The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-23
A STEAMBOAT RACE
The Sorry Of the Largest Stake Ever
Hung Up in America.
CAPTAIN WRIGHT IS DEAD
The North Pacific Won the Race
A Famous Banquet Given by
the Captain of Victoria
News OF the Northwest.

Anderson-is dead. saws the Seattle
Times. He had been sick for four days
with acute rheumatism. At his bed
side were his two children. Mrs. Carey
and Harry Wright. both of Victoria.
Capt. Thomas Wright was the son
of Bully Wright. a famous western
character OF early days. Bully
Wright was a sea captain and had
faculty of amassing wealth which was
as astonishing as the manner in which
he got rid of II. He came to Puget
sound In his own steamship from New
York via Cape Horn. his vessel being
one of the first ocean-going steamers
from the Atlantic TO enter the sound.
On that occasion his son. Capt. George
s. Wright OF New York was chief en-
gineer. and his younger son, Capt.
Thomas Wright. the gray-haired vet
eran who departed this life to-day, was
assistant engineer. The latter remained
on the sound and became Identified
with much OF this regions early his
tory. A resume OF the events OF those
early days. anent steamboating, reads
like a page from medieval history.
Previous to 1859 steamboating had
been carried on. but only in crude
way. Frequently a foreign sailing YES
sci in search OF a cargo of spars would
occasionally a steamboat from the
south would make her appearance, but
local traffic was uncertain and irregu-
lar. In 1858 the people began TO awak-
en- to the fact that their principal cry
ing need was better transportation ia
cilities. and during the latter part OF
that year a contract was placed In
Portland for the construction OF mod
ern sidewheel steamer. She was COM
pleted I'm 1859 and was christened the
Eliza Anderson" The Anderson was
speedy as well as comfortable and was
the first boat OF modern build to enter
the regular service OF the inland waters
of the sound. The boat Is still engaged
In light service and the people are now
wont to point her out TO the fastener
as the oldest boat on the sound. This
old boat. during the primitive days OF
the Northwest. was the queen OF In
land salt waters and not until 1871 did
she lose her prestige In 1870 the Olym-
pia. now the Princess Louise. arrived
on the sound. and was also owned by
the Wrights. A year later came the
North Pacific. owned by the STAIRS,
and the Anderson was lost sight of In
the bitter rivalry which arose between
those two boats. both OF which were
superior in every respect to the old Ia
vorite. Not long after the arrival OF
the North Pacific that steamer and the
Olympia engaged in a race. the stake
for which was undoubtedly the largest
ever hung up for a steamboat race In
America. This race occurred In the lat
ter part OF 1871 and the course lay
from Race rocks to Port Townsend,
distance OF 80 miles. The North Pa
cific won the race by about two lengths
and the whole Puget sound country
was wild with excitement as a result.
Immediately after this race. accord
ing TO the conditions before agreed up
on, the Olympia was laid up, and for
10 years remained tied up at her dock
at olympia by the side OF her elder sis
ter, the Eliza Anderson. The owners
OF the Olympia. the Wrights, received
81 300 a month from the owners OF the
North Pacific and $500 a month for the
Eliza Anderson during the time the
two boats were tied up. As one OF the
conditions OF the race was that the
losing steamer should never enter the
trade OF the sound again. and as there
was no other route In this section OF
the country for the Olympia, the
Wrights thought IL best to sell the
boat She was accordingly sold to
Capt. John Irving. Her name was
changed to the Princess Louise and the
American flag was removed from her
jackstaff and the English colors fiaunt-
ed to the breeze. She Is now running
between Victoria and Vancouver In the
passenger service.
AS one OF the conditions OF the race
the Eliza Anderson remained out OF
service for more than is years, and
had she not. like a cat. had nine lives.
her bones would have long since been
bleaching in the sun. as during her
years of idleness she was robbed OF
everything movable on board. even 20
pieces OF machinery. She was snagged
and sunk in the Seattle harbor and for
over a year lay at the bottom OF the
bay, and the tides fioated In and out
through her strained timbers: but she
was finally raised and repaired and
put into service by her old-time cap
| tain, Thomas Wright. and she lived "a
/ have several exciting races with the
George r. Starr. The Starr being the
fastest boat of the two. made the An
dersonfs Not anything but a happy one
The Anderson was seized by the Gus
toms officials for alleged infringement
| OF the laws. and while in this condi-
ton her creditors swooped down or
| Captain Wright and ne was obliged Il
sell the steamer for what ne could get
and that was $4,000. She was bought
/ by the Washington Steamboat compa.
my and about $4,000 was expended IN
oveThnauhng and refittmg her with new
machinery. When she came out thus
renovated she was much faster thar
the George r. Starr. and took greal
pleasure at rhe FIRST opportunity In hu-
/ initiating the steamer which had. II
days gone by. harassed her 80 sorely
one day the Anderson raced the Starr
/ into Ses8ftle Earbor and ran around hei
several times IN the bay, Jeering al
her with blasts of her whistle. whllt
hundreds Of people who witnessed ths
exciting scene cheered themselves
| hoarse.
In 1850. when the United States wa.
| discussing the advisa bltty OF Durchas
ing the territory Of Alaska from Russia
an inspecting board was sent out from
Washington territory TO visit the re
| gion and file a report. This was ac
complisaed. and the territory was pur
| chased the following year. In 1866 Capt
| rbomas Wright owned the steamer Di
ana, and the inspecting board charter