The Harrison times., 1912-11-09
Voyage on River Never Has Been
Duplicated.
Steamer Carrying a Load OF Salt Is
Nearly Stranded In Failing
Stream, but Cargo Was Sold
for $11 a Barrel.

Clinton, Mo.-How a steamer once
navigated the waters Of the Usage riy'
er, delivered cargo OF salt at Suns
Point Kan, and made good prolit on
the deal Is told here by Richard Fu'
qua, a carpenter, who was the boats
carpenter on the trip and for several
years after Now the once navigable
Usage river Is prize sought by water
power men and promoters, and Kan
sas, instead Of importing salt, Is ex'
porting It,
The steamer that accomplished what
no other boat has ever done, the nav
igatIon OF the Usage river, was Itself
named the Usage, The hull was laid
and launched at Linn creek In tho WIN
ter OF lSlG57 by the owners, who
were residents Of Linn creek The
hull was towed to st. Louis, whore the
boat was finished, II was 1870 feet
long, 22 feet wide and when loaded
to It's capacity OF 200 tons drew near
ly three feet Of water, II was pro-
nounced the finest little boat aAoat
IN It's day, with cabin capacity Of
seyonty.ayo passengers, double on
ginos, double boilers and sIdo wheels,
II was sold to Capt Lambert OF Now
York an old sailor and experienced
boatman, who later traded II to Maj,
X, II, Melton OF Warsaw, Mo, for Ben
ton county land, the consideration be-
ing $4,000,
Mai Melton placed Elijah Melton,
his brother, In charge as clerk and the
Usage made regular trips for eight
months IN tho year from ST. Louis up
tho OBago river, often as far az Pap.
insylllo In Batos county, Missouri, but
more frequently going TO Osceola, 81,
Clair county, Those were boating
days on tho beautiful Osago river and
aB many as eleven boats have been
tied up at Warsaw Mo, at one time,
Before tho war the freight and pas
Bongor service made u profit TO the
owner Of the boat and $500 was not
IN unusual amount for the round trip
The Growring feat IN navigation was IN
taking a cargo Of 200 tons OF salt
to suns Point, IN Bourbon county Kan,
The civil war had destroyed the
boating service on the Osago river and
salt was 10 scarce that pound would
sell at times for 81, Maj. Motion found
plenty Of salt at st. Louis In 1861
which had como from Michigan down
tho Mississippi llo knew II ho could
got II TO the woatcrn counties OF Mis-
aoun tho people would pay hand
some profit for H. with George Craw'
ford, an Osage river pilot the boat
was loaded to It's capacity with salt
in barrels and sacks and the voyage
begun
At OBceola the nows camo that
heavy rains for Il wook Nt tho hodd
watera Of the Usage IN Kansas would
keep the river Bt high water mark
and Crawford, the daring Usage river
pilot said he would try for Suns Point,
or, failing, he could try for Bell View,
few miles below suns Point was
reached NJ 4 o'clock ON tho afternoon
Of the following day and the river was
bank full, but very narrow lt was
30 full that the presence OF the boat
forced the water out Of lts banks on
10 tho low land In an hour tho wa
tor began to fall, and oll hands rolled
of the salt Everybody who would
work was hired 70 help, The unload
ing continued oil night without inter
ruption until o'clock In the morn
Ing
II was lhon observed that tho mar.
row stream waa not wide enough by
ten feet, 10 turn the boat around Nv
cry available tool was put into use by
deck hands aud the bank Of the river
was dug down low enough to allow the
stern Of the bolt to back into III and
by the aid Of opes and oapstan the
turn was made. (Tbe unloading was
completed and at,b o'clock the race
for deep water beghp The wood sup
ply was running l0F when a WOOD
yard was seen IN thV distance on the
bank, some thirty M les below Suns
Point No time was lest IN tylng up
and approprlating all the wood IN the
A IN