The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-09
Lew Harper of the Southern Hotel
Recalls the DAYS of Fa-
nous Steamboats,.
FEDERAL GENERALS INTEREST.
Union Soldier Said to Have Named
Celebrated Boat After the
Great Confederate
Commander.

Lew Harper. the veteran clerk Of tn
Southern Hotel. relates. from his stock o
steamboatins times yarns. the story tina
the Mississippi River steamer Robert E
Lee. which was victor in the famous rae,
with the Natchez. from New Orleans TO ST
Louis, was named and built with money
furnished by Benjamin r Butler, I'll,
Massachusetts lawyer. politician ant
soldier
Before entering the hotel business Harpe,
was q steamboat clerk During the years
he spent in the forward cabin he irnbibed
many Of the traditions and stories OF the
river fraternity. and the story Of Ben But.
ler's connection with, the Robert E Lee is
one OF the anecdotes which he claims to be
absolutely authentic.
When the steamer was built. Harper was
en5et IL years old. He says he remembers
b craft well. and believes it was the
most beautiful and popular steamboat
which ever ran or ever will run on the
waters Of the Mississippi River.
The way Ben Butler became interested in
steamboattne on the Mississippi River was
peculiar. and demonstrated his far-seeinG
Yankee business sagacity. He was Military
Governor Of New Orleans during the latter
part Of the Civil War. Conflicts on the
mississippi River from St Louis TO the Gulf
had resulted in the destruction OF nearly
an the boats available TO commerce
Butler knew that imrnediatsiy upon me
pettiemept of the troubles between the
North and the South there would be a Doom
in western business. and that the river
would be the principal means OF Lransp9l,
, began 10 interest his friends in project
TO build steamboats TO run on the Missis-
THEN BUILD BOATS
DURING Buffers administration in New Or
In the railroads. crippled as they were
~ "a fierce campaigns OF the Civil War,
M inadequate TO handle the traffic in and
~ a the Crescent City. Butler suggested
q u the freight be sent North by river. To
leans replied that 1t was impossible to ship
freight on the river without boats.
'-rhen build boats" said Butler
Az 4 result of Buffers Efforts the Robert
"A Lee was built on the ways at New AL
6any Ind. and was completed and ready
for commission in 1861. When II came TO
With Butler were for naming IT after him
AZ an acknowledgment of the important
part he had taken In building It.
To this Butler would not listen FOR min
ute He declared that the steamboat was
built for business and he would not allow
sentiment to take any part in its naming.
time was General Lee. therefore Butler de-
cided that the boat should be called the
Robert e. Lee, and his decision was carried
out.
He declared that q steamboat In the South
en- trade with the name of Ben Butte.
1o40 At once become unpopular, no matter
1Rh4 the worth OF merit of the craft might
II On the other hand. the name Robert z.
L. souic make 6 psskss pSpHlsr he min
Buffers wisdom in this matter was fully
borne out in the career Of his steamboat
Ihe cost OF the Robert z. Lee was about
S56o.ooe As money values were at that time,
however. that sum represented considerably
morO than IL would to-day. The boilers were
constructed to burn coal. and IN every de-
tail the craft was the highest example of the
art OF misunderstanding Of that period
Shortly after being launched the Robert
e Leo was put into the Hicksburg-New Or
leans trade. Its greatest rival vas the
Netchex, and II was to settle the supremacy
between the two boats that the race from,
New Orleans TO ST. Louis was arranged
About $so.o0 was spent by the owners OF
each steamer in preparing for the contest
The Robert E. Lee reached ST. Louis on
s1ly lS7o having covered the distance l.
zD miles In three days.. eighteen hours ana
fourteen minutes This set record which
has never been beaten. The Natche= ,..afIa
! ne trip in three days, twenty-one hours and
fourteen minutes.