The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-25
OLD DAYS ON BIG RIVER.
When the Steamboats, Used to sCha W
Lightwood and Race for Fair.

The individual who has recollection
of the palmy days of steamboating on
the western rivers based upon actual
experience has at least something that
Will remain with him until his soul
takes its flight across that last dark,
mythical river whence there is no re-
turn; and even then, if the spirit re-
tains sense of the delightful things en-
joyed in this world, among them will be
a remembrance of a trip taken on a
the early forties and the beginning of
the sixties.
The luxurious days of steamboating
on the Missouri river had their ineep-
ton in 1S48, when Captain Jewett-
Dandy Jewett, SO called from his ex-
quis.te style Of dressing and bis unex-
ceptIonable mannerS-brOught out the
Rowena, at that time possibly the most
perfect example of steamboat structure
upon the western waters; though as
early as 1910 the James Archer, the
John Ewing, the Robert Aul and nu-
merous other stanch and comfortable
steamers navigated the Missouri river,
and it was in 1874 that the Wapello. a
very powerful single-er sine, high pres
sure steamer, was utilized in reScuing
the citizens of old Franklin from the
food, traversing the streets In success
sion and taking the people from second
story widows and housetops Old Frank
lin, at the commencement of the period,
was the second city in the state in the
dence not a single house was left stand
ing, the site of the once beautiful city
remaining only as a barren, sandy
waste, in which condition it remains
today.
In 1845 the race between the Lewis F.
Linn, called after the senator of that
name from Missouri and the Algoma,
from ST. Louis to Glasgow, occurred,
and possibly nothing more exciting was
ever witnessed upon any of the western
rivers, or, for that matter, upon the
waters of the world. The Linn was a
long, slim greyhound-looking boat,
built for speed, and the fact that she
showed her heels to everything on the
river justified the efforts of her build
ers.
During the second season of the Linn
the Algoma, a boat of which it was
said, She is as graceful as beautiful
woman" was brought out for the pur-
pose of contesting the Glasgow trade
with the former and it was believed
that she could outspeed her; and, being
supplied with two engines, While the
Linn had only one, the belief was ac-
copied among all classes.
The result was a challenge from the
owners of the Algoma to the Linn,
which the owners of the latter were
not backward in accepting. The match
was arranged and the boats advertised
to leave st. Louis at given hour on
A. certain day, so that residents along
the river from start to finish, could
figure tolerably close to the hour at
which the boats would make their ap-
pearance: and to judge from the
crowds that lined the banks at Boon
vile when the boats passed that point,
the entire population on each side OF
the Missouri for miles back in the IN
terror. must have found its way to ell
gibIe view points on the river.
The boats rounded the bluffs below
Roonyille about II o'clock at night The
moon was obscured by heavy clouds
and almost pitchy darkness covered
the turbulent stream, lighted only by
the ftful flashes from their furnaces
and the lamps from their cabins and
lanterns hung upon their decks. Their
smokestacks appeared to be at dull
red heat. from the hurricane decks to
their very tOpmoSt tips, and the steam
came from their escape pipes with a
Kissing that indicated that every drop
of water in their boilers had been re-
duced to the highest pressure of steam,
while the figures OF the negro firemen,
as they danced around the furnace
doors. piIing cottonwood, pine knots,
lard. rosin, bacon sides and almost
every other kind of combustible into
the hollow depths of the flames, pre-
scented a picture that might have been,
without any stretch of imagination,
taken for a true presentation of the
devil and his inps stocking up the fires
of the Internal regions.
1t IS a terrible and fearful picture.
but one calculated TO INSPIRE the WIZ
est enthusiasm. Strange to say, not a
single exclamation was indulged in by
any individual among all the thousands
of people liring the banks, beyond the
words spoken by an old, gray haired
negro slave who said, as the boats came
in sight, Oar dey is!' and as they
came opposite the wharf Here dey
ann and as they rounded the point
above the. town. Oar dey go!'
They passed the center of the town
running nose and nose-apparently not
an inch of difference between them. It
seemed a race between living things
life itself being the stake.
Possibly it required ten minutes to
| pass the town, and during that time
not sound came from the crowds on