Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-05-14
The Romance of the Old River
BY Samuel r. Van sant, Governor Of Minnesoea.

the Saturday Evening Post, of Philadel-
phia. 1t is not only very interesting, but
is of special value because of the fact that
Gov. Van SAINT, who wrote 1t, is an old
river captain and steamboat owner. The
Saturday Evening Post has been devoting
considerable space to western subjects by
western writers.
COON a splendid exposition, costing
- millions of dollars, will celebrate
the centennial of the Louisiana
purchase, and a grateful nation will
recall the beneficent craftsmanship
which added a magnificent empire to
the union But the full import Of this,
the wisest act of Thomas Jeffersons
public life, will lose it's due emphasis
to the present genera ton, and to those
yet to come, if we fail to realize that
this master stroke of his political
genius was not so much in the mere
acquisition of vast territory thus
peacefully annexed as in the fact that
it gave to this nation both shores of
the greatest waterway of the west
ern continent.
What would have been the effect on
the history of this nation had the
western shore of the Father of Wa
ters remained in the hands of an old
world power: Imagination pauses at
the question, and the liveliest specula-
ton can scarce hope to supply this
forestalled page of history. That a
constant menace to the peace Of the
republic was wiped out by the state
craft of this far-seeing patriot is GER
tain; that wars and rumors of wars
were eNpunged from the records of our
national experience is highly probable.
But this larger phase of the lesson
of the coming centennial may be mere
ly suggested, rather than amplifed,
for the purpose of paying tribute to
the character-one might almost say
to the PERSONAL---VERY. the most indi-
sidual of American waterways.
No stream in the world is richer in
associations, in picturesqueness, in all
that is dear, familiar and beloved to
those who have been as it's children,
than the mighty Mississippi; and as
one of those who have followed it
faithfully for almost half century,
l count myself happy to be assigned
the task of recalling something of the
''old river days"
1t is impossible to review the life
of the river, when it's traffic was at
the height of it's prosperity, without
touch of sentiment; and as one who
came of nation and long family
line OF boat-builders and navigators,
who was born on the shore of the Mis-
slssippi, and, in the language of it's
people, was marked for the river,"I
cannot pretend to speak of this ajes-
tic stream and the stirring and pictur-
esque life which it supported without
an attachment which is one of the
strongest sentiments of my being.
And l am sure that thousands who
have been and are now associated with
its shifting fortunes have not ESCAPED
a similar feeling. Especially must this
be strong in all whose childhood asso-
Citations are linked with the ever
changing drama of adventure, COM
merce. war, prosperity and misfortune
which has ebbed and flowed in cease
less and ever-shifting variety in the
process of it's industrial evolution.
Never can forget the impressions
OF my first trip on the mighty bosom
of the mississippi; how the famous
Dan Wright, an ideal pilot of the old
days, called me into the wheelhouse of
the James Lyon. allowed me to grasp
the smooth handles of the wheel, and
to pull the cords that released the
melodious below of the great whistle
and sounded the chimes of the signal
bells. Only the man who has had a
kindred experience can understand
what is implied by the term "life on
the river" On this same initial trip
L was introduced to another and
rougher phase of boating on the Mis-
sissippi-one which will be recalled by
all who took passage in the days be-
fore the railroads had diminished the
volume of it's traffic. Suddenly, as l
hung about my hero of the pilot-house,
shout went up, and the burly mate
struck out with his fists and felled a
common hand to the deck. Instantly
there was a CLEAN of knives, flourish
of clubs and the deck was dashed with
blood. But, as was usually the case,
the big mate came off victorious and
the mutinous hands were put ashore
at the first woodward at which the boat
stopped for fuel.
What the Mississippi has done for
the development of the northwest is
Pointedly suggested by another recor-
lection of that trip in 1857. The car
go OF the James Lyon was shelled corn
IN sacks, not for seeding, but for con-
sumption by the pioneer settlers.
Then there was scarcely an acre of
corn grown in the territory which is
now the state of Minnesota. Shortly
before, Gov. Ramsey had had the hardi-
hood to contend that the climate of
his commonwealth was not too Sc
we're for the successful cultivation of
corn; later, boats brought cargoes for
seeding; and to-day Minnesota is the
, greatest Observation-Disclosures state' of
the union, for it is sometimes said that
we raise the wheat to feed the world,
and when made into bread we can fur
nish the best butter, and enough to
spread it all. Last year we produced
31,5OO,O00 bushels of corn alone.
Still another incident on the first
trip of the first boat that we con-
structed for the rafting business, the
/. J. W. Van SAINT. Mr.. Frederic Weyer-
haeuser was apa ssenger. The raft was
for his mill, and he was anxious to see
the new departure tried. The success
was complete. At THAT time Mr.. Weyer-
haeuser was young man. Since then
his industrial genius has developed the
great lumber interest of the north