The herald., 1894-01-01
JOHN c. AINSWORTH.
A MISSISSIPPI STEAMBOAT PILOT
WHO MADE HISTORY.
Brief sketch of His Busy Life by
Former Employee, VINO Was
Well Aware OF His
Worth.

oakland was no ordinary man. Born in
. small town OF Central Ohio, in June,
1928, OF good but poor parents. he was
left at 10 years old to the care of q severe
and harsh old uncle. who was selfish
enough to make farm drudge of him.
The boy would not have it that way"
but ran off and became pilots 'cub"
on an Ohio river steamboat. AT 10 years
old, while freight clerk on steamer
employed in the lead trade between st.
Louis and Galena, he had evinced such
proficiency at the wheel that an in
effectusl effort was made to induce the
local inspectors to waive the disabilities
OF minority and grant him pilots IL
cenee. Their refusal terminated with
his twenty-first birthday, however, the
9th of June, 1874, when he went aboard
his boat with a second-class license (for
boats from 1000 to 1900 tons) and an
endorsement in red ink across the face
which authorized his appointment as
master. There were many first'ciass
pilots (1500 tons upwards) on the rivers
at that time who could not have gotten
that endorsement. The next year first
class papers were issued to him, and ne
"
la. She died in the following year.
Young Ainsworth was almost para.
lyzed with the crushing blow, but he
worked along patiently until the winter
OF 1918, when the news OF tine gold dis
coyeries in California came on. and one
OF the first to leave for the new Ell Dorado
was Ainsworth. Arriving in Sacra-
mento, he looked about for chance at
steamboating, but every place was full
except on class of boats that did not
meet his approval. Fortunately be met
an old acquaintance, Presley Dunlap,
whom he had known in st. Louis, and
under whom he accepted a deputyship.
The certificates OF admission to the bar
of this state OF Solomon Heyderfelt,
Milton S. Latham and Henry Hare
Hartley were signed, ''p. Dunlsp, clerk,
by ]. G. Ainsworth. deputy clerk" He
remained in the county clerks office
till the election OF 1852, when Judge
Dunlap was defeated for reelection. and
then he sailed ior Oregon.
On arriving in the webioot state,
things were wholly different from what
they are now. Oregon City was then
the largest place north oil the California
boundary. nut the ssa-goIng vessels
could only get to Milwaukee, which Mas
eight miles below it on the river. AT
the latter place, soon after his arrival IN
Oregon, he began the construction for Il
svEdicate, of side wheel steamer 1856
long by 20 feet beam, which was TO De
named after the man who subscribed
for the most stock in the company.
That man was William Lot WhitconIb
of Oregon City, brave and genial man
long gone over to the majority. The
new steamer was OF beautiful model
but deficient in power; and as vlgor-
Gus opposition was going ON in California
waters, the Whitcomb was cold to peo-
pie in San Francisco, and towed down
from Astoria by the propeller Peytona,
afterwards destroyed by fire il Callao.
With the proceeds of the sale of the
Whitcomb new etefn wheel bost ca He'd
the Carrie Ladd. which Captain Aims
worth ran TO th5 caecadea OF the
Columbia. till 1S62.s, when the big
Nez Perce gold excite meat broke cut.
This necessitatef the buiiaing of larger
boats and the acquisition of new capital
in the concern He,athefefore, in con-
nection with Robert r. Thompson, Dam
iel F. Bradford, John 5. Rack, l. Harri-
son Uimstead, Lawrence w. Coe and
William S. Lsdd, made a consolidation
of all the boats on the Columbia river
under the title OF the Oregon Steam
Navigation COMPANY, which soon be-
came a power in the land. Two years
later Olmstead sold out his interest to
Simeon q. Reed, then a partner with
W. S. Ladd III Portland. Mr. Reed was
made vice president OF TIE company to
encceed Mr.. Coe, Who retired with about
$3.50, 600 which he sunk in mining epecu-
lations in Nevada. Next the interest OF
MIR nj ms ouA nd hot tafe
four in the directorate, Ladd having a
mortgage OF 100000 on all the boats.
Much OF this Indebtedness grew out OF
the extravaganza OF Ruesel (who was
president in 1865 in building the
steamers Oneonto and WeDfoot on a
lavish scale Of expenditure. The next
year Rucsel, who was always visionary
man, was ousted from the presidency
and AiDeworth succeeded him.
Answorth saw the business would
never pay Ladd's debt, which drew in
terest at per cent per month, so he
came to San Francisco aud borrowed
tie money oil tretz d Raleton at 15 per
cent per annum, with witch he released
Lsdd's grip on the property. Out oi
this loan grew Fretz's dissolution ot
partnership with Kelston, who carried
this mortgage INTO The Bank of Caiiior-
mia as the largest and best OF its assats.
Business ran along fairly and the
company was moderately prosperous till
1886, when the grain trade OF the Co
lumbis valley began to increase 80 fast
that Capt. Ains orih and his associates
were puzzled what tn do with the say
inga. Ii they declared dividends OF IS
per cent per annum, that meant a
stampede into Oregon waters OF all the
unemployed boats of the Californis
rivers. so Reed came to the rescue by
proposing to pay 10 per cent dividends
and to use all the money over that ir
building a new feet rhe suggestion
was faynrably received. and in the mex
three years the following boats were
built at the cost hereafter namsd
R.R. Thomson, 900 tons ...........s g IS ,0Ot
Wide West, $40 ,OIis. Observation-Disclosures. 80,
\. q. ksed, b75 tons .............. 30 o.,
Harvest Queen, $40 tOnS............ 1lj,OO
D. +. Baker, 700 IONS ............. 9a,9J.
stohn Gates. ............ a. OOt
s5pogane. ........... .............-..... IS ,OJt
+ALmota........4 ........... .............. 800 I
+Annie F4xon Observation-Disclosures. 81, O0t
tAountain Qieer...... ............-. SO 00t
sBuilt with second maud machinery.
OF these tine Wide West wac the mosi
paatial, the Thompson strongest ant
most durable. There was never such /
fleet OF fsternwheelers in the world as that
Several OF them could go IS miles al
hour. and for comfort they were th
oraatesf boats ever known In lSS