The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-09-23

of steamboats, at places one would never
dream had once been the river bed,
and that not so very long ago. It's banks
are constantly crumbling, the falling :
earth carrying with it trees and brush
to obstruct the channel and adding to
the danger of navigation. The uprooted
trees constituted snags which are said
to have caused more wrecks than were
brought about through any other means.
I recently saw it claimed that unlike
navigated at night. h may be true,
yet I never made the river journey when
the was not tied up at night, even
on that notable trip in 1873, with Jo-
seph LaBarge in command, and the river
low. There was every reason why we
should have made all speed possible.
Joseph LaBarge had the so-called
'gumption' of a Yankee; he was never
at a loss as to what should be done in
an emergency. Once, we are assured.
the wind tore off the roof Of the pilot
house above his head n sent 1t lar
out over the prairie. He did not purpose
to stand there day after day exposed
to rain, hail or a boiling sun. There
were plenty of buffalo hides aboard.
These he had sewed together to replace
the roof. 1t is also told of him that
the smokeStacks of a boat having been
blown down, he replaced them with
coiled hides and went merrily On his
way. This last story resembles in nature
those narrated for the entertainment OF
unsuspecting pilgrims" it may be true,
but is open to suspicion.
Liquor in Flour Barrels
The pilot house of the "Nimrod" was
the one rooted with hides. 1t was this
bOat-the property Of the American Fur
company-that ran the gauntlet at Belle
vue. Contrary to law it was carrying
-liquor-alcohol probably-to be used in
the Indian trade. 1t was placed in flour
barrels marked conspicuously P. A. S., to
indicate it was consigned to Peter A.
Sarpy, the agent Of the company, at
Bellevue, but intended for a point fur
Their UP the river. Ordinarily there
it past Bellevue, bu a new inspector was
stationed there who meant to do his
duty. When the "Nimrod" tied up at
Bellevue, the flour barrels were unloaded
and sent to the company's warehouse,
The inspector went aboard the boat
searched it carefully everywhere liquor
could be stored. He found none, as it
was then stored in the warehouse. Never
theless, his suspicion was aroused ano
he determined not to be fooled.
He watched the boat by day. When
night came and he wished to rest, 9
trusty man took his place with orders
to notify the inspector if anything &C.
CURED out of the ordinary.
For some then unexplained reason, the
steam did not go down as it usually
l | III db AAkA4H EAoA4C AAOAAA IL NAACAO W6A
5 nothing to enlist the watchers atten.
i ton. He may ave gone to sleep, fol
about midnight canvas was laid dow
t over the gangplank; he flour barrels
. were taken from the warehouse Ant
a noiselessly rolled onto the boat. I'm
/ fortunately toward the last, some
noise startled the watcher, who at ono
4 called the inspector. "All on boardl'
i shouted Captain LaBarge as swinging
4 an ak he severed the rope holding tn
i boat tt land, and it steamed out int
S midchanne1. The inspector could d.
e nothing out lay the case before tn
federal authorities. affair nigh
g have led to the loss of it's trading Ii
y cense by the company if it had not beel
It for the intercession Of Senator Thoma
d H. Benton in its behalf.
n When the flour barrels were to b
e loaded, the r~oustabouts, being ignoran
d Of their contents or Of the imperativ
e need Of their being reloaded, natural
grumbled at being set to work in tn
middle of the night. why do we-a
s. have to- do this?" asked III "Wh,
Is don't you see them bar'ls marked P. A.