The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-30
|iFRNAY CONVENTION
| , ,.,.1utIcns fsvorlue improvements
Y =. federal Government.
[,<o,,t PROTESTS WERE lSDoRstD
| .,kcd TO Call legislatures
fn =, Necessity for PAIN
rs' canal Constructions


Hss canal Construction.
Texas. December 2e.-The
sfsr ss.,rman wooten for its second
at 1920 this morning ana
ss's ,hs reading of paper by Cap
a~ caplen on Early Steamboat
jonn a. ,,nmense traffic by the water
ID early days .,o
!. allowing paper was rea , Deo Fri.
avs convention at GaiVes.oh
~ w. John II. Caplen; ~, :,
49,, steamboat that ever pileu IN
ms of Galveston bay and It's IT'D
ssyons and rivers was caiieu Tue
NTH; This was a small side wheel boat
hroueht out by Captain w. +.
W. issg This boat was built In
New York and before coming
S sa Captain Harris, who was
"a os well as captain, was en-
u IN. Mississippi river after
boat safely to Galveston. by
.sibg the coast S"P'"ih 81
4, rom tho Mexican government the
Il settle on league and labor Oh
mich he selected at Red Bum IN
!. county Texas. Captain harris
ram a noted family and Harrls
s. hsars and perpetuates the name
y Harris family. The large grant OF
hs,owed on Captain Harris he To-
7, Rcd Bluff. in Harris county. IL
Assutiful spot and overlooks Calves
" This grant was made to him in
Here he built his home beneath
,Aads of a rustic grove of oaks ana
overlooking the shores of the bay.
,oSay his only surviving heir and
! Glenn Nj. Harris, still resides WIN
hnily. i,
y vas A noted landmark for all steam
4, oIlots coming up the bay; being SIT
M an very high bluff, its waving
1, md mines could be seen for miles ny
! yheelman. 900
|rxeen the years of 1850 and 1880 more
!, eighty steamboats, piled in the waters
Galveston bay. carrying freight and
Ensugers to Houston up Buffalo bayou
I the Trinity river, bearing the fol-
En- names, towit: Neptune, Farmer.
\. shot. San Antonio, Nick Hill, Kate.
N NJ. Tennessee. Forest, Jack Hays,
En- Harris. Whitefield, Port Henry, a.
|suthyen, Lee. Diana, Bayou City, Sill
4 Cloud, ]. H. Whitelaw, Early Bird,
En-, Bell. Black Cloud, Bette Powell,
krty. Neptune No. Q, Justice, Cleona,
Eacwer. Mary Connally, Wren, Era No.
twelfth Era Nora, Trinity, Port Hen
Nolle Hamilton. Graham, Sellers,
AN A. Jones. Scott, Vicksburg, Island
n II. NJ, Bagby, Colonel STEELE, Belle
Texas, st. Clair, Rob Roy. Pointevant.
ua Beardstown, Hiawatha, Orleans.
h Blair. l.. @. C. Lamar, Mustang,
Irrnor pease, Caddo, Saint Nicholas.
dlan No. ., Matthews, Emory, Won Bus
Il, Lucy Bell. C. X. Hall, Billow, Buf-
d Eclipse, Job Boat No. 2, and the Liz.
lhe majority of these boats were side
selers and in addition to being great
Ight carriers were provided with am
cabin accommodations for passengers.
boats that piled in the trade between
aTeston and Houston had luXuriously
nlshed cabins and their table menu
i far superior to that of any hotel In
State. They employed the most COM
Int cooks and the steward who had
itgs Of the. culinary departments COM
nded large salary. The fare either
! was at first So. This was reduced
h on to $3.50. which included supper
lodging. 1t was quite treat to u
Weller going back to the old States from
as before the days of railroads to Sc
b passage on one Of the boats at Hous-
! and after partaking of a meal fit for
most fastidious epioure to sit on the
ssr deck aud cast his eyes over the
iming scenery bordering upon the
'ss Of the bay as the boat plowed its
through the blue waters of the bay
the negro deck hands would gather
ward near the bows of the boat and
! the old time plantation melodies. The
atlon amid such surroundings WAS
y weird and enchanting and once eX-
0enced never to be effaced from mem
'ey few of the old time captains are
e Today. All of the old timers re.
noer' Captains John O'Brien. j. II.
fett. J. Fl. Brakeman. Captain Webb.
Haln Wood, Pat Christian, Dave Con-
~ II. Peacock. l.. C. Herschberger.
7, Cooper, Captain Harrison, Captain
fM Captain John T. Carr, Captain
aales, Captain Pitt, Captain Forest,
pa'n James McGarvey and Captain Joe
strs.
aptain B. P. Cooper brought out the
'nooat Orleans in 1862 and made his
UP to Wild Cat on the Trinity river.
aplalns Cooper, Herschberger, Dave
aa John f. Carr, James McGaryey,
Hoadeker and Joe Rodgers are the only
awe that ! remember at the present
|, ana when some of them get together
recount their experiences of the gcol
early steamboat days it Is very inter-
y and any one familiar with the
i, i, 81 friendship existing among the
steamboat men could appreciate the
9uenl that the old fellows have when
meet TO talk over early days.
.'oo or 1854 the steamboat Farmer,
, NJ by Captain Webb, and the
, rsae commanded by Captain j. II.
". challenged each other for a race
oh and return. Both OF the hoat,
\ ~ iast. Iney made the start
! !. ue loot OF Twenty first street wharf.
\. number of our citizens WHO were
US OF the two boats and their cap-
!, we're On the wharf when the toats
! Melf start AS they cast loose their
4 ~acks clouds OF smoke gushed out
III smokestacks, almost enveloping
ns murky darkness. The negro
~ Were grouped together on the
|, = Tue Two boats and as their wheels
ny ehurn the blue waters OF the
4. ,se' raised their voices and BEGAN
~ une OF the old plantation melo / es.
4. was fascinating with the black
q ~ s'noke pouring out OF the smoke
s ana almost enve,oping them in It's
!, mrhhess, and the crowd on the
n, ssaen on the scene with breath ess
a.. uhiil The boats got fairly und sr
!, ~ az their paddle wheels began to
s niue waters OF the bay they
Nj. shont that drowned and silencei
NJ o. the negro deck hands.
N, boats passed west down the
Is,rx me engineers and firemen were
ksy every nerve to give them spepd