The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

" " wv lANFNs " WY 'HNN ~
pleted this they destroyed the cargo and
sank the boat. We were compelled to sign
paroles and then released. Three days
later, after sorns wanderings and hardships.
we encountered the Union army and we're
sent back to st. Loui
In 1885 | took the first tow Of freight
that ever went from st. Louis to New Or
leans with the t6wboat Dictator. hut soon
after entered the passenger service again
and served on the Luther NJ. Rennett on
the lower Mississippi and on the Illinois
on the Illinois River, For the past twelve
years | ave been eng ged in plotting
showboats on the Mississippi. last year |
had charge Of three the Mary Stuart. which
towed the floating theatre New Era; the
Columbia, having in tow the Eisenhac oh.
Capt. William J. Massey il a Missourian,
engaged to-day In plotting one OF the few
remaining boats ON the Missouri River,
though he was born in Fra nklin county
In 1929 and entered life as a Missouri River
pilot in 1915, before Kansas City, st, Joseph
and Omaha were even dreamed Of az con-
crete facts. Though II years old he Is as
robust and hea rty as a man OF 30, and this
il no idle compliment at that. He is erect
and vigorous, ,his. eyesight strong and
wrinkles few or his face,
my mother conducted a large wood
yard and boat supply station on the Mis-
souri, in Franklin county and, OF course,
his involved plenty of hard work for me,
even az a lad, while at the same time II
brought me in close contact with steam
boating. | wanted to ship on many a boat
when opportunities were offele cd me, but
my mother was averse to my going into
the business, 40 that IL was not until we
began to lease our slaves to steamboat
captains as roustabouts during the winter
months when work was slack on the planta-
ton that the way was opened up, l was
sent along to collect the wages due the
niggers and also to see that they didn't
effect an escape, a common enough nm
in those days under those circumstances.
! was about Is at the time, and as many
Of the pilots on the boats were acquainted
with me it wasn't long before l was in the
pilot house learning the rudiments OF the
calling. Two years Of this taught me
enough, and as / was thoroughly familiar
with the lower Missouri and Usage rivers
captains of vessels often solicited my ser
vices as watch pilot for q single trip. for
boat we're many in those days and pilots
not 80 numerous. Often l would receive
the Daniel Hilman, in charge OF old Capt.
Stops, came limping. along one night IN
desperate need Of q pilot for the Usage, |
shipped, and have been in the business
permanently ever since,
Most Of my early work was on the Mis-
bOuIl, tuhlllk Oub bouNc Niio ~ N"S
American fur company to carry supplies
and bring back furs from their Va ious
stations. The up trip consumed from
sixty to ninety days, that down from ten
to thirty, 30 that 1t was rare for q boat to
make more than one trip in a season, but
the profits on furs were enormous and the
pay Of the boat crews substantial IN con-
sequence. Independence was the out.
post Of civilization on the river, and all
the cities now on the river beyond that
@~l.t Ia, Dir
Near what is now Kansas City there wal
q small station called Westport landing,
but the site Of the city proper was occupied
by q big indian encampment almost con-
tinually. while across the river hordes
of timber wolves howled an accompaniment
every night to the beating OF tomtoms IN
the Indian camp.
est. Joseph was represented by another
small station called Blaoksnake Landing.
while on the sites Of Omaha and many OF
the other hourishing cities now on the banks
OF tho Missouri there was nothing at all.
The big trading stations were Quintaro,
Kiokapoo and Sumner, and these were COM
posed OF large brick and stone buildings,
with handsome shops and residences, all
Of which gave those OF us who dreamed
cause to believe they would eventually crys-
tallize into prosperous towns, but despite
their seeming permanency the buildings
Of the posts nave Disappeared; not q trace
remains to tell Of their whoreabo uts n
corr fields occupy their sites.
Going up the Missouri in those days.
though we invariably had as many as 200
or 800 trappers and fur traders on board
we seldom carried much OF a supply OF
provisions, depending altogether upon the
country for subsistence, and the country,
never failed us. Buffalo were so plentiful
that practically every day we would en-
counter herds numbering thousands en-
gagged in swimming the river. On such
occasionsif we needed meat we would steam
up to the edge of the herd, grapple q likely
looking animal by the horns and, with the
aid Of a derrick, swing him up out OF the
Half a dozen could easily be captured in
this way within the space Of twenty or thirty
minutes, and this would give us sufficient
food for the BOAT for a week. When we
needed fuel we simply tied up at the bank,
sent ashore a party OF woodcuttefs and hau
all we wanted in about an hour or So. but
times nave changed since then and the
Missouri River rad isn't even q skeleton
OF what it was In those days, when as many
as SO boats we're engaged in serving 1t.
Il had charge OF the tanner State. which
carried the party Of surveyors who laid out
the city Of Omaha in 1873 and WAS in charge
Of the New Lucy when it was chartered for
a similar purpose with regard to Leaven-
worth, in 1883. At both sites non OF us
thought much Of the prospects OF the pro-
posed ventures, n joked and laughed,
surveyors and all, over the thing. At
Omaha l remember distinctly sitting with
the captain Of the boat and remarking that
Yes angwered the captain. doing more
harm than good We might have bought
ali that now constitutes Omaha for O couple
Of thousand dollars that day, but We didn't,
and at " I'm still running on the river as
Q consequence. ] guess I'd be<ht the old