San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-02-11
Pilots PALMY PERIOD.
PIincely SALARIES Were the hue
Before the War

Tie proposed reduction of the
wages OF steamboat pilots for the
coming season is now the most inter-
esting topic of conversation among
member of the steam boat fraternity
and of the Pilots society, although
the latter are saying but little on the
question to persons outside of their
fraternal realm. The steamboat
agents, clerks, porters and mates
gather in knots and discuss the ques-
| ton with increasing interest. Many
cite "reminiscences from steamboat
men of ante-rate. cutting days, when
pilots received wages enough IN q
week to buy an entire steam boat at
the present quotations on second hand
boats. "Money easily earned is essi-
ly SPENT" and Capt. Joe Todd tells of
a pilot who received s., 500 tor a trip
to the upper Missouri, and "then
came down in the winter to borrow
money from us poor fellows who
worked for S75 month"
PLOTTING FOR $500 A MONTH.
Several of these old river pilots,
whose vocations entitled them to the
largest dividend of the robust earn
ings of the boats, are still about the
city, but, unfortunately, very few
now give evidence of ever having
commanded such magnificent sala-
laries. The Missouri river appears
to have been the scene of operations
in which "meteoric" wages were
paid to pilots. The dictionary ar fists
who are "doing time" around the
Office stoves sometimes quote old
time pilots, wages as high as $4,000 q
month without producing proofs.)
From those who were actively en-
gagged In the service it is learned that
$500 a month was the highest regu-
lar wages ever paid to Missouri River
pilots. Pilots, however, were fires
quently engaged for a trip to Leaven.
worth, Sioux City and Fort Sully at
wages proportionately higher than
these figures.
CAPT. MASSEY'S RECoLLEC TIONS.
Capt. VIM. Massey, a veteran Miss
ouri River steamboatman, stated to
a Globe Democrat reporter yesterday
that early in the sos he was employ
ed as pilot on the steamer Cora, own
ed by Capt. Joe Kinney, now of
Boonville. He employed two steers
men, to whom he paid $3.50 month
each out of his own salary, leaving
him $4,000 a month. The steamer Deer
Lodge, said Capt. Massey, "belongiDg
to John Roe, whose money is now
largely invested in the Roe building
here, employed Lawrence Ultman, a
pilot, at $3.50 a month. | have often
known $4,000 to be paid TO a pilot on
a trip between this city and Omaha,
! occupying from thirteen to sixteen
DAYS. "In those dars, however, beats
made money. 1 saw boat clear Sl0,-
$50 in one trip between this city and
Fort Sully. Steamship men raked in
the cash faster than Jay Gould or
Vanderbilt ever did. In one season
that ran the Ida Stockdale In the
Upper Missouri river made $72 600;
then sold the boat to the Northern
Pacific railroad in the fall for $20.-
OOO." Capt. Msssey's steamboat days
date back to 1916.
FROM 1854 TO 1860.
The palmy days for steambOatiDg
on the Missouri river were from 1854
to 1860, in which the pilots were paid
salaries like those of railroad Presi-
dents of the present day, but spent
their money about ten times as fast.
A we'll known steam boatman in St.
LOUIS now is said to have been offered
q one-fourth interest in steam boat,
valued at about S25, 900 by one of the
Doziers, for wages as pilot on q trip to
Fort Benton. Fifteen hundred dollars
was also frequently paid for plotting
a boat from this city to Leavenworth
and back, occupying about nine days.
During the war the business was
somewhat demoralized, but high
wages were paid to the pilots on all
boats that were running. After the
hostilities ceased the wages were
much lower, and 5000 to $1,000 q
month was about an average rate.
Then they continued to decline each
year, dropping off about 500 month
at each cut. In 1871 pilots were paid
from $500 to S2400 trip between this
city aud Fort Benton. The distance
Is 235S miles and the time occupied
was from two and One-half to three
months. About this time Capt. Hor.
ace Bixby was paid $2400 for trip to
Fort Benton by Capt. Thomas Cahoon
of the steamer SsllIe, on u trip that
occupied two months and a half.
A STEADY DECLINE.
The wages on the Mississippi, Ohio
aud the southern rivers never were so
high as on the Missouri. Early in
the '70s the steamer Susie Silver was
one of the leading river palaces be-
tween this city and New Orleans, and
pilots were paid about $500 month.
The New Orleans plots on the Anchor
Line in late years have been gettiT g