The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-07
THE BROAD RIPPLE NAVY
HELPING TO MAKE A SUMNER RE-
SORT NORTH OF THE CITY.
4 Nine-MiIe Ride on the River by
Steamboat, with Dancing Aboard
The Fishing This Season.

Within the last week or two indianapolis
people have begun to better appreciate the
possibilities of Broad Ripple as a summer
resort. and the drift of travel that way,
both by electric car and bicycle path, has
heavily increased. The quiet little village
has become a port of no small Importance,
since two steamboats, and a launch ply reg
ulariy between that place and the old dam,
four-and-a-half miles up the pretty stretch
OF river. The fad of taking chicken suppers
at the two w~ell-known places at the viii
lage has prevailed among society folks dur
ing the entire summer. and it is a rare
evening when a tally-ho is not in front of
the door of one of these houses or a row
of bicycles stalled in a rack near by. AS a
complement to a chicken supper, a steam
boat ride has jumped into popularity and
the ambitious little ten-horse-power craft.
with ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS whistles, fret the
sun waters of the river frsm noon till late
at night. On moonlight nights the dark
shadows of the trees along the river banks
throw a deep mystery over the scene, and
when only the stars are overhead, a ride
up the river is not without it's charm at
this season, for the trees are festive with
the countless incandesoents which fire flies
furnish.
1t was only this year that the river
became alive with craft of varied descrip-
ton. The advent of one steamboat, brought
overland from Warsaw, was followed by
the coming of another, a steam launch
making up the trio of pretentious beats
that bid for public patronage. The Sun
shine, a stern-wheeler that leaves a RULED
wake in the Vyot0r alpaoct nD11al 70 4ho4 90
an Ohio river boat, is the largest Of these
and boasts of a floor space sufficient for a
dancing party. Professor Eyless, who Is
not a blind pianist, as his name might sug-
gest, presides at the keys which set the
fantastic toe in motion. while Captain Ed
ington, an old Cincinnati and Portsmouth
pilot. whirls the wheel that keeps the Sum
shine in the middle of the channel AL
though White river is not classified as a
haVlSaDIe stream by the government and
no Incense is required of the steamboat
men, captain Edlngton has the papers that
gave him a right of way on the Ohio. j.
McLeland is the master of the boat. The
Sunshine. only draws twelve to fourteen
inches or water, being constructed on the
fiat bottom plan. The Stella, the other
steamer, draws from fourteen TO sixteen
inches, while the launch. the Millie D..
would touch her keel in three feet of water.
AS the channel from Broad Ripple to the old
dam, four miles and a half up stream, is a
SONd OliO, yliS ITOIu Twelve 10 fourteen
feet in depth, there is no danger of these
boats lying upon a salldbar or athwart a
log. The steamboat tripper up the river will
pass the island, celebrated in local history
OF the past as a place OF the bandits, and
or queer dolnSS later on, but now reclaimed
TO responsibility and honored by a frame
clubhouse. AT Haversticks, at Dawson's, at
Boardman'S and on the place of DR.. Bates,
the health officer of Broad Ripple, are
camping parties, whose fires send a glare
over the river after nightfall, and add to
the picturesqueneSs of the journey.
UP TO THE OLD DAM.
The old dam is the farther destination of
the boats at night, as none of the pilots
would risk taking his charge past this
place unless broad daylight were on the
river. To keep the channel, which has
opened through by the breaking down of
this bastion of logs, requires an alert and
ling of a boat, for there is but a narrow
leeway through the winding passage. In
the daytime the boats can go almost to
the red bridge where the road that runs
west from Allisonville crosses the river.
The old dam was constructed forty or fifty
years ago and was designed to furnish
water power for a grlst mill, of which
there is not now even a vestige in sight.
The logs nave well withstood the decay Of
water and time. Most of them are eight
or ten inches below the surface, with the
broadside at only a partial angle against
the current.
government regulations 90 not apply 10
White river; neither are there any of the
little lights which mark the course of
navigable streams. The pilot gets his bear
ingS from the sky. line of the trees, al
ways visible even on the darkest night.
The governments code of whistle signals
required on all rivers, and the lights on
and the green on the starboard, are OBJ
served at Broad Ripple. All boats land at
the park. The fare for a round trip is
% cents. The boats are chartered by
parties for a night at prices ranging from
$15 to S25.
Bathing has become popular at Broad
Ripple Park. The house there is clean and
well kept. For those who are not good
swimmers a small pool offers itself, but
bottom at the bath-house place takes a
sharp descent and the winner steps off
the platform into ten feet of water,
In days gone by Broad Ripple was a
favorite spot of the fisherman. 1t has de-
generated in this respect. The bass do not
swarm there as IN years past, although
Many carp and catfish are being hooked
in all parts of the back water from the
Ripple dam. These carp are plentiful and
grow to an unusual size. They were put
into the stream several years ago by the
government and have thriVed. There is a
prejudice against carp among connoisseurs
in fish eating and this prejudice in some
quarters has nearly reached the disgust
oecasioned by the mention of a dish of fried
suckers" Dad" Kelso, the veteran at
the bo~athouse, insists that this is unfair
to the carp. He finds the carp good eat
ing, provided proper treatment is given in
the preparation Of the fish for the frying
pan. He skins the carp, takes out the
backbone and fins and then cuts off the
black streak which lies next to the skin.
What remains is as fine as any bass. in
his estimation. and others who have taken
his advice find that he knows whereof he
was caught in the river and an eighteen
pound fish or this species is not infrequent-
iy taken out. The general average is from
five to seven pounds. Dough balls are
used for bait. A small fish, known as the
blue gill;" is caught near the park. The
the island.
One of the owners of ground abutting
the river above the Ripple intends to clear
off the water front and build a number
Of summer cottages next season.