The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-11-23
STEAMB0ATING ON THE BIG MUDDY,
Phil E. Chappell Tells Of Pamy Days for the missouri
River Palace"
Fortunes Made a Single Trip-River Now Grave Yard
for Former Great Carriers.

$3.50 per month; clerks from 1925 to
$3.50: mates from 800 to $3.50, and |
engineers about the same as mates. |
OF course these wages included board.
II was the pilot, however, who divided
profits with the owners and some
times received the larger half. Their
wages ran from $500 to 800 per trip
and often amounted to as much as
81 800 per month.
"The cause of these unusual wages
was a combination among the pilots
on the Missouri river called 1.-THE
Pilots Benevolent association" in
corporated by the legislature.
at is a remarkable fact, in this day
Of ttusts and combinations, that this
CdMbine was the first formed in the
west, and for compactneSS, rigid en-
forcement of its rules and complete
success as labor organization, ex-
ceeded any other ever formed in this
country. 1t was the only labor organ
ization that ever had a dead sure
cinch. No man could learn the river,
as it was called, or become pilot
without an apprenticeship with one
who knew it: hence the association
only permitted certain number of
young men to be taken as appren-
ticeS each year.
"Steamboating on the Missouri
river from 1880 to 1860, when 1t
began to decline, was an exceedingly
profitable business, and through 1t
many fortunes were acquired. The
rates of freight depended, of course
f6r the class and distance carried
The rate to Kansas City was fire
quently 81 90 for 100 pounds; for noun
tain trips to Fort Benton and othe
points the rates were often as high a
, 10 to 10 cents per pound, the rate on
sack of flour being SO. PasSenge
, rates were correspondingly high. |
was not unusual for a boat to clea
$40, 900 on a round from st. Louis
9 Kansas City-a trip requiring wee
or ten days, and boats making trips
= the mountains, requiring from go
I 90 days, frequently paid their cost
o their owners in one voyage. III
e steamer, w. j. Louis, E. Il. Hernd(
o master, made her first trip to Fo
# Benton in the spring of 1865 and
- her return her net profits had paid f
her cost, 100000
le "In 1866 the Waverly, side-whe
It boat. made her maiden trip to Fo
$. Benton and cleared $4,000 CAPITA
A. John KeiSer, who died in st. Louis
,e few days ago, was one of her owner
10 The steamer Cora, Captain Jose
=" Kinney of Boonville, during the wi
m ter of 1865, ran from Hermann
I'd Jefferson City in connection with t
a. Missouri Pacific railroad and clear
no 800, 900 in 60 days-it was twice i
II cost: she was a small boat.
a Probably the most profitable Il
was that made to the mountains
er 1866 by the Peter Balen. She wa'
H. large, stern-wheel boat, worth SO, OF
G. and cleared on this one trip $50, 600.
IL 81 have in my possession a list
30 more than 400 steamboats, that OF
tn ran on the Missouri river. 1t probal
i'm does not embrace one-half the nu
90 her, but is perhaps the most compl'
:" list that has ever been preserved.
on the list are the names of 293 boz
that were wrecked on the river, W
ed the names of the captains and owne
nd the dates when they were wreck
tn the place, the cause, and many otI
,in particulars.
nd "Of the 295, 1913 were sunk by &C
tly ing in contact with snags, % W
to lost by fire and the remainder by
he ploSionS, ice, rocks, bridges, StOl
a and other causes. More than TIN
ass fourths of the number were wrecI
.he between Kansas City and st. Lol
vas and most of the boats ran the lo'
the river. In fact, the bed of the ri
from st. Joseph to the mouth
vas marine graveyard, and there lie bu
it in the bends the wrecks of more t
$50 steamboats, covered with the
} to cumulated sands Of half century.