The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-30
otsunwa Belle, One Time Excursion
Steamer 10 Towing Big Lot OF
Lumber for Fort Madison
Saw Mill.
MAY BE LAST OF KIND
River Sees Few Of These Rats NoW-
adays and Voices Of saw.mifls
Alongside Of Streams Have
Become flushed.

The OttumWA Belle, the one llIuo
popular excursion boat which used to
take parties out OF Keokuk on sum-
liner moonlight nights, Is coming down
the Mississippi now with one OF the
only two RATS that will be seen on the
river this season. The Fort Madison
Democrat says:
The Ottumwa Belle started today
from Hudson. Wis, with raft OF ga W.
ed lumber aggregating 100000 feet'
destined for the $. & J. C. Aztec Lum-
Der company Of this city.
There will be another raft OF the
same magnitude depart from the north
ern city after the first one has been
delivered. The trip, It Is anticipated.
Will consume about twelve days, which
would bring It into this city August
IS or 4.
These two rats, It IL said will rs
the only ones to be seen on the Mis.
Ishsippi this season. The Father OF
" aters will for short time now with
stern pride on toward the gulf as 1t
shoulders this remnant Of former days
and glory. The Ottumwa Belle may
tow the last Of the numerous rats
that have teemed on the river Tor
scores Of years. Tho lumber industry
has subsidized in tho middle west. where
1t once lead the world until today.
except here and there, the only yes
tige left is old and abandoned mil.s
and yards. y hat few mills are ope"-
ating are cutting the last millions of
feet OF the trillions OF feet of lumber
that once existed In the valley.
Lumber Jacks Pass.
with the passing Of the lumber
trnflc picturesque class Of men have
gone the way of such into oblivion.
The old lumber jacks are seen no more
with their rudy, looking countenances
and water proof garb. in the winter
vari-colored mackinaws and heavy
boots. These men were of necessity
sturdy, strong and hardy. able to en-
dure any harship and equal to any
feat OF superhuman strength, and ex-
;tremely agile Of foot, their lives de-
pending on ability to move quickly
from log to log. They were swimmers
and skaters and enjoyed life to the
fullest extent Tho class as whole.
was good natured and all united to
see that fair play was extAnt.
When the steamer reaches Fort
Madison, Captain Walter Hunter Will
be on the bridge, ono OF the old timers
on the river and . member OF boat
crews towing RATS countless times.
AZ the Belle" and her tow pass BY
the up river cities there is bound tn
be great interest manifested In the
passage. and many an old Jack .
relegated to idleness by old age and
lack Of the work which fascinated
them so much, will view the passing
with misty eyes and heaving breasts
With the film over the eyes the vision
will not be impaired, however. for they
will see, mayhap, not the Ottumwa
Belle, but another steamer and anoth-
or raft and they will be on It with q
long pike pole here and there watch
ing with the vigilant eye OF the rafter
and again the muscles will tighten and
be for an instant the steely fibers OF
old. But the Mississippi seems destin-
| ed to again assume . leading position
! in the traffic world and fleet o.
barges Is even now under process OF
building, which will be viewed with
pride and qualification by these old
men Of the river, who have loved IT
with all the fiber of their being.