The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-06-02
STEAMBOAT NAMES.
A Visitor 40 New York Docks Ca
plains why an Ola Missouri
Custom subsidized.

other day Tor the nrst time. lie -
retired business man. lie never saw
an ocean liner until his visit here. lie
was interested and asked many ques-
tions. The names of some Of the big
boats pleased him, says the New York
Sun.
II am glad TO see." he said, "that
there Is some sentiment in the BUSH
ness. ] am not dreamer, but some
times think the age is too commercial.
We even name our children for some
body who is expected TO do something
for the honor. 1t has come TO that In
my state as well as in other states.
We have n few steamboats, now on the
Missouri river, but those few are named
for individuals who presented n bell,
or a piano, or flag. or something In
consideration of his name having been
painted on the warehouses OF the
boat. But IL was not always so. There
was n 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 TO me as an ocean grey
hound.
zone Of the first steamboats, ever
saw on the Missouri was named High
land Mary. That was As years ago.
But l know the owner called his boat
that just because the name struck his
fancy. | don't suppose he ever heard
of Bobby Burns. Polar Star was the
name Of n favorite packet and her
owner and captain was farmer named
Tom Briefly. He had q farm In Blu
channn county, 20 miles back from the
river, and he lived there in winter
lie ran the Polar Star until she got
too old 20 be safe and then he built
another and finer boat and called 1t
the Morning Star. But somehow that
one was not as successful MS the Polar
Star, and IL nearly broke Brierly's
heart and he quit the river and retired
to his farm.
"Onc of the fastest boats on the
river was the Minnehaha. She took
the horns for making the quickest time
between St. Louis and ST Joe. IL was
some time, though, before the people
Of the river towns knew how TO pro-
nounce Der name. OF course after the
popularity Of this boat somebody built
the IIiawatha, but she was not the
favorite the Minnehaha was, and was
soon transferred to the Mississippi
trade. The Peerless was what her
name Indicated and she beat the Min
nehaha's time and took the horns. We
had the Twilight, Cataract, War Eagle,
Reindeer, White Cloud and Silver
Heels,
FINALLY n company of st. Louis men
built the James III. Lucas. The man
for whom that boat was named was a
millionaire in ST. Louis, and as the
Lucas was the fastest boat of her time,
Mr.. Lucas presented her with piano
| and lot of silverware. That was the
beginning OF the breaking up Of senti-
ment i'm steamboat nomenclature on
the Missouri. Moneyed menin the river
towns invested in steamboat building,
and the richest man in the town was
usually selected 20 bestow his name
on the boat, and | never knew one re.
fused. Then they got TO naming some
OF the boats for n town, and the citizens
in that case bought the presents, and
they would patronize no other boat
il they could help ii.
"Once in awhile some sentimental
incident would govern the naming OF
the craft. As for example,: There
was n young woman in Glasgow who
was a universal favorite, and her hand
was sought by many. a new boat was
building which was TO he captained
by a young man who was infatuated
with the young woman. lie won her
and that was why the boat was named
Kate Howard.
"There was another instance wher,
sentiment named popular boat. TIL,
captain OF an old steamer was taker
sick in one of the towns and was nurseC
by n widow who had daughter. The
captain recovered and built new boat
He was married man; but he named
his boat Martha Jewett, for the wild
ows daughter, and because she uset
10 bring him flowers when he was
sick. That sort Of sentiment didn't
bring in any piano, but il made the
boat mighty popular"
weather signals from shcwbird.
The Shewbird mountain, four miles
south OF town, is TO us the stranges
thing I'm this whole mountain coun
try, says the Haynesville IN CO. Cour
Ter. The mountain is full of large
rough cliffs, and by its peculiar shnp'
and position serves as a weather sig
nal TO the people for miles around, be
cause, ms the general saying is, "whei
old Shcwbird begins TO roar you ma.
prepare for rough weather" II gener
ally commences about dark and con
tinues 60 roar until rain or snow Gomez
which may be five hours, or IL may b
ten. At dark the air may be perfect.
still and not cloud in sight, yet tn
mountain may begin TO roar and yo'
may know that by the next morning
the bad weather will be on hand
Though the mountain is four mile
away the roaring sounds like tina