HARD WORK GETTING BACK.
ssThe boats were also rugged with mast
and square sail, and often carried small
cannon for protection against Indians and
lower river pirates A keelboat would be
from three to six months on the return
trip from New Orleans to Pittsburg. Down
the river with the current was slow enough,
but against the current was tough sailing.
Where bottom could be reached poles were
used, but in deep swift water 'warping OF
scordella' was the motive power. To warp
is TO run line ahead and fasten it to
tree on the bank, and then all hands haul
ON the line. To 'cordella was to take
rope ashore, and all hands get hold and
haul or tow the boat-a very slow, hard
process.
AS steamboats, became more numerous
the keeboats dropped out of use, and the
fatboat came into service. A fatboat
would make the run down the river in
about the same time as keelboat, but
they never returned, their owners selling
them at their destination for little or moth
ING. The purchaser generally broke up
the boat and used the lumber for building
purposes. They were rugged and manned
about the same as Il keelboat, but were lif-
ferently constructed. They were what the
name implies-fat, especially on the bot
tom.
"The deck or roof was slightly crowning
athwartship. The boat was from so to
I2O feet long, Is to 20 feet beam, square
at both ends above water, with short
rake or run at each end from the bottom
to the deep water line. They would carry
from 100 to $50 tons of freight, and their
kind was known by the cargo they carried,
as pork boat 'hay boat, corn boat, live
hog boat pumpkin boat, hoop pole boat,
from Posey county, Ind; chicken boat,
from the Wabash and White rivers; salt
boats, from the Big Kanawa river, and
coal boats, from Pittsburg. The points
of destination were Memphis, Vicksburg,
Natchez and New Orleans, mostly the lat
ter. l have seen at the levee in New Or
leans as many as 200 fatboats at QUE time
BEATING THE WAY HOME
at was nothing uncommon to pass TWEEN
ty or thirty of them day on steamboat
trip down the river Some of them would
be tied up to the banks, some at anchor,
others drifting along with oars at rest and
the crew having jollifcation. As soon as
a fiatboat was landed at New Orleans the
entire crew, except one man, was paid of,
and as they had no opportunity on the trip
to spend their money they got their wages
all in pile Then they would start out
for high old time, and have it, too. They
would usually remain in Orleans until
their money was gone, or at least all but
enough to pay their passage up the river
and, as they generally took deck passage,
which was only $3.50 or SO, they didn't
require much Of surplus. Sometimes $50
OF 200 flatboat men would be on one steam
er, and woe would be to the boat when
the clerk attempted to collect the fare
They would not only refuse to pay, but
would often take possession of the lower
deck
al was a passenger on the General Pike
when there was just such gang on board