The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-01-20
GREAT BOAT RACE FROM
SIOUX CITY ON MISSOURI

my boat to Leavenworth and back.
Oldham?' asked the captain.
Fifteen hundred dollars answer
What! shouted Captain RAJ
Man, that's more than the boat \
make
oldham shrugged his shoulders.
Well, talk fast, captain. he ~
J won't stand here In the hot sun
minutes for 81, $780,
THE captain ground his teeth, sh
there was nothing to be done save pS
the price or lie In port. So at Icing
he said:
".All right, I'll consent to be robbs
this time. We're all ready to staIa
Come aboard
But I'm not ready tquoths the pile
Just call a carriage and send me up
my rooms for my baggage
Nevertheless, once aboard he did h
work well, making the round trip in6tl
excellent time OF nine days and with i
mishaps from the pitfalls OF the treacl
erous Big Muddy. Despite all III MOI
ey he earned during the years Of u
rivers prosperity, when It was I've
poor, improvident Oldham found him +
self penniless, and when he died. yeai
after, 1t was in abject poverty, In
wretched howell neal the river bank &
Yankton. s. D."
osVSWN0V0 " 00tu0eOO0s
when ascending the Missouri 81
command Of the stockdale. Capital
Marsh was once brought to q stop un
der peculiar circumstances. About II
miles above the mouth Of the Yellow
stone was q place known az Elk 'Hor
prairie. q favorite grazing ground 70
buffalo. On this occasion 'tas the stock
buffalo increased rapidly in number OF
either bank. Vast herds, extendihs
away to the horixiOn line Of the north
ward bluffs, were moving slowly to-
ward the river, grazing an they came
On arriving at the rivers brink the
lowing, plunged into the swift-runninl
current and swan to the opposite shore
When the Stockdale reached q poinI
nearly opposite the Elk Horn grove
excitement rose to a high pitch 0ls
board, for the buffalo became D thicl
in the river that the boat could MOI
move and the engines had to *
blocked by their huge. shaggy bodies
and in their struggles they beat against
the sides and stern. blowing and FpaWs
ing. Many became entangled whit
wheel, which for a time could not He
revolved without breaking the bucket1s
As they swept toward the precipitoul
bank Of the north shore and plunged
over into the stream. clouds Of dust
arose from the crumbling earth. while
the air trembled with their belloMing1
and the roar of their myriad hOOfD.
The south bank was turned LIQUID
mass OF mud by the water streamtnq
from their sides as they scrambled out
and Numbered away across the prairte.
To Captain Marsh and the others oh
the Stockdale 1t seemed almost az n
they would overwhelm the boat. No Cne
on board cared to shoot among them,
lor the sight OF them Wasst0o aWe-1ntt
spring 9 demonstratlon o. the phyeicell
mignt OF untamea prute creation. 9sy-
eFal nours peIore the
wa aple 20 break tnrouen the nj
erating NERDS and resume hef journey,
they were still cro4fang Whe0 q
laAt she passed peyond lev
The Custer Massaoso.
In 1879 Captain Marsh's company
was awarded the contract for carrying
United States troops and supplies on
the Missouri river, and for . numbes
Of years afterwards he was closely as
ISOLATED Wtth.the army In tt1 campaign
against the !ne.tans OF the northwest.
It was Captain Marsn VINO drought the
first news 70 outside world % ~
Custer massacre. This waa one ofstne
greasest ven OF ms NE. and ~
story makes several. Of the. most inter
esting chapters OF the book. CAS-
Tribute to Marsh,
The writer closes his book with TN
following tribute to Captain Marsh:
To-day with public recruitment rasohf.
Nv crystallizing in favor Of daenenins
the Channels and SECURING ma hanEs
Of the nation's Inland waferwav. smcr
a career NAV we'll be studied ~ thnss
men who would withhold a ahare sn-ffs
improvements from the great ATia.nnri
on the ground that it ts only "a :
ward fnr steamhoata Grant s1a.sf