Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-04-14
MISSOURI RIVER STEAMBOATS,.
Their Grandeur in Days Before Rail-
roads Reached the West.

roads Reached the West.
The days of the palatial Missouri
river steamboats, are past, and the
boy who used to run to the levee at
the sound of their whistles has grown
into manhood. There would be moth
ing short of a sensation should one
of the big 250-footers come up stream
some fine morning and make fast, as
so many Of it's companions did, from
1850 to 1885. To visit it's broad
promenades and elegant saloons would
be a new experience for most of Kan
sas City's population, for the people
who rode in the boats in the long ago
are very few now. Their memories are
better, however, than those of the
present generation. They can still
call the names of the boats, their cap
tains and pilots, the number of pas
sengers and crew, the amount Of!
freight carried and many items of like
character.
What the Missouri river commerce
was in it's palmy days is difficult to
imagine, if one has only the small ex-
cursion boats and steam launches to
go by. Life on the Mississippi, So
ably portrayed by Mark Twain, was
not far different from life on the Mis-
souri, While many passenger was
carried across the Atlantic in sail
ing vessel-60 days from Liverpool to
Buenos Ayres-the Missouri river was
the home of floating palaces, equipped
with a magnificence which the ocean
liner did not acquire until years after.
ward The luxury of the south was
pressed into service to make each trip
one long holiday Bands, balls,
banquets served to make the time pass
quickly and pleasantly. Besides, there
was the constantly changing scene on
the boat and ashore. The busy act
ivity of the roustabouts carrying wood
and freight on board; the panorama
of forests; the occasional chance OF
an attack from bushwhackers, or,
farther north, from Indians; all this
and the sensation that the traveller
was penetrating new country, served
to make the trip most interesting.
Few of the men now living recall
the events of those days. Only the
survivors of trip after trip on the
treacherous river recollect the many
exciting or amusing happenings which
formed part Of the daily routine.
One of these men is Col. Hunter Ben
jenkins of st. Loiiis-Call me colonel,
not captain" he pleads, for captain
is so common"-who was in Kansas
City few days ago. The colonel will
be 81 years old on the day when
George Washington would have been
10. 1t may be that he attributes his
excellent health to February %, for
he does not appear older than 55.
Short, stocky, he has that air of stabii-
ity which created confidence in the
passengers under his care. Not bald
spot on his head. A short, thick
growth of iron gray hair appears when
he lays aside the almost ever-present
cap. Rugged and weather beaten
features speak of a life out of doors.
Thinking of the Old days of the river,
it's possibilities in the future, he tells
his story in the quaint terms of the
steamer man to whom boat has be
come necessity in life. 1t he must
die some time he wants the end to
come in the sight of the river. with a
craft plying to and fro, the huge
walking beams silhoueting their regu-
lar motion against the sky, bells ring
ing and whistles blowing. Such after
all. is the only way for an old steam
boat man to leave port for the last
time.
have been engaged in the steam
boat business either on the river or
ashore for AZ years next June" said
the colonel the other day. my expert
ence began on the steamer Gossamer
plying between ST. Louis and Illinois
river points. That was in 1855. I'm
on shore most of the time now, but
[ still enjoy getting on boat occasion
ally that will go 80 miles an hour
downstream and % upstream. | don't
suppose that interests you as much as
my recollections of the old days be-
fore the railroads cut the steamboat
traffic to pieces. In those days
back in the SOS, I mean-there We're
from IA to 16 boats leaving st. Louis
in the Missouri river trade The
railroads were not running farther
west then and we had no competition
The boats would leave st. Louis full of
passengers, immigrants and freight.
Cattle were carried, too, at high rates,
and the industry was very lucrative.
To cite one instance, the steamer N.
S. Mepham, which ran from st. Louis
to st. Joseph, cleared on one trip
$14 ,000 The N. J. Lewis, built in later
years, on a trip from st. Louis to
Fort Benton cleared $35 900 in 80 days
from port to port. Other similar
cases might be mentioned.
''The steamboats, of the sos we're
most elegantly equipped, ably manned,
and were perfect floating palaces In
those days freights upstream from ST.
Louis to st. Joseph were rs cents per
100 To Jarbee Landing, or Kansas
Ni+v on opntc +O INTERIM adiat0 nOintS