The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-05-19
COMMANDER OF SPOKANE AND
WELL KNOWN TO WALLA
WALLANS RELIEVED
Oldest Steamboat Captain in the
Northwestern Service With o.
r. & N. for 40 Years

10 nunUreUS Oh Wdlld Wdlld trdVcl-
ers celebrated his 10th birthday yes
terday by retiring from active steam
in the employ of the o. r. & N. AMI
it's predecessors for over 40 years, and
he retires from the service of the COM
pany under pay. Captain Baughman
is accepting the retirment with pay
under the provision of the age limit
which provides such retirement for all
employees of the age of seventy. A re-
tirment is provided with a pension af-
ter 20 years of service, but Captain
Baughman refused this offer, prefer
ring to remain in the service to the
age limit.
He has spent much of the time dur
ing the 40 years of his service in nav
igating the waters Of the upper Co
iumbia and Snake rivers. He has the
honor of receiving the first captains
license issued to the Pacific coast, be-
between The Dalles and Cascades. For
the past II years he has been steadily
on the ricer between Lewiston and
Riparia, and has been assigned to the
command of the steamers Spokane
and Lewiston. He will be succeeded
in the command of the Spokane by his
son. Captain Ralph Baughman, who
has been serving in the capacity of
pilot since the steamer Norma was
taken from the service several weeks
ago.
Pioneer Steamboat Man.
The following from Lewis & Dry
denis Marine History of the Pacific
northwest relates to Captain Baugh
mans connection with the early navi-
cation of the northwest rivers:
Captain E. w. Baughman was born
in Fulton county, ILL.,, in 1885, and
came to Oregon in 1850. He began his
steamboat career in 1851 on the steam
er Lot Whitcomb as fireman. In 1853
he went to the middle Columbia and
commenced running sailboats between
the Cascades and The Dalles. When
steamboats, were put on the river he
was employed in the dangerous under
taking of making the rapids portage.
He remained mere for three years, dur
L. Nov
unexpected trip over the Cascades,
and landed on a rock in the middle of
fled and rescued the passengers in
sailboat, the steamer afterwards float
ing off. In 1858 he went as pilot with
Captain Leonard White on the steam
err Colonel Wright, remaining on her
until 1861, when he took command of
the Okanogan. In 1862 he became cap
tain of the Tenino.
Interested With Ankeny
In the latter part of the summer of
1852 he left the employment of the
Oregon Steam Navigation company
and bought an interest in the steamer
Spray, built by Baker, Ankeny & Will
liam Gates. He was placed in charge
and she proved very profitable, earn
ing her cost three times in five months
In 1853 the Oregon Steam Navigation
company purchased the Spray and Mr..
Baughman left the upper Columbia
and joined the Peoples Transportation
company, running the E. D. Baker
from Portland to the Cascades. After
the consolidation of these two power
full companies was effected, Captain
Baughman returned to the Willamette
and ran on the Oregon City route for
five years. He subsequently sold his
stock in the company and with D. p.
Thompson and J. Winston built the
Success, craft whose name proved a
misnomer. Selling her to the Peoples
Transportation company in 1869, he
went to Puget sound, running various
boats there until 1871, after which he
ran for two years in command of
Wright's steamer, Victoria, on the
Frazer.
Returning to Oregon in 1873, ne en-
gagged with the Willamette Falls &
Lock company, and remained in
charge of their boats until he sold out
to the Oregon Steam Navigation COM
pany in 1876, this transfer returning
him to the service of the company at
ter being out of their employment &c
13 years. He was then sent to the up
per Columbia, first going to Inc
Dalles and afterward to Lewiston, and
has since remained continuously in
the employ of the Oregon Steam Navl-
CATION company or it's successors
Madam Johns face and scalp spe-
cialist of Denver, now at Palace. Work