The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-08-28
Old Steamboat Days on the
Missouri
A Condition that has Passed into His


CAPTAIN CHITTENDEN he writes his history of Missouri
steamboat navigation closely identified with the
traffic OF the American Yellow River 1t is careful and
studous work. comprehensive full and accurate in detail
and fectousy written 1T not the bare narration of
events, writes the author in explanation that gives
history its true value but those intimate pictures of hu-
man lie IN other times that show what people really did
and the motives by which they were actuated"
1t was not until 1881 that steamboat ascended the
upper river The bulboats and dugouts of the Indians
had been followed by the macknaws keeboats and mprov
ed bulboats of traders and 1919 the steamer lnde
pendence had entered the fA2ers mouth. But in the
spring Of 1881 the Yellowstone started its first voy-
age for the upper river and made the beginnings of what
IN few years became one OF the most considerable in
dustres the United States The yellowstone" reached
Fort Tecumseh now Fort Pierre s. d. and in the follow
ing spring ascended to Fort Union the mouth Of
the Yellowstone River This voyage, adding ZOO miles
TO the internal navgable waters of the country attracted
great attentiC all the civilized world The number
steamboats, rapidly increased and further approaches
were made toward the head of navigation. In 1884 the
Asslnlbone reached point one hundred miles above
the mouth of the Yellowstone, and in 1858 the lei Paso
went l25 miles further In July, 1852 the Chippewa"
went within fifteen miles of Fort Benton Mont and n
the following year. with the "Key West attained the
Tort. Atho under exceptional circumstances vessels have
occasionally proceeded further this point has always been
considered the true head of navigation.
The golden age of the steamboat on the Missouri isl
placed at between 1855 and 1861 tho for the following
eight years the fourishing conditions in measured
tontlnaed Irac had % Increased greatly and the profits
and the ''W j. Lewis $4,000 in the trip of 1866 andl
Captain La Barge in the "Octava during the following
year equdleu Ine record Oh Cne Lewis but the rail-
roads began coming and the region became girdedl
with rails steamboat traffic declined. The Hannibal 81
St Joseph reached its Missouri terminus in 1852 the
Missouri Pacific entered Kansas City 1866 and Council
Bluffs was invaded by the Chicago & Northwestern in
1867 Road after road built, and when the Great
Northern entered Helena in 1887 the older method oil
traffic annihated. The last commercial boat that
arrived at Fort Benton left that port in 189O The
Missouri River Commission which for many years had in
cEarge the matter OF clearing and deepening the channel
and Strengthening the banks of the Missouri abolished
by Congress in June 1902 thus abandoning the river as
commercial highway. Its future value rests with the
probability OF using Its waters for irrigation.
The work is not alone history of Missouri navigation
consldeabespa given number of kindred subjects
The Indian question applied to that region is dealt
qnderstandingy and with justice The Sioux uprising OF
lS6264 given with detail part OF the general
Indian history of the region from the time QS5D of the
Laramie treaty to toe suppression Of the revolt of the
Northern tribes in 1877. There are are interesting
incidents attending the visits of noted travellers as
Prince Paximiian, Audobon and Lincolnto to the Missouri
region and sdeghs the personalities of some of the
great Indian fighters such Stanley and Custer
Altogether the work valuable addition to history of
the West.