The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-04-12
STEAMBOATING ON THE MISSOURI

bank. and sec the few inhabitants
the country contained. Spring KEEP.
pace with us as we Travelled up the
river to the northward and the bud
ding green in the timbcrs on the river
bottom and islands was sign of
promise amid the brown waste of
bluff and prairie. On the 2nd Of May
however. water frozc in the night on
the guards. and the fierce wind made
it necessary to make fast hawscr
to the trees Of an island. There the
crew and officers spent the time
gathering enough drift wood from
the sandbar to run the engine till
another wood yard could be reached
Fl. BE rtEOld
SO we went on for two weeks till
we came in sight Of the old trading
post at TT. Hcrthold. A dusky crowd
Of all ages. standing silently on the
bank. watched the approaching boat
The line was thrown out aud made
fast. the plank showed ashore. and
Our goods and building material had
been shipped on the Josephine" and
gone before US up river. but at IT.
Lincoln that boat was requistioned
by the War Department to carry sup
plies for the campaign against the
Sioux. Fortunately after some delay
that boat delivered its freight at
1T. Bcrthold and the Indian agent.
Darling. and the traders Raymond
and Fairchild. and tho new Mission
Of the Congregational Foreign Mis-
sionary Society. got their goods and
building equipment. Then the Joscp-
hinc continued up stream and up the
Yellow Stone with the SnpplieS for
Custer and the men with him. who
only six weeks after lay dead ON the
Little Big Horn.
That was in the end of June when
the river was flooded over all it's
bars by melted snow from the Rock
les. They brought news Of the disas-
ter at railroad speed to Bismarck in
a few hours. Many pilot sparring
over sand-bars in the spring. had
longed for that "June rise. or at
least Il "heavv dew" to raise the river.
In the fall navigation was easier,
for tho the river was lower there
was less erosion, and the falling eur
rent had cut for itself deeper chan
mel.
Business Was Good
The corporation that carried on the
transportation line did great bust
ness. They took freight from Yank-
TON TO ut. Berthold, $50 miles by
river. for SOC a hundred; now we pay
cent mile from neighboring towns.
Each boat carried abou. 800 tons and
drew about } ID feet Of water. Ii
carried a load Of merchandise up
river. and returned loaded with furs.
hides and pemican and sometimes
gold. 1t was not until the golden
Ir,r 1
west ends Of the Northern Pacific
portatiOn monopoly was broken. Then
the Big Muddy was left in peace.
except for the lonely whistle of
government boat. pulling snags out
of the way Of steamers thai acvcr
came.
But the old river was made for man.
When the glacial ice cap that scatter
ed the niger heads the limstone
and granite boulders on Dakota soil
melted. the waters cut channel to
the gulf and made a highway for
commerce. SO God planned for US and
we have yet to follow the plan Swa-
ruhti--the Rees cal! the great river
the Wonderful water. Unlimited
electric power is in its upper reaches.
Irrigation for its vast bench lands
is hidden in its floods. Its banks
vii be raped to stop erosion. Its
current will be persuaded with will
low mats from its own banks, to
clear its own channel. The timber
on its margins will be salvaged be-
fore it is carried down to become
menace to naviaga ton. An extend
ed and cheap transportation system
is yet to flourish along its entire
course.