The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-05-19
Describing Last
Steamboat Race

l
The last great steamboat race OF
the Mississippi was run in 1870, be
tween the steamers r. E. Lee and The
Natchez. Up To that time the Mis-.
sissippi was the great interior high
way for travel and traffic in thu
heart of the continent. Since that
time the numerous railroads running
! parallel to the river have taken away
the passenger travel to great ex.
tent and given the river over to
| freight business. 1t is, and it always
will be, a great commercial thorough
fare of the country; but it will never
see again the splendid packets that
used to ply from st. Louis to New
Orleans. Many Of them were veri-
table floating palaces, fitted up with
every modern luxury, with parlors,
saloons, bridal chambers, and all the
writing rooms, and all the equipment
of a first-class hotel. And among
them all, none surpassed the r. e.
Lee. The R. E. Lee was the most
graceful craft ever saw afoat. Her
name made her immensely popular
along all the lower stretches of the
river, and this popularity was in
creased by the genial character of her
officers, who were all accommodating
and polite. She held the record, too,
as the swiftest boat on the river.
1t was said, and solemnly believed
oy the people, that some Northern
men we're jealous of her name and
determined to build boat to beat her.
/ do not know how true this was; but
at that time it might easily have been
true, for the war was recent, and its
passions subsidized slowly. Anyhow.
nearly everybody stood on the bluff
near the center of town; and as peo-
pie were waiting on the bluff by the
hundreds ! had the biggest congrega-
tion ever preached to. The church
was packed, and the outside was also
crowded.
Across the street from the church
there was residence which COM
manded view of the river for many
miles down the stream. l arranged
with the lady of the house to keep on
the lookout, and at the first sign of
smoke in the river below she was to
give me the signal by waving her
handkerchief at the window. / sup
pose had been talking ten minutes
when ! saw the little white flag fiut-
ter. Perhaps my manner betrayed
the truth, for ! was intensely ex-
cited; but as l said. "Let us receive
the benediction," the congregation
caught the cue and broke loose,
crowding to- the doors and some GO
ing through the windows in their eag-
erness to get sight of the boats.
reckon | am the only minister who ev-
er dismissed his congregation to see
race and rushed out himself to get
a view! But that was to see the R.
E. Lee beat the Natchez-don't for
get that. But, after all, it turned out
to be false alarm, for when the boat
from which the smoke came pulled
around the bend it was little stern
wheel craft and not the racers.
Two hours elapsed, perhaps, before
The two steam boats came in sight.
But they came, and the r. E. Lee was
n the lead by more than mile. 1t
was a close race for them to be so
we're no flags. We could not wave
way from New Orleans. But the R.
E. Lee was in the lead; that was
enough. 1t is impossible to imagine
he enthusiasm as the r. L. Lee came
opposite the town. The people sim
,ly went wild. had fine view from
he upper gallery, where, with a few
friends, contributed my share of
'ocal thunder to the occasion. There
we're no fage. We could not wave
our flag" and We would not wave
he Stars and Stripes; so we took it
tut in yelling and waving hats, hand
.erchiefs and whatever we could get
lold of, to let the R. E. Lee know that
We were for her. The captain stood
n the upper deck, bowling and wav-
ng his recognition back to the shore
he Natchez was cheered also, for she
vas noble-looking craft, and we adj
nired her for her pluck in challenging
he R. E. Lee. We knew that she
Guild not beat her.
The boilers Of both boats were red
lot, and the half-naked stokers were
hrowing into their furnaces kegs of
'uel. We could see them pick up one
IT these kegs, run up to the blazing
mouth Of the furnace, pitch it in and
ush back to escape the intense heat.
The decks Of both boats were throng-
ID with dancers, and the bands were
laying. We could hear the music
from the shore and all seemed wild
With the ardor of the race. Both the
R. E. Lee and the Natchez carried
1rand-new flags, and the boats were
going at such a rate of speed that
he flags stood out almost straight
20 the breeze. 1t was a great sight,
never to be forgotten by thoes who
witnessed it. The R. E. Lee was
,eeping in the middle of the channel
while the Natchez would cut across
he slack water in the bends of the
river. This was criticized and con-
lemned by many river experts as bad
management, but / do not know
enough to have an opinion on the sub
ject.
The r. E. Lee won the race, but it
practically ended a short distance
above Cairo, as the boats encountered
. heavy fog and both had to slow
down. It was risky enough racing
on clear water; it would have been
madness to race in fog.
That, think, was the last great
race run on the Mississippi river, and