Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-10-29
'STEAHB0ATING AS IT
Continued From Page Two,

oouraRlng 10 the little border sottlo-
mont a Joint stock company was AZ
once organized, money was rals.d ana
an agent was dispatched 10 the Ohio
river "here a steamboat called IN,
General Wilder was purchased for
inc purpose of plying the Upper Ark
ahSas as far as Arkansas Clty. In
tiortuhalelN the General Wilder"
tailed TO develop sufficient noyer %
stem the swift current Of the river AZ
Weppers Fails, so it had to be taken
pacN 70 Little Rock where II was sold
at considerable loss Naturally. this
. uampened the ardor of the local novi-
cation enthusiasts for a time put
ArNahsas City was still without rail-
foad connections Of any kind. so. n
~ 'ple or Years later n ferry fiat"
Wv ; built and equipped with ten
morse power throshng engine for the
purpose of demonstrating that the
Arkansas river was navigable for
steamboats, in that part Of its course
WIN this humble craft the Arkansas
river was successfully nayigated from
lhe Kaw Agency in the Indian Terri
tory TO the village of Oxford, which is
situated about tweyty miles above
Arkansas City.
Navigation 10 Arkansas City.
The successful experience of the
ferry flat with its crude motive
power soon led to a more pretentlous
effort. BY correspondence the bus-
mess men Of Little Rock were in.
duced to send small steamboat on n
lal trip into thA upper country The /
little steamboat Aunt Salie," which
had been built especially for the cot
ton trade on the deep, sluggish bayous
OF Arkansas, was selected for the |
puEpose. Though not designed to
contend with the swifter currents of |
the upper river, the Aunt Sallie'
i.Rade q successful trip both ways in .
We ysummer Of 1878 and reported a
bod stage of water.
Shortly after the return of the
fAunt Sallie,' to Little Rock, the peo-
aple of Arkansas City organized
htock company and built steamboat
of their own. This vessel which was
''hristened THE Cherokee" was the
. lirst steamboat of any size ever
launched on the Upper Arkansas.
simultaneously, another steamboat
- the lower river, the "Nonesuch" II
kame, made successful voyage to
4 kansas City. But, however tardy
railroad may have been in eX-
Y Iding its line to Arkansas City so
..s9ng as it had no competition, its en-
kes to that end We're soon quick
by the appearance of steamboats,
he river And so, in her jubila
over the advent Of the railway, \
ansas City. soon lost interest in
subject Of river navigation and
Cherokee was sold for service
the lower river Some four or five
rs later, along in 1884, the local
0ling interests, being attracted by
markets OF the lower river coun-
! ". with which they had no direct
Connections by rail, Joined in having
n uilt at St Louis a steamboat called 1
kTne Kansas Miller" which piled the
between Arkansas City and
Ihe lower river for several years. Al I.
that time, the river was still navigated
q a limited extent as far as Fort Glib
ION. In 1885, Capt. b. c. Blakely
Imade thrity-three consecutive trips
between Fort Smith and Fort Glib I
n IN with the steamboat John Mat
Hnews'
" In January, 1886, Capt. Henry s. /.
tFabor, corps engineer L. S, A.. ar I
Yer careful survey of the Arkansas /.
Above the mouths of the Grand and
Xerdlgris, reported as follows:
G'There is no doubt but tnat two
pt channel can be provided when
development Of the country war
rHlts It and the river should be, for I
~ Hurposes of law, rated as navig-
y to wichita, Kan" During that Il
e year q steamboat from the low
~ river is known to have approach
M quite near the Kansas line. 1t was
krtlv after the establisnmC Mt of the I
locco Indian school (Which is but
:. few miles below Arkansas city) II
That n lot of walnut trees were sur
yeptitiously cut on the school roser-
uion. the logs being ricked up on
river bank. Suspecting that an
st would be made to remove them
stealth. the scnool authorities
axe that military guard be posted
Sbich was done. One night shortly
kerward steamboat came un tho
err. landed at the bank whore the
a. of walnut logs was located and
spared to take them on board At
appearance Of an armed guard
Z aeamboat backed off and retreat
III dStyn the river without the rich
eJizk for which it had evidently made
AIong voyage.
NJ SdH n Navigablc River.
Il there is prevalent impression
4 the former navigah'ity OF the
Ansas has been seriously II mo-, ir-
= &rably affected by the diversion
tkEater from its channel IN Colorado
4 ~ Western Kansas for Irritation
itkposas. As matter Of fact, the
Apuiion of annual discharge on
ndcount Is not nearly SO serious
YS generally believed TO be. Be
= of the fact tnat, after land has
~aorlariv i'm irated for q few