Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-27
BIG PAY FOR THE TRIP.
How a Northwestern Steamboat Cap
tain Made S25.OOO i'm Two Days.

Eyes, they do lots of running, ana they
have fast boats and fine boats" said griz-
zled old ex-captain. as he stood on a dock al
Seattle and watched the air line wake which
Capt. John Jordison was laying out behind
the Flyer as she flew toward Tacoma But
there is an old fellow uptown who made
more money in forty-eight hours on an
eighty-mile round trip with an Old stern
wheel box than all of these fast boats can
make in six months" continued the ex-
captain, talking to the representative of the
oregon Railway and Marine Gazette. The
packet 1 am alluding to was the old steamer
Enterprise. built on the Columbia in the
early hfties and brought around here by
Capt. Tom Wright. who owned and COM
manded her on the famous trip OF which 1
speak. 'OId Tom,- as you all call him now,
was running the Enterprise on the Fraser
river in 1855, at the time of that inctpient
rebellion sometimes known Ned Nc
Gowan's war MCGOWAN and a lot OF other
Americans who were prospecting up around
Hills Bar. on the Fraser, had been arrested
and brought before a British justice of the
peace for some alleged indiscretion, and con-
siderable feeling had been worked up over
the matter, so much, in fact, that wild
rumors OF war and bloodshed had reached
the outer world, and the British troops were
called on A detachment of 1D men. with
artillery and other equipments. were sent
out from Victoria. and were nearing Lang
ley, b. c., when Capt Wright ana MS
steamer arrived at that port The skipper
Was prompt to see that his boat afforded the
Gully available means for moving those
troops up the river. lie Immediately told
his purser TO write out schedule OF rates:
Passage, s1UO per man; freight. 500 per ton,
and hang it in his office. This oons he
walked ashore and met Lieut.. CAUSE.-THE, VINO
was in command of the men. The lieutenant
Immediately asked him II he could take the
troops up the river. The captain retiectiyely
Scr1rRhA0 h. n
doubtlngly said he supposed he could.
What are your rates. asked GusSette.
We'll. really 1 don't know, said Tom.
that's little out of my department. and L
don't always remember; L will call the
purSer and find out
The purser was summoned, but like his
superior officer his memory was reclslessiy
bad regarding rates between Langley ard
HnTs Bar.
Get your rate schedule said Tom, ap-
2arently yexed hat the pu-sar should Know
so little about his business.
The purser did 50, and Inconcerr,ndly
read the rate of 500 per man ami $40 per
ton Gussettc objected, argued and swore
but the immOyablc skipper explained that
1t was schedule rates. and hat he couldn't
think OF charging the government less than
was charged private individuals. The Ecu
tenants efforts TO secure 4 reduction were
futile, and AZ last the troops. 100 IN number.
with nifty tons OF equipments. were taken
aboard. Fortune favored the Enterprise on
that trip. and eighteen hours after leaving
Langley she reached her destination, Fort
Hope, with her st5.too cargo. III this point
word was received that the trouble was all
over. MCGOWAN and his friends had talked
themselves out OF bondage and white winged
peace was hanging over the entire country
This condition OF affairs rendered the pres
ence of the troops unnecessary, and without
removing the equipments from the boat the
lieutenant again approached Capt. Tom
and asked him what he would charge TO
take the outfit back 10 Langley. The cap
tafn'S failing memory again compelled him
to refer GusSette to the purser, and after
considerable search that well-trained aid of
the captains discovered that the rate down
stream was the same Up stream. The
Englishman sought the captain. My God
captain he said, You have already charged
me f3OOO for less than days work with
your boat, and now you want to repeat the
performance. It's an outrage
It's a middlinS high rate said Tom
but wood IS scarce up here and 1 don't like
TO be cutting rates. still, you haven't
taken your freight ashore and are ready to
go down with US. / will make n reductiOu
III make Ii an even S2J.OO for the round
trip. which Is big cut in rates There was
no other way for the troops to reach home
so the lieutenant surrendered and less than
forty-eight hours after he had left Langley
with the troops Capt. Wright was back
again. richer by E5,o0o voucher. which was
paid without a murmur when presented at
Victoria Capt. Tom Wright is still n con-
spicuous figure on the streets of Seattle and
other sound cities. and while he has lived to
see the marine traffic OF Puget sound grow
from Its infancy into proportions greater
than he had ever dreamed of, vet II is
doubtful II he will ever his record for
money making with steamboat equaled +"