The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-15
SENTIMENT ~ sTEAMBOIT NAMES.
A Visitor to New York Docks Explains why
an Old Missouri Custom subsidized.

A Missourlan was IN New York the other day
for tho first time, lie is a retired business man.
He never saw an ocean liner until his visit here.
He was interested and asked many questions
The names of some Of the big boats pleased him
Il am glad 10 see" he said, that there IS some
sentiment in the business | am not a dreamer.
but | sometimes think the age is too CONNER
cial. We even name our children for somebody
who Is expected 10 do something for the honor.
II has come 10 that IN my State AS well as in other
States. We have few steamboats, low on tie
Missouri River, but those few are named for indi-
viduals who presented a bell, or u piano, or a
flag, or something In consideration Of lis name
having been painted on the warehouses Of the
boat But II was not always So. there was a
time when We named our boats from sentiment;
the same thing / see has governed the naming
Of some Of these big steamers - liners | believe
you call them. and one | saw was pointed out
10 me as An ocean greyhound
"One Of the first steamboats, | ever saw on the
Missouri was named Highland Mary That
was iorty-iive years ago But | know the owner
called his boat that Just because the name struck
his fancy. ! don I suppose las ever heard Of Bobby
Burns. Polar Star was the namo II a favurIte
packet and her owner and captain was a farmer
named Tom Briefly. lie had a farm in Blu
chanan county, twenty miles back from the river,
and he lived there in winter lie ran the Polar
Star until she got too old 10 lie sale and then lie
built another and a finer boat and called 1t tie
Morning Star. But somehow that one was hut
as successful as the Polar Star. and 1t nearly
broke BrierlyIs heart, and lie quit the rlN,r and
retired to his farm,
"One If the fastest boats on tie river was the
Minnehaha. She took tie horns iur making
the quickest time between st Louis and ST ,iur
il Was some time, though, lefurc tie Ie,l.e Il
the river towns knew how n pronounce her name.
OF course alter the popularity # hi, boat some
body built We hiawatha, but Size was not the
~tavori,e the Mlnnehahn WAS, and WAs soon trans
ierred h. the Mississippi Trade, Tie Peerless
was what her name Indicated and size beat tie
MinnehahA 5 time and took the horns We had
the Twilight, Cataract, War Eagle, REINDEER.
White Cloud and SILVER Heels.
Finally a. company II 81 Louis men built
the james II. Lucas. The man ft whom TINT
boat was named was n millionaire IN ST L'ulH,
and a. the Lucas was the fastest boat o.! her Imr.
Mr. Lucas presented her with q piano aud n lot
Of silver ware That was The beginning Il tie
breaking up Of sentiment m steamboat uumen.
clHture on the Missouri. MOncied men N tine
river towns invested In steamboat building, and
the richest man In the town was usually selected
10 bestow his name on the boat, and | never knew
one refused, Then they got g. naming spNr
Of the boats for a town, md tLc cld4nns IN that
case bought the presents, and they would patton.
lie No other boat # they could lrlnit
once in a while some >cUl'4putHl incident
would govern the naming OF tie .rllt \, for
example There was a Young woman W Glasgow
who was a universal faVorte, and her hgnd we,
sought by many. \ new bpat was building
winch was T. lie captllutd 10y u Young man WHO
was infatuated with tie young woman tie
won her aud that Vas why &c boat WAS naiIl"d
"rhcrc was another instance where srutmen
named a popular boat The captain oi an did
steamer was taken sick ~ one 81 tu" towns ard
was nursrd by u WId u.s. vino mad n daughter Ilr
captain recovered ard built a new hy0l lie
was a married man, hut he named hIe boat NHrlta
Jewet, Tor tine widow G%aughirr and l-,uu.r
she used Ia hr,ng rtm flowers when he Wa- slgh.
That sort Il sentiment dIdn : bring IA any l3uuu,
butt II made the boat mighty pupu'ar