Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-14
RAFTING HISTORY.
Capt. Walter A. Blair Relates
Interesting Facts.
HALF CENTURY OF LOGGING


ofths Citation Niggsr Invented By Ch.ncy
Lamb.
There are some interesting things
told in q recent number of the Chi
cago Timbermau by Capt. Walter A.
Blair. one of the pioneer rivermen of
this section. who resides at Daveu-
port, and whose mind is q veritable
| cyclopaedia on all subjects connected
| with navigation. The article is en-.
titled ..nafting on the Upper Missis.
sippi." and is an interesting one
throughout.
This work began about fifty years
| ago." says Capt. Blair, land reached
its height in 1890, when the Chip
pewa river alone sent over 600. O00.-
600 feet Of logs. beside 400. OOO, 900 of
sawed lumber for the yards at Bur-
lington. Keokuk, Hannibal, Louis
lana, st. Louis and Chester.
The first RATS fioated down the
Mississippi we're very small. and were
carried along by the current and
handled by large oars on the bow and
stern. The logs were RATED in
strings IL feet wide, held together
by poles across them. to which each
log was fastened by wooden plugs
and lock-downs.
.'In 1865 w. J. Young. of Clinton,
one of the most successful pioneers
in the lumber business, encouraged
Capt. Cyrus Bradley to try a small
steamboat hitched on the stern of
the raft to push and guide it. Their
first efforts were not highly salts
factory, but enough SO to induce
them and others to try other and
better boats in the same way with
very gratifying results.
Iuvention of the Niger
''In 1870 the business OF towing
RATS by steamboats, had become well
established, but considerable trouble
attended all their efforts to properly
handle and guide the RATS, until
CLANCY Lamb. of Clinton. invented
the famous Clinton Niger since
then in use on every boat in the
rafting business. By its use the
boats position can be easily and
quickly changed, so as to shove or
back in different directions. as the
change in the wind or course OF
the river may require. The boats
head is made fast to the stern of the
raft. as near the middle as possible.
and her stern is held in position by
two guy lines, or large ropes, made
fast on the stern corners of the raft,
and wove around the drums of the
Clinton Niger placed aft of the
boats center or amidships. Run
ming the niger pulls in one guy
line and pays out the other, chang
ing the direction of the boat accord
ingly.
capt. S. B. Hanks, now living in
Albany. ILL.,. at the age of SO years.
gets the credit for having been the
first recognized raft pilot. He saw
the business grow from single trip
to a great industry in which 80
steamers were engaged regularly all
season long, whose crews numbert
all told 1,S00 men, with a monthly
pay roll of over $50. 900.
Rafting of the Logs.
''Black river logs are RATED at
North La Sale at the mouth of the
stream; Chippewa logs are driven
out into the Mississippi at Reads
landing, then ~ miles down in.o
Newton slough, where they are held.
s irted, scaled and RATED by the Min.
nesota Boom company. which can
turn out when conditions are fayora.
BILE l0.s co. 900 to 10, OJO. 900 per day
st. Croix logs are RATED at Still
water. where the St. Croix river en-
ters St. Croix lake. Upper Missis.
sippi logs are driven loose over St
Anthony's falls and RATED between
Fort Smelling and st. Paul.
From these points the steamers
tow them to the saw mills at Winona.
La Crosse. Lansing, Gutenberg. Du-
buque, Bellevue, Lyons, Fulton.
Clinton. Moline. Davenport. Rock
Island. Musca,ine, Burlington, Fort
Madison. Keokuk. Quincy, Hannibal
and St. Louis; while RATED lumber is
some lines taken to Chester, 80 miles
L ~