The Dickinson press., 1910-12-17
CAPT. BAKERS WEALTH
MADE. 1T OUT here

NAUe .IU wi 1eNe
Fargo Forum: An interesting story
concerning Captain l. P. Baker Of Bis
marck appeared in The Kansas City Star,
being as follows:-
1t is commonly believed in Bismarck
that Capt. Isaac p. Baker is worth ST.
600. 900. At any rate, he is said to be
one Of the richest men in North Dakota.
And how do you suppose Captain Baker
made that much money-for he made it
all since he came to BismarckY He
made the beginning of it running steam
boats on the Missouri river, and he has
been making money with them ever
since.
1t isn't generally known below Sioux
City that the only regular navigation on
the Missouri at present is west Of Bis
marck. That is true. however, and
Captain Bakers fleet is the carrier of a
commerce that frequently runs as high
as 80, 600 tons in a season and is grow
ing every year.
MAY RUN BOATS TO BENTON
In fact. Captain Baker has seriously
been considering the operation of boats
through to Fort Benton. Years ago boats
ran regularly to Fort Benton. When the
railroads went through Montana the
business ceased because the country wat
50 sparsely settled along the Missouri
that there was nothing for the boats to
transport. Now the valley is being
settled up and there is a demand for
transportation.
Captain Baker started in years ago
with n small boat. Now, through the
Benton Packet Co of which he is the
owner, he operates a fleet of six boats
and several barges. All except n of
these boats are propelled by gasoline
engines. The newest of the feet is the
Expansion, built at Bismarck last
spring, and said to be the lightest draft
boat ever put upon the Missouri river.
1t is 124 feet 7 inches long, Fl feet s
inches beam and draws ten inches of
water light. On q draft of three feet it
carries $50 tons. and loaded to it's
capacity it will carry 800 tons. The
Expansion is propelled by a 80 horse
power gasoline engine and travels four
and one-half miles an hour against the
current. Captain Bakers other boats
are: Frayne, the Deapolis. the Wash
burn. the o. K. and the Bismarck.
ELEVATORS TO STORE THE GRAIN
; West of Bismarck the railroads touch
the Missouri valley in only a few places
and the farmers, instead of hauling
their grain inland to the railroads. haul
it to the river for shipment by boat. At
each of the landings Captain. Baker has
a small elevator, where the grain is
stored until shipment. Then when a
boat comes along, the grain is loaded in
bulk and carried down to Bisma rex,
where it is unloaded by a movable hoist
into the elevator at the top of the bank,
and from that into the cars. The boats
now run up the Missouri as far as the
mouth of the Milk river in Montana, and
up the Yellowstone to Glendive, Mont.
On the up trips the boats carry all kinds
of merchandise, coal, lumber, machinery
and other supplies to the farmers and
the merchants. Downstream, before the
grain movement begins, they carry live
stock, wool, hides, hay and other farm
products.
Out of the last appropriation for the
Missouri river, $S5. 600 was set aside for
work at Bismarck, one item of which is
$40, 900 to clear rock from the channel.
so that boats may get to Fort Benton
without danger.