Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-14
BETTER
Used as Roustabouts on Gray
Eagle Out of ST. Louis
With Success
NEGROES HAD FOR RAISE
Believed Blacks Will be Supplanted
Unless They Will Work
for Less.

According to reports from ST. Louis
there is trouble for the cOlored roust-
aoouts that do duty on the packets
THAT ply on the father of waters on
the upper and lower rivers. The
''roosters," as they are known in the
parlance of the river, have had their
day, SO TO speak, and now the man
ayers of the steamboat lines propose
to have their inning. In other words,
instead of having the roustabouts
strike, the packets have struck. This
is something of an innovation, and its
outcome will be awaited with interest
by all the towns along the river.
| As the plot has been unfOlded thus
far, it seems TO run in this wise: The
Eagle Packet company is one of the
leading river interests which make St.
Louis their headquarters. During the
week just closed il started the war
| fare on the cOlored rOustabouts by
turning all its negro employees adrift
and filling their places with white
men. The reason was plain. The ne
groes had been engaged by the mate
for one of the steamers on basis of
$45 month. and then shortly before
they were to serve they made a sud
den and peremptory demand for $75
month. This was startling and
eclipscd the most radical demand ever
made by any labor union. The COM
pany would not stand for it. The
cargo and passenger list would not
admit of the expense, and Capt. Henry
Leyhe went up town to look for an
other crew. At Il large agency he
found 40 Austrians who were glad to
ship at $45 Il month and their board
and the Gray Eagle got out with little
delay.
According to rivermen. this marks
the beginning of an innovation in
steamboating. Other packet lines will
follow the Eagle company's lead and
try out white crews.
The roustabout question has grown
to be very serious on the river as the
negroes have been supported and in
cited to demand excessive wages, it is
said by rivermen. by the lower class
of ST. Louis levee saloonkeepers.
Capt Henry w. Leyhe. passenger
agent of the Eagle Packet company.
says that they are very well pleased
with the work of the Austrians, who
are doing better work than the ne
groes lie says that % of the white
men viii do more work than double
the number Of blacks and with less
urging.
The wages, $40 month and board.
is better. Capt. Leyhe says. than la
borers ashore get. and the move of
the packet lines toward white labor
means the extinction of the negroes
on the river unless they get down to
a different working basis.
In Passenger Trade.
The old upper river rafter which
bears the romantic name of Mountain
Belle. Will no longer ply the waters
of the upper Mississippi behind long
strings of logs, as she has done in
past seasons. The rafter was pur-
chased recently by a La Crosse con-
Germ by the name of the Exposition
transportation company, and gets in
to the passenger trade on the upper
river as soCn as the ice is gone.
The Mountain Belle will scarcely be
recognized when she comes down the
river in the spring. \ new cabin has
been built on her decks. in which a
titioncd off The craft is adorned with
n coat of white paint, and she will
have in tow a large barge of the
same hue. The boat has an electric
light plant of her own. and will be
one of the finest little passenger boats
on the upper river. y crew of Il men
have been at work on the steamer
making the repairs and alterations.
Notes of River.
The Bart r. Linehan, which boat |
was formerly one of the upper Mis-
sissippi rafters, i now running on the |
Cumberland river. The Waterways |
Journal say she is now going down |
the river with 100000 feet of lumber |
for the Nashville market. This is the |
biggest tow ever taken down the Cum
berIand. Last year the Linehan made |
the record tow, 100000 feet for single |
trip.
The steamer Weyerhaeuser. belong
ing to the Weyerhaeuser q Denk-
mann company, will not be seen on
the upper river this coming season.
AZ * well known, the boat was re-
modelled last year. and converted in
to n handsome passenger steamer, and
win be in the st. Louis trade on the
lower river this season.
The little tow-boat Marie J. of the
port of Dubuque has been sold by !
Capt John Pickley TO the Anderson
Tuley company of Memphis. and viii
be taken south as soon as navigation
opens, to be seen no more in the To-
al waters.
Capt. c. W. Schricker has returned
from La Crosse. Wis. whittier he went
tn look after two boats. upon either
Of which he holds an option His pur-
pose was to secure one of them to be
in the passenger trade be-
tween this city and ST. Louis during
The worlds fair.