The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-02-19
Natchez was the talk of the lower
river. This race was run in the late
sixties

Natchez was the talk of the lower
river. This race was run in the late
sixties
Railroads Killed River Trade.
With the advent of railroads, the
river traffic dwindled, and gradually
the big steamers disappeared. The
Northern line was dissolved The
White Collar line operated q few
years longer and quit, and then there
came the old Diamond 10 line. which
was owned and operated by the late
Joe Reynolds, of Fulton. For years
the Diamond 10 line had an absolute
monopoly on the through trade Of
the upper river.
Among the steamers operated by
this line were the Imperial, Tidal
Wave, Diamond 10. Josie, Josephine,
Iibbie Con ger, Mary Morton, Sidney,
st. Paul. Quincy. Pittsburg, later the
Dubuque, and the old Gem City.
OF these boats only the Dubuque,
st. Paul. Quincy and Sidney are left,
and all but the Dubuque are in the
excursion business.
BxKfeted by Storms.
Some Of the older boats have gone
the way of all things. The Libbie
Sou6cI WdS OCStAOy GU III a CySlohO
at st. Louis in 1896. The Josie oper-
ated for a. while as an excursion
boat and went to pieces near Sub
urban island in winter quarters. The
old Pittsburg was partially wrecked
in storm and was rebuilt and
named the Dubuque.
In later days, twenty-five years
ago. Captain Walter A. Blair, of Dav-
export, started a short line packet
between Davenport and Burlington.
The steamer Silver Crescent, for
merly raft boat, was put into the
trade, and it flourished.
Captain Blair then purchased the
steamer Volunteer, which was burn
ed Later he put in the w. J. Young,
Jr., also former raft boat, and the
Silver Crescent operated between
Keokuk and Quincy. while the w. ].
Young took the Burlington trade.
Then came the Keokuk, the Black
Hawk and the Uraina, which was
burned at Muscatine and rebuilt and
named the Helen Blair.
Recalls a Tragedy.
The WinOna and the Columbia
Piled in the short line trade and in
excursions which extended from Dav-
export to Quincy. Until year ago
the Helen Blair, Black Hawk and
Keok1lk continued in this trade. The
| Columbia sank in the Peoria tragedy
last summer.
The Black Hawk was lost year
ago in an ice jam in the Tennessee
| river. and the Keohcuk took care OF
the Burlington Quincy trade last
year. the Helen Blair operating be.
tween Davenport and st. Paul in
| weekly trips.
Several years ago Captain Blair
bought the steamer Morning Star, to
ply in the Rock Island-St. Paul trade,
Last spring he sold it and It was
cow erted into an excursion boat for
| the Ohio river at Cincinnati.
| Captain Streckfus, while operating
| the Verne Swain, added the City OF
| Winona to his fleet and operated 1t
] in the Rock Island Clinton trade FOL
| number of years. Then the Verne
! Swain was sold south and renamed
the Speed. The City. of Winona be
came an excursion boat and was
named the w. w. and the packet
trade came to an end.
The j. S. Was a Wonder Then.
| 1t was Captain Streckfus who bull
the first all excursion steamer, in the
| late nineties, the J. S. 1t proved 6
money maker and Piled in the trade
on the upper river until about eigh
years ago, when it was burned a
Bad Axe
Then Captain Streckfus purchased
the Diamond 10 line steamers, con
verified the Sidney into an excursion
steamer. operated the others a!
through boats until last year. whei
! the St. Paul became an excursion
craft. Now the Quincy enters thi
trade and the packet business ii
| ended.
The glory of the Mississippi il
gone.
| For xd;bIee served in slascas ?