The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-04-01

st. Louis, July +, 11:25 a. m, while the
Natchez finished at 4:55 in the afternoon.
Elapsed time for the Robert E. Lee was
3 days, Is hours and 80 minutes, beating
the Natchez 6 hours and 80 minutes. The
distance travelled was 1910 miles.
considering the time the Natchez lost
in the stop for fog, and the long distance
travelled, the speed of both boats was re-
markable and the result was so close as to
be lndecisive for the friends Of the NatcheZ.
Much of the course was in strange waters
for Captain feathers ship. The great river
race was told in colOred autographs, hur-
riedly distributed, and became famous in
song and story, a part of the river tradi-
ton.
Eclipse and the ShOtwell and the speed
trials of the Grand Turk, were discounted.
The romance of a half-century of steam
boating was conferred in the favOriteS
Robert r. Lee and Natcbez, and while big
boats Continued to be built after their
time, the sentimental curtain really fell
with their passing. Plotting became an or
binary occupation, no longer magniicently
rewarded, when the federal government
began to remove bars and snags and cut
out trees, thousands of Instructions in a
single season. The gambling gentry, long
picturesque figures of the boats, went
ashore when rich travellers favored the
quicker railroads, and river transportation
lost much of its glamour when the rail
roads divided patronage. With lessened
income the type of river steamboats,
NoAS[ " " ALLLEA0 INV 0aA "
by Stern-wheel and propeller tugs"
Up the Missouri
1t was not until 1919 that any attempt
was made to navigate the Missouri with
steamboats,. The tales brought down tC
st. Louis by the yOyageurs and traders was
to the effect that the tOrtIOus channel, the
strong current and innumerable snags anC
SandbarS would render steam navigation
creasing demands of that enter
prlS1ng promoters undertook the task. The
Independence solved the problem by max,
ing a trip from st. Louis to Charlton and
return.
Major Longs Enterprise
This same year QS19) Major Long made
his famous attempt to reach the Yellow
stone river via steamboat up the Missouri
rms effort is explained by Phil 10. Chap
pei In his History Of the missouri River"
Kansas Historical Collections, Vol. TX
page 2; as follows:
1.-THE names Of the four steamboats, which
constituted the feet were Thomas Jener
son., r. NJ. Johnson, Expedition, and West
ern Engineer, the latter being in charge o
JamOr Long. The Jefferson struck a snai
IN Usage chute, at the mouth Of the Usage
ana sank, being the first steamboat or tn
many wrecked on the Missouri river. Tn
Western Engineer had been built expressl!
TOT this expedition, and from her un1qu
construction is worthy of description. Sh
was a small stern-wheeler, seVenty-hVe Zee
lOng, thirteen feet beam, and drew nine
teen inches light. She was intended to i'm
press the Indians with awe, and there i
no doubt she did so. On her bow, run
nlng from her keelsOn forward, was tn
escape pipe, made in imitation OF a hug
serpent, painted black, and its mouth an
tongue painted a fiery red. The stear
: escaped from the mouth Of the serpent
anu we can readily imagine that the In
dian who saw this wonderful piece 0
marine mechanism recognized in it th
power OF the Great ManitOu.
5 Ihere is q difference Of statemen
lUm0nE fhn uumfnwa uvw4A~wn nr An tho mrnmn
Q ments Of the boats Of this expedition
Jamess account Of Longs expedition ma
z De relied upon for those Of the Wester
engineer, which left st. Louis June p