The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-02-15
Missouri race than II his Story il of

"a
burst of speed in some other river.
True enough, there was never a Lee
Natchez race in the Big Muddy, but
so many shorter, though equally thrill
ing, contests were fought out on that
stream that they are past the counting.
The race which sticks in the minds
Of the old-timers is the trip from St.
Louis to St. Joseph, about 500 miles
as the river runs, with the Polar Star
and the James II. Lucas as contestants.
The Polar Star had for a year held the
horns" as the fastest boat on the Mis-
souri. About six o'clock one evening
in 1857 Capt. Bryarly, commanding the
champion, observed that Capt. Andrew
WiHcnland, of the Lucas, was almost
ready to start. St. Joseph was the COM
mon destination.
See here, Capt. Andy" the Polar
Stars master cried, across the water,
I'll give you chance to win our
horns"
Winchland smiled and in careless
way called out: "AlI right" His
further answer was an order to cast
off lines. The two boats stood to the
north, nose to nose. Passengers who
observed the proceedings went to the
captain, begging him not to race.
Three hours later, with equal earnest
ness, they were entreating the COM
mander to "throw on some more wood"
All that night, all the next day, the
two boats struggled for the mastery.
Capt. Bryarly was surprised and
grieyed to note, in the morning, that
he had made no gain in the course Of
the night.
When the boats got to Jefferson City,
the Polar Star, by dint of the most eX-
traordinary eXertion on the fire deck,
had secured a slight advantage. Her
passengers were shouting out wagers
to the Lucas passengers, who seemed
20 make their bets with uncalledfor
confidence. Capt, Bryarly stormed
about, now on the main deck, now in
the wheelhouse, now on the hurricane
deck, and again to the pilots, swearing
and ordering until it seemed that the
Polar Star would never lose. Mean
while Capt. Andy Winchland-rest his
soul!-had left off storming With an
hour Of sleep he came on deck to find
that his boat was half dozen lengths
to the bad Without advertising the
fact of his whereabouts, he went TO the
fireroom. He looked it over for its
needs. The fuel, he found, was not quite
to his liking, but in the cargo there
were barrels of fat which, applied to
coal and wood, might make a differ
ence under his boilers. Presently,
therefore, the smokestacks of the Lucas
began to belch forth a new kind of
smoke. BY night, fire would have
shown at their tops. Then the space
between champion and challenger be-
gan to lessen.
Bryarly stormed at his men, but the
boat moved no faster. Inch by inch,
foot by foot, the other vessel crawled
up through the churning foam left by
the wonderful Polar Star. Just below
Rocheport a typical Missouri river
town, there is a formation akin to a
canyon. Steaming between its rock
bound UNCOVERED sides, the passcuge"
finds the sense of evening upon him.
The afternoon sun is out Of view, and
deep shadows at the shore line lend
solcmnity that is heightened by the
musical murmur of the turbid waters
in their narrowed confines.
1t was in this deep place, good for
stcaming, that the Lucas forged up to
the Polar Stars beam. The captain Of