The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-16
UP The MISSOURI IN 1854
4 LIVELY 6.OOO MILE TRIP TO
FORT BENTON AND BACK.

FORT BENTON AND BACK.
The Stern Wheel Steamboat Stampedet
49, . Herd OF Butraloes, There Was ,
Fight With lDdlans and = NOtabl,
Game Of Poker Took Place on Board
MACON. Mo. May 15-John Scovern
president Of the State Exchange Bank Of
Macon, was an officer on the stern wheeler
Benton, which cleared the port of st
Louis in April, 1854, and covered 8 200 miles
before it's return in September. On tina
long cruise, possibly one OF the longest
ever made on Western waters. the Benton
stampeded a herd OF butfaloes, took par
in a redhot Indian fight and was the scene
Of q notable poker game.
Dakota and Montana were largely
wilderness at that period. overrun with
Indians and large game. On the upper
decks Of the Benton were two cannon
and there were several other cannon below
The crew was equipped with rifles and
double barrel shotguns. When the steamer
was ready to start it looked like Il vesse
going to war. All the talk was about
Indians and the chances Of getting
scalped.
The Benton carried provisions for the
soldiers at the various forts along the
Missouri River and great stacks Of news
papers and books. 1t was a lonely life
out there in the Far West on the frontiers
and the Government knew that its iso-
lated soldiers would rather have reading
matter than gold.
During the first few weeks of the trip
the Benton spent most OF it's time on sand
bars, but when it got further up the river
il met the June rise, and from that time
on navigation was fairly easy said Mr..
Scovern. Our boat burned wood, and
until We reached Sioux City our captain
~patronized the various w~oodyards along
the river. When we cleared Sioux City
we were in the wilderness, and had to land
and chop wood wherever We saw a good
forest.
We had on board 1875 cabin passengers
and about s~eventy-fve deck passengers.
They were p~rospectors going out to hunt
gold, or else men who wanted to get away
from the States because OF the troubled
condition incident to the
As we glided along the prairies we
could see countless buffalo. deer and elk
grazing in the distance. When We ran
out of meat the boat would land and a
hunting expedition would be organized.
It was no trouble to find the game,
-Once we run into a big herd Of buffaloes
crossing the river. Looking at them from
a distance it looked as il the earth was
moving. The water was full of them.
Some OF tho passengers began shooting
at them. but as it was a wanton thing
the captain threatened to stop the boat
and put any man ashore who shot them for
sport.
while passing through the herd the
engineer and some Of the crew reached
over and managed to capture a couple Of
baby buffaloes, lifting them on the boat
by their ears. They we're slowed away
on the deck and brought safely into 81
Louis.
The day we reached Fort Benton the
soldiers were 30 glad to see us that they
ran about shooting their revolvers in the
air and cheering. Ours was the first
boat that had been in that year. Ii had
taken us just ninety days to make the
trip. We had met with no mishap; had
not seen an Indian. and were so sure that
we would not see any that we left the
cannon at the fort.
when we started out On our home trip
we had not zone very far before Capt.
Rhea detected something going wrong
in the pilot house while Joe Holman was
on duty. 1t seemed as if Joe couldn't
hold the rudder steady and the boat
wanted to butt into the land whenever
we passed through a rough place.
Joe wa one Of the best pilots that
ever guided a steamboat on the Western
waters. In the early days OF the civil
war he was on duty one night in the pilot
house OF the Glasgow on the Cumberland
River. We had orders 10 run the blockade
and deliver a quantity Of provisions TO
the Federal soldiers who were besieg o
In Clarksville by Confederates.
1T was a black night. and pretty. far
ahead somebody down the river waved
a lantern; that was a signal. Instantly
the Captain Of the soldiers on the boat
ran up into the pilot house. His duty was
10 see that the pilot stood Ivy his post.
The signal was given and the boat started
down the river.
-The wheels had hardly turned when
il seemed as If q volcano broke loose on
shore and bullets whizzed through every
part Of the boat. The Captain of the
soldiers started to leave the pilot house
when Joe pulled out his gun. and pointing
il at his head said:
The commander sent you UP here
to see that ] stayed or the job and now.
damn you. II you start 10 leave again
III shoot you!
That's why we thought il a little funny
for Joe to be acting the way he did in the
pilot house Of the Benton. Capt. Rhea
got very mad and so did Joe. and the
Captain told him to get out of the pilot
house, and he tool the wheel himself. He
couldn't put Joe OF out there In the wilder
ness, but notified him that he would have
TO leave the boat at Sioux City.
. oe went down In the cabin and met
three miners recurring to the States.
He seemed 10 know ali about them. and
inside OF five minutes after he had been
dismissed from his job he formed one OF
the quartet at the poker game in the
forward part of the cabin That was n
game
When Joe went into it it was with the
distinct understanding that he should be