Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-15
PASSENGER STEAMBOAT TRAFFIC
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

ing section of the fabulously rich river
BASIN
steamboat life are not to be found in the
account books Of the packet companies.
but rather among the passengers, who
gave color and variety to every trip. The
river gambler was not a mythical figure.
He was one Of the most picturesque char
acters of our early history. Few stories
of the old south fail to mention the suaye
individual who inveigles the wealthy plant
er into a game of ''cyards' when the latter
is returning from st. Louis or the east.
pieces. the yield of his cotton sacks. And
in most of the stories one finds the plant
er stripped to his last penny. finally stalk
ing his faithful body servant or his beau
draw poker.
The upper Mississippi had a class Of
gamblers all its own. Here the sharpers
were accustomed to
Its Own Glass work in pairs. The
eC,, two seldom boarded
VI 0dauo1eIs. the steamboat at the
same time, nor did they ever recognize
each other. They became acquainted with
their victims individually and. were in
PRODUCED to each ether by the deluded
settler on his way to the wheat fields Of
Minnesota with the savings OF a life
time in the east. The gamblers Of. the
fifties were tolerated by the steamboat
owners because they were constant trav-
elers and promoted the bar business OF
the boat, although they themselves kept
their own private bottles of colored water
to be served by the saloonkeeper instead
Of rum, which would have shaken their
nerve and thus destroyed their "busi-
ness perspicacity.
Steamboat racing gave variety and
spice to the life on the Mississippi. One
Of the NEST thrilling contests was that
between the Grey Eagle and the Itasca,
on the upper Mississippi. This race Is
intimately connected with international
achievement, as the following facts show.
In 1856 the first cablegram across the
Atlantic bore greetings from Queen Vic
toria to President Buchanan, who was at
the time in st. Paul. There was no tele-
graph line to the Minnesota metropolis in
that day. but there were lines to Dun
leith, where the Grey Eagle was load
ing for st. Paul and at Prairie du Chen,
where the Itasca was about to cast off.
Both boats were due to leave at 6
o'clock. The Grey Eagle was sixty-one
Itasca, but Capt. Harris determined to
be the first to deliver the message to the
President. He made only one or two
landings during this record run. He pitcn-
ed his mail bags to the wharves without
doing more than slowing down. AS he
was running far ahead Of his schedule,
the mail bags for points up the river
were not ready. SO he did not have to
stop to take these on. The Itasca was
proceeding leisurely on its way. uncon-
Lone Of fho of nf
the latter was seen to turn a bend in
the river. only a short distance behind.
Then the 1tasca realized that the Grey
Eagle meant to capture the honor OF
the President. Then it was h race for
life for the few remaining miles to St.
Paul. the Grey Eagle winning by q bare
length.
X X
broom nailed to the pilot house was
a symbol of speed supremacy in the old
days. and
Broom as Symbol champion. once
Of Speed Supremacy. honor bound
to take down its sweeper until such time
as it could beat. its rival. In these races
the captain frequently saved barrels of
pitch and resin to be fed into the fur
naces on the last stretch in order to de-
velop final burst of speed from the en-
g1nes. 1t was often necessary to station
men on the upper decks with fire hose
10 play water upon the smokestacks
where they passed between decks, to
prevent the surrounding woodwork from
igniting. On the lower Mississippi cases
of ham and bacon were sometimes burned
in the frenzy of the moment.
One of the most pleasurable phases Of
a passengers trip was the cabin music
furnished. There was great rivalry be-
tween the competing lines in this particu-
lar. as well as in speed. A string or
chestra was highly priced, and it soon