The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-08-22
70 REBUILD HARD CASH.
Famous. Old Boat win be Overhauied
At Pittsbure--Story Of Her
reh Career.

OF many old.time river men, the days
when the steamboat held sway. says
writer to the Memphis Commercial
Appeal.
A short telegram from pittsburg a
few days ago awakened the minds
and stirred the hearts of hundreds OF
people of Memphis and to the ex-
IRENE head Of navigation on the
White and Red rivers OF Arkansas
This telegram stated that the Hard
Cash, one of the oldest down-river
boats, the sole survivor of the Alaba-
ma River Combination, was at Pitts
burg, and that she would be overhaul
ed and put in strictly first-class con-
dition again. The message urther
said that the boat had been remodel
ed several times. and was about thir-
~ years old, and that she had former
~ been in the cotton trade in South
ern waters.
When the Hard Cash was first
built, history was made in decades,
quarter centuries or more, instead OF
in a day, as at present, When She
made her maiden trip up White river
in charge of Captain e. G. Postal.
Isher whistle aroused the planters and
their number of negroes. AS nothing
had done before or since The boat,
| her captain, who was a half owner
and manager, and every man aboard
! her were loved. The name was syn
onym for hospitality, that lavish
kind that made the old days of steam.
boating on the Southern waters a.
! nous.
| The work of the Hard Cash, dur
| ing the early days of Memphis brings
to mind incidents, now almost forgot
| ten.
The work OF the boat that will live
as long as memory lasts was done
during the summer of 1878 and 1879.
During the former year she made
three trips from st Louis to Arkansas
City. carrying provisions AT that
time she was the only boat whose of
ficers and crew volunteered to do a
heroic work.
One one the FIVE trips the Hard
Cash made during the summer of
1879 she went down about fifty miles
below ST. Louis. She was laden with
-four for Memphis and other places
below that that were in need of pro
visions. Every available man was al
once put TO work raising boat, and
in thirty.six hours she was afioat. The
time is the most remarkable on re-
cord She ran on her own power to q
point where proper repairs could be
made, and in eight days was again in
service.
The work of Capt. Postal and the
men who so nobly stood by him In
those days was but sample of what
was shown to be in later years. There
is yet to be recorded an instance
where any of them turned deaf ear
to the appeal any man, white or
black, during that time, beore or AZ
terward.
The decadence of the river bust
ness, which followed the building OF
railroads began to tell, and while a
worthy successor to the Hard Casn
entered the White river trade, there
was not that deep, abiding affection
felt for the boat that brought food
during the epidemic.
The Hard Cash was stern wheel
boat, 24S tons, net; 10 feet long; 35-
foot beam; 5-foot hold; and she car
ried crew OF 40 people. She was
built in 1876, being completed and
given a trial trip about Sept. 20. OF
that year. On October |, following.
she made her initial trip up White
river. leaving Memphis with flags n.y.
ing and cheers of hundreds on the riv-
er front.
The boat was owned by Capt.
James Rees and Capt. Ed c. Postal
Capt. Postal was managing owner.
for part of the life of the boat Capt.
J. Nixon and Green Snow and Jack
Porter were her pilots. Messrs. Short
and Taylor were. for time. her en-
glneers. Charles Postal was in charge
of the office and J. c. Postal was sec.
ond clerk. Capt Rice was first mate.
All of these men succeeded themselves
on the Chicasaw. which boat took the
place OF the Hard Cash.
During the seven years OF life In
the White river trade the boat made
upward OF 300 trips up White river
to Newport. Ark Each OF these
trips averaged more than 1000 miles.
The boat had a record OF fifty-three
consecutive trips between these
points. without interruption Another
record. and one that is still held by
the Hard Cash is that she brougn,
in more large trips OF cotton than
any boat that ever ran to this pore.
before or since.
On one trip she had aboard 1,215
bales of cotton For this the boat
was given a handsomely scrolled blue
ribbon. which hung for long time
in her forward cabin. The date, num-
Der OF bales and other details o her
big trip we're painted in gold on the
blue ribbon. Her coming had been
heraIded. and she was welcomed by
the blowing OF whistles Of the num-
Der of craft in port. The newspapers
printed stories about the trip. and