Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-12

Leathers advertised his boat as the
swiftesl of them all. His advertising
stung Captain John w. Cannon, of tho
Robert +. Lee, and a challenge was
| issued for a race. Leathers accepted
readily.
Accordingly the two boats lined up at
the New Orleans levee June 80. They
were to leave the water front AT 5 F.
Nj, or as soon after as they could get
under way. The Lee got the jump on
the Natchez and swung out into the
stream with her nose pointing north.
"A second to the good may win the
race" said Cannon as he boarded his
boat for the great race. A few minutes
after the Lee the Natchez was in the
stream sending her cloud of smoke to
the sky. The Lee passed the ST. Mary's
passed the same point exactly three
minutes later. Near the north city linn
its of New Orleans it was found the
Natchez had gained eight seconds on
| the Lee. The fact was telegraphed ali
over the country and the odds in the
betting for a time were two to one on
/ the Natchez.
/ Among the river men who staked
hundreds of dollars on the outcome OF
the race was Captain George Keith,
who died last May, according to Colonel
Hunter Ben Jenkins, historian of the
run. Keith bet s400 on the Natchez
the day the race began. That night
| he dreamed the Lee was going to win.
The next morning, with the papers
full of how the Natchez had gained
eight seconds on the Lee, Keith hedged
and bet on the Lee. BY his second day S
stroke he won $500 on the race.
Natchez was the first point to which
| the boats raced. Everybody in town
WAS down at the river front watching
them come in. As the boats came
around the bend they saw the Natchez
swallowing the smoke of the Lee.
1t was day of mourning for Nat
| chez The city had a pair Of elk horns
to deliver to her namesake when she
returned winner of the race. The horns
were mounted at the water front and
were in plain view from the pilot house
| of the Lee. AS the Robert E. Lee
steamed past Captain Cannon shouted:
Lower those horns"
The horns were promptly lowered On
| the side of the Lee was a banner
bearing the inscription: "Shoo, fly,
don't bother me-"
4 frantic old man on the shore went
/ into Mysteries as he read the sign and
heard the Captain shout to lower the
horns. Several bands were at the
wharf to play Here the Conquerlng
! Hero Comes
Captain Fred Voltz, now 76 years old
was a pilot en- boat plying between
nrla nd
had 200 cords of pine knots for deliv-
cry to the Lee. Voltz held his boat
alongside the Lee for 10 miles while the
fuel was being loaded on the racer.
After leaving Natchez Vicksburg was
/ the next goal to race for, and the Lee
beat the Natchez there, showing a
gain in running time of IS minutes
over her rival. It was the end of the
first day. the Lee passing Vicksburg
wharf at IS minutes to 6-according TO
| the Kouns record-on the afternoon of
July /, and the Natchez passing at 8
minutes after G. The Lee ran UP along
| the upper Wharfboaat and discharged
/ a few passengers and started off, pick
/ ing up two coal floats in the river. Coal
! beavers swarmed over them and they
were cast Off minus the coal, in a few
minutes. In doing all this the Lee lost
only eight minutes. The Natchez tried
the same feat, but got one Of the
barges across her bows and she was
delayed several minutes. The end OF
the first full day of the race closed
! with the race still in the balance, but
with the Lee IS minutes in the lead
= The Lee was in Memphis at min
utes after II the next night-the night
of July @ In the 35 hours since she
had begun to show that she was almost
sure winner. She was out of Memphis
minute after she arrived. The Nat
chez was 10 miles behind The Natchez
cleared for the north at 19 minutes
after 12 o'clock, and the dash was OH
for Cairo.
The Lee passed the mouth of the
Ohio, three miles from Cairo, at
minutes after 6, the afternoon of July
3, and took on coal and pilots running
| at almost full speed. The Natchez
passed at quarter past Z. The pilots
picked up by the Lee to take her to st
! Iouis-Cannon and his pilot, Wesley
] Connor. not being familiar enough with
! the river above the mouth of the Ohio
were cap" Jesse T. Jamison and
Enoch King Jamison reviewing the
race after he had taken Conner's place
at the wheel, once said: Wed just
I left Cairo and daylight behind when a
I fog settled down.
You bet, we'd a'run that fog if wed
| a. known Uncle Charon was waiting
j for us midway" said Jamison grimly
when it began dropping down on US
as we shot by DEVILS Island, Enoch-
\ my pard in the wheelhouse, Enoch
4 King-turned to me and said
"'We'll cut right through it. Jesse?
"'Of course l said
THE news that we got the nex'
morning, that the Natchez had tied
j up. dazed us. She had been holding or
] like bulldog to book agent clear
up to Cairo, and when Enoch and
were waited out into midstream on a
coal scow to board the Lee and hunt
I easy water for her into st. Louis we
could look down the bend and see the
J, Natchez's smoke filing the air like
I the Battle of Waterloo. The river ther
between Cairo and st. Louis comprised