The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-02-14
Muscatine Launch Men Came to keo-
kuk at That Time Giving
Idea Of M. v.
p. B. A.
HANLEY WRITES STORY
Tells in an Interesting Manner Of the
Formation Of Boating Associa-
ton Up To The
Present.

In The Open Exhaust" monthly
magazine devoted to the sport of
motoring and launch mems interests.
a very interesting story Early His
tory of the NJ. v. P. B. A. by Chas.
P. Hanley, is in the February issue.
Starting at Keokuk, the articles tell
of the formation of the great associa-
ton of launch men and gives some
interesting facts heretofore generally
unknown. Omitting rules and regula-
lions of the Mississippi Valley Power
Boat Association, the article appears
below as Mr.. Hanley has written it
and the same will no doubt prove in
teresting reading matter for pleasure
boat owners of this section:
Away back in the early fall of 1907
at the time President Roosevelt made
his celebrated river trip of inspection
from Keokuk, Iowa, to ST. Louis, a
party of Muscatine Launch club men
undertook cruise to Keokuk for the
purpose of seeing the president. The
same idea must have taken hold of
arrival at the aforementioned city we
found gathered together, for the pur-
pose of taking part in the celebration.
some fifty launchmen with their
various crafts. This gathering together
of launch men for the first time in
any considerable number gave the
members of the Muscatine party an
idea, and after arriving home, meet
ing of the Muscatine club was held
and the suggestion given to the club
that we endeavor to organize the var
ious boatmen along the river between
ST. Paul and ST. Louis into one big
central organization. The idea was to
have the various cities organize local
clubs and in turn these clubs to be-
come members of central organiza-
ton. The object of the central organiza
ton was to foster and promote the
sport and the holding of regatta
each year.
The Muscatine cleub readily took
up the suggestion and work towards
the organization was started at once
Letters explaining the idea were sent
out to the various cities, and were
followed up by other letters and
! literature of various kinds and a dele
| gate meeting was called for January
25th, 1908, for the purpose of forming
the association. Though these let
| ters were sent out some two months
! in advance of the date set for the
meeting, replies came in slowly. We
1 found it hard and discouraging work
to interest the boatmen in the meet
ing. There were few cities that had
any sort of an organization of boat
men whatever and the few clubs thai
/ were in existence were lukeWarn
over the project However, the day fol
the meeting finally rolled around ant
to our surprise we found that st
Louis, Quincy, Keokuk, Fl. Madison
Burlington, Davenport, Moline, as wei
as the Muscatine club had delegates
on hand
On the morning of January 18th
1908, the delegates met in convention
and an organization was perfected
Rules and bylaws were adopted, /;
name given to the organization ant
the following officers We're elect ID: A
4 c. Adams, Muscatine, president; R. H
/ Combs, st. Louis, vice president, E
Corsepius, Fl Madison. second VIC
president: Chas. p Hanley, Musca
tine, secretary, and w. H Gosch, Day
enport treasurer
] Later on in the same year, jun
18th, believe, the first annual NEE
Ing of the association was held at st