Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-18
CAPT. c. H. MORSE
Celebrates the I'D Anniver-
sary of His Birth.
One of the Oldest Steamboat Men on
the Kennebec River.
Started When Young and Followed
Started When Young and Followed
River for Years.

Bath, Me-, June 17.-(SpeciaD.-
Today marked the 73d anniversary of
the birth of Capt. Charles H. Morse
of this city, whose name has been
prominently identified with the towboat
industry on the Kennebec river since
inception, and while he has retired
from an active business career he still
retains the same interest in steamboat
ing that he did when it was in it's
infancy.
Capt. Morse was born in Somerville,
Mass, June IL, 1880, his two brothers
being Benjamin w. Morse and James
T. Morse. His father, Capt. Wyman
Morse, moved to this city nearly three
quarters of Il century ago and became
captain of the Sagadahoc, the first
steam ferry which piled between this
city and Woolwich. This marked the
beginning of the connection between
the name of Morse and steamboating, a
connection which has steadily grown
until now one scarcely mentions the
name of one without thinking of the
ether. Especially has this become true
since the combination of all the coast
steamers plying between New York and
Boston to the Maine coast has been
made by Charles w. Morse of New
York City, who was once known as the
ice King"
The year 1887 marks about the period
when Henry Tallman purchased the
wheeled steamer Jefferson, which
he intended to use as Il towboat, and
although she was practically the
pioneer and people commonly predicted
4 failure for her owner, as heretofore
vessels had been in the habit of sailing
up the river, Mr.. Tallman persevered
and about 1899 built the Seguin to en-
ter the passenger and freight business
between Kennebec river ports and
Portland. He had promised to make
Capt. Wyman Morse commander of this
craft, but he died before her compile
ton.
About the same time the tugs Pop
ham and Union were brought here and
benjamin w. Morse, father of the ice
King" was engaged as. captain of the
Popham, while his brother, James T..
Morse, became engineer, and both of
these boats did q profitable business.
Others began to notice this and the
late T. ]. Southland of Richmond, who
built over 100 vessels in his yards,
bought the tug Resolute and placed
Can't Charles II. Morse in command.
This was where the Morse family
began to show its shrewdness. Benja-
min w. Morse and James Il. Morse
did not like the idea of their brother
Charles running on an opposition line.
and so plans We're made for buying the
three boats and the brothers pooled
their money and did so, and from this
beginning they secured control of the
toWbOat interests on this river which
they have since maintained either by
themselves or members of their fam
| lilies, and which pressure of opposing
ca pitalistS have been unable to shake.
The business grew so rapidly that
another boat was needed and SO one
was built in Philadelphia called the
Knickerbocker and which Capt. Charles
H. Morse commanded for % years.
When the ice business began to as
sumo anything like a profitable enter
prise the Morses took hold of it. 1t
did not take them long to find out that
| by cutting their own ice and running
their own tugs they were doing very
very we'll, but could do better by own
| ing their own vessels, so they at once
| set about building and buying a large
| feet of vessels. In this manner they
| kept expenses down and crowded out
opposition.
Capt. Charles II. Morse is credited
with being zone of the Oldest steam
| boat men in the State" and many in
teresting circumstances have been
crowded into his long and active
career. He relates that while return
| ing from Il trip to Europe on the ship
Mont Blanc, that the vessel crossed at
| 4 point three degrees north of the lower
| end of Greenland, which it was neces-
sary to do on account of the Confcder-
ate vessels which We're guarding the
| coast during the Civil war. He COM
| manded the dispatch boat WaWenoC for
| three years on the Potomac river dur
| ing the war, and remembers the time
| when one man made q profit of $13 4
| tone on cargo of ice shipped from
| the Kennebec river.
Capt. Morse enjoys very good health
and takes great pleasure in cruising
about the river in his power launch
| Gladys, twin-screw double-ended
launch with a good record behind her.