The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-05
Carried Freight by Water From
Kansas City to Fort Riley.
FIRST TRIP IN 1856
Captain Baker Believes That
Kaw Is Yet Navigable.
Prairie Fire Destroyed First
Boat Near Manhattan.

Baker, an old time steamboat man and
resident of this city few years ago
tells an interesting story of navigation
in the "'f1fties'F on the Kaw river from
Missouri river points to Fort Riley
Kan. The distance was estimated at
IT'S miles above the mouth of the
stream. Navigation was kept up for a
few years and demonstrated its navi-
gability.
The demonstration was due to the
efforts of Major E. F. Ogden, an army
officer, who established Fort Riley
about 1856, at which time hundreds OF
boats were plying on the Missouri river
Two years ago the merchants of Kan
sas City. who believed the railroad
rates were too steep began to expert
river to find whether it was navigable.
They may be interested in knowing
that the Kaw river. with about one
tenth of the volume of water, was
navigable at that time and probably is
in the same condition today.
Trip Down the KaVv Is Planned.
'At that time,' said Captain Baker,
I'VE had a contract for carrying freight
to the troops stationed at Fort Riley. 1t
was taken with the idea of tranSporta-
ton overland from some convenient
point on the Missouri river. Major Og-
den asked me if we could run boats up
the Kaw river to Fort Riley, saying he
established the fort there under the be-
lief that the river was navigable. AS
no boat had ever been I'D the stream I
was not in favor of trying it, Major
Ogden persisted and / finally told him
that if he would build a yawI and come
down the river all the way himself
with the necessary equipment of men,
and make soundings in the low places,
then. if he considered the stream navi-
gable. we would try it. He did so and
reported his findings. q
I'VE then bought the little steamer
Excel and loaded her at ST. Louis.
When we were about ready to start
inquired of the insurance companies
about fnsuring the boat for at least
one-half the risk thatYWould be taken
on streams that were known to be
navigable. The older companies
would have nothing to do with it.
went to new company, of which
Colonel A. B. Chambers, then editor
of the Missouri Republican. was
president The matter was placed
man go into a new field where no one
has been before. Certainly we will
insure your boat ESQ. --e.ss- r.,
First Journey Made in Safety.
1--WE carried the cargo to Fort
Riley and returned in safety. The
boat made several trips afterwards,
which resulted in navigation being
kept up on the stream for few
years. At the end of the first season.
we sold t boat to Captain B. F.
Beasley for the same price we paid
for it. The next spring Captain
Beasley built a small boat, which was
named the Lowwater for the Kaw
river business.
''It ran for two seasons. On a re-
turn trip, during the latter part of
the season, the boat laid up for the
night opposite Manhattan. A prairie
fire caught and destroyed it. That
ended navigation on the stream. A
few years later the railroad was ex-
tended to Fort Riley.
s.While the boats were running to
Fort Riley, one of them carried 100
barrels of whisky to that point. 1t
was Indian country, and the master
of the boat was told that if its pres
ence became known to the officer at
the fort, he would empty it into the
river. The master finally disposed
of it at 81 barrel