The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-29
RIDING ON THE LAKE
A Trip From Cour d'Alene City to the
Old Mission.
STORIES BY THE CAPTAIN
Privileges Accorded "Standard'
Reporter Which He Appreciates
The Graceful Steamer
Georgia Cakes.


d'Alene City to the Old Mission. across
the lake and up the river. is so miles,
as the boat sails. The lake Is the Occur
d'Alene the river Is the Occur dAlene
and so was the steamer that made the
first trip across this beautiful inland
lake, locked in by the mountains. But
the old steamer is no more. Her nun
has been long since dismantied, her
machinery sold and her upper works
transferred TO the graceful Georgia
Cakes, which now makes the daily
round trip of 40 miles under the COM
mand of the veteran Captain Sanborn'
than whom no better man ever held
wheel or babe in peremptory tones
dawdling passenger to hurry up phere
and get aboard
over the hatchway ladder that leads
TO the upper deck of the Georgia Cakes
and to the pilot house is a sign which
states in positive and emphatic Ian
guage that passengers are not permit
ted to go up that way. IT. however.
passenger is fortunate enough to Sc
cure the open sesame which allows him
to climb through that little hatchway,
as was a Standard reporter this week,
and can seat himself comfortably In
corner of the pilot house when Captain
Sanborn is at the wheel he will enjoy
trip of interest. Captain Sanborn has
been navigating the lake for IL years
and before that, was in service on the
Columbia river. running to Astorla.
His fund of "reminiscences Is marvei-
lous and 1t is rare privilege 10 De per
mitted to listen to the stories tnat ne
has to tell.
The history of stesmboating on Lake
Occur d'Alene dates from 1885, when
Captain Sanborn explored the lake and
river to determine whether or not ne
could run a. boat of sufficient size to do
al, hrfQt
were satisfactory as to results, and In
the same year the construction OF the
old Occur d'Alene was begun at Occur
d'Alene City at the foot of the lake.
The boat was completed at a cost OF
nearly SIS, 900 and on April 2, 1884, made
her first trip from the pretty town
where she was built across the lake
and up the river. past the old mission.
TO Kingston. This latter point continued
to be the terminus of the boats route
until the narrow gauge road was built
TO Mission. Since then the boats have
made landing at the barge below the
historic old church that stands upon
the hill overlooking the Mission valley.
Those were good days for boating"
said Captain Sanborn to the Standard
man, as he brought the Georgia Cakes
around a sharp bend in the river and
then Strengthened her away again. The
Occur d'Alene cost us $24, 500 and in 30
das after the first trip was made she
that time $40 a ton for earring freight
across and our receipts were usually
more than $1,000 a day. The biggest
days business that we ever did was
s1,70o. We had little bar on the old
boat and the receipts from that were
usually about 5000 a day.
Our only competition was the pack
trains that carried around the lake.
and We had all that we could handle.
We ran as far up the river as Kingston
In arrlx ~lstl ~ go
was high, until the narrow guage road
was built. After that we landed at the
Old Mission. In those days all the land
along the river was the old Indian re-
servation and we were not permitted
to make a landing We had previously
secured control of an island. which we
had drained and which was the only
available place for landing outside Of
the reservation. This shut out any
boat competition and gave us a cinch
on the business.
But the banner year in the business
was 1856. when the Occur d'Alene ex'
element began and when the towns
that have since become famous-Wal
lace, Wardner. Burke and Mullan-
were being built Thousands of mer
came In and tons and tons of freight
were shipped to the new camps. In thai
yehr we Melted $4,000. 1t kept the ole
boat on the jump all the time. though
-Four years ago, after eight years
W EtTNlce. I0t occur Afene was
retired and the George Cakes was
completed and put into commission
She Is a faster and better boat and
has done lot of good service. Dur
ing the omen season, she makes the
round trip. 120 miles. every day. That
is pretty good test of The efficiency ID
the boat"
The George Cakes has made some
very important trips. Three times she
has brought troops into the mining
country from Fort Sherman. Twice
they were needed and the third cal
was false alarm. 1t was Captai-
Sanborn and the George Cakes who
rescued the little group of Swedes anc
their wives and children after the un
fortunate AFFAIR in Fourth of July can
yon. The terrified people had fed UNI
oil the waters of Fourth OF July creel
barred their flight and they were hud
died on little point ait the moutl
of this creek when Captain Sanborl
saw them and took them aboard Tn
George Cakes must have seemed
precious haven OF refuge TO them. Sh
bore them in safety to the city at tn
foot of the lake. The captain point
out The tiny promotory from whicl
he took this memorable list Of passen
gers. as he tells the story.
Only once did the boat ever run ava
with her veteran captain. IL was on
day when he had on board a cIerics
party. one OF which was Bishop TaIbu
OF rhe Episcopal church. The part
had been delayed at several points an
when the clergymen got aboard the
looked forward TO a pleasant triI
BishoL Talbot was sitting In the pile
f1ouse as the lines were cast OF at IN
Mission landing and the captain Pre-
posed ITO show him how smoothly IN
boat was run" As bad luck woul
have Il. a block or a snag got afol
of the rudder and the boat would NJ
respond 70 the wheel. As quickly q
possible the captain rang the bell I
stop her, but d was too late and 81
ran dnto a prostitute tree that exrende
into the river. No damage was don
out Captain Sanborn applied son
mighty emphatic terms 10 me boa