Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-26

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Des Moines. Wood yards were few
and far between and We were anxious
to make Curtis coal bank, below Red
Rock, for coal, but when we were
three or four miles below we heard
another boat coming after us (Which
later proved to be the J. B. Gordan)
and then the race was on, for, II they
got to the coal bank first our cake was
dough, but Captain Eaton took charge
of the flremen and there happening to
be barrel of tar in the cargo, he had
1t rolled out and the head knocked in
and he sat on the capstan and directed
the firemen when to dip stick OF wood
into the tar and which furnace door
to put it in, and he kept her bowling,
We barely made the bank by q boat
length and--well we cheered them on
their way and the next morning we
found them tied up at little island
chopping the dead drift wood that had
lodged at the head Of It. We made
the run and delivered the freight all
right. but in running down stream the
water being high and the current swift
it was rather dificult. to keep from
running into the bank or the timber
in the bends That matter was con-
slant source Of conversation between
our captain and pilot until just below
Lafayette, in very short bend, we
undertook to run under limb Of a
large elm tree which was too low to
let the smokestacks under. 1t broke
the front stay rods and piled the stacks
back onto the pilothouse and run the
bow into the bank. Just what the con-
versation was about then really could
not say, but we tied up right under the
limb that broke them down and threw
a rope over it and I climbed up and
pulled up the tackle to raise the stacks
and was then told to remain there to
let them down again when they we're
secured. There may be whole lot
of fun in setting astraddle Of a three
or four inch limb over the river and
fighting numerous and large ablebodied
mosquitoes for an hour or two but
did not see it then as can now.
We went down to Keokuk and took
another cargo for up the river and
got as far as Plymouth dam, but the
river got so low that we abandoned the
trip, laft our freight there and went
over into the Illinois river.
| was Waterman on the NJ L. Mil
burn all the time we were on the Des
Moines river, and as we could not run
at night, kept memorandum of
where we tied up for the night and II
it will assist any of our doubling
Thomases to believe that the Des
Moines river was once navigable
river, / will copy a little of 1t. will
say, too, that some time in June, 1853
there were six steamboats, tied up here
at Des Moines at one time; Steamer
N. l.. Milburn left Iowaville, Tues
day. May II, 1858, and laid up the first
night at Keosauqua. 18th at Benefits
wood yard, 10th to ed at Keoknk. 23d
at Churchville. oath at Pennington.
25th at BENEFITS wood yard, 26th at
Keosauqua, 9th at Iowaville, 2Sth five
miles above Eddyville, 10Th at Red
Rock. 3Oth at Ottumwa, 31st with the
Badger State. June / at Curtis coal
bank, I'd at Lafayette, Sd at Fort Des
Moines. 4th at Mosquito bend. 5th at
Amsterdam, 9Th at Iowaville, 18th in
Toms lock, 9Th running, 9th at st.
Louis. There we went into dry dock
and put on another bottom and loaded
for points up the Des Moines river.
but only got as far AS Plymouth, and
on account of low water left our freight
and went over to the Illinois river.