Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-06-28
(By MRS. NJ. e. PLASSMANN)

10Y MhS. Va. Ia G~I1SSMANN
TT WAS only by chance that was a
passenger, in the autumn of 1878, on
= a Missouri river BOAT commanded by
one Of the earliest n~avigators of the up
per Missouri, Captain Joseph LaBarge
The boat had been detained at Fort Ben
ton by the United States marshal,
Charles Hard, on the charge that from it
liquor was sold to the Indians. 1t was
then late in the season. the river rapid
ly falling, and all other boats that a
made the up-river trip were fastening
in the opposite direction to escape being
stranded far from their winter moorings.
Unless his boat could be freed immedi-
ately, Captain LaBarge would have been
forced to remain at Fort Benton until
the rise Of the river in the spring.
Fortunately for the family of Col. w.
F. Sanders and myself, who accompanied
them, the case against Captain LaBarge
was won by him, and his boat only
awaited Il arrival to depart. Through
this train of circumstances I met three
of the LaBarge family-Captain Joseph
and his two sons, n of whom acted as
steward, and the other as pilot of the
boat.
They were all three fine looking men,
the captain and steward being dark COM
p~lexioned, the pilot tall and blonde, with
golden-not red-hair and beard. His
years of service on the treacherous Mis-
souri, had whitened the Captains head
and beard, but it a not dulled his
piercing black eyes. A distinguished
looking old man, he must have been
handsome when young. / recall him as
a little above medium height; well pro-
portioned and muscular enough to have
held his own against the rough charac-
tiers he would be brought in contact with
during his long life on the river.
Captain LaBarge was the first to take
a steamboat to Fort Benton some one
told me while / was on this trip. /
LaBarge who made that notable journey,
but not Joseph; it was his brother
Voyage to Yellowstone
Joseph LaBarge began his river APP
premiership in 1886 at III age of six
teen. When but eighteen he was on the
first steamboat that made the ascent OF
the river to the mouth Of the Yellow
stone. That any boat could do this was
considered then a triumph In river navi-
cation.
Smallpox broke out on the boat in Its
most virulent form. The captain, obliged
to return to st. Louis for aid, left the
craft in command of young LaBarge
Like Cassabianca, the boy stuck to his
| pObl ulllll Dub LllItG THIndlutQ alive on
the boat, and he himself was SO i'll they
carried him to the fort when the Yellow
stone was reached. That in his condi-
ton he managed to take the boat so far
seems almost miraculous n is sufficient
proof Of his determination n his early
developed skill as a navigator.
The first Missouri river boats were not
like those which ran later. The "Yel-
lowstone," built in 1881, was a side
wheel steamer, 1870 feet long, with a six
foot hold. There were two smoke stacks;
the boiler deck was open, and when the
boat was loaded, 1t drew five and q half
feet. The improved boats were fiat bot
toned. nearly twice as long as the yell
lowstone; had a draft loaded of fifty
inches; were propelled by a stern wheel
and balanced rudder. These also car
ried two smoke stacks. A boiler was In
stalled on either side OF the boat. The
crew and steerage passengers occupied
the boiler deck; above was the cabin.
and above this the Texas" for the ac-
commodation Of the officers. On the
same deck with the Texas and quite to
the front. lowered the pilot house with
stairs leading to the lookout where this
important officer was stationed.
Clouds of Mosquitoes
When attacks from Indians were feared.
LIZ bOaNo 4 fSa iItd III hIlA
often 1t was necessary to barricade the
decks and staterooms. In 1878 the In
dians gave US no trouble. but the mos
quitoes did They rose in swarms from
the river bank when the boat tied up at
night: took possession of the decks and
the cabin. and when they could ind NO
one to torture, they lined the walls of
the cabin where they rested while await
ing the dawn. They were as active by day
- - ~fL+ Nt@v-- ---.I -
the hands. nor shoes the feet. The best
place to resist-we could not escape their
attacks-was to sit on the front deck
Here we ate, N not in the cabin, our
food besprinkled with their bodies. Said
Captain LaBarge after a sleepless night,
RS he appeared among us, I'm all my
years on the river / never knew the
mosquitoes to be SO bad" and / can be-
lieve he spoke the truth. They could
not have been worse.
On his first trip to Fort Union, the
boy who acted as substitute captain ran
the gauntlet of hostile Indians; un-
doubtedly was annoyed by mosquitoes
and other insect pests; faced death from
smallpox. n yet succeeded in bringing
his boat to land.
No boat carried enough fuel to last the
entire journey. The fuel used was wood.
taken on at evening after the boat tied
up. In the beginning the crew not only
carried the wood aboard. but were obliged
to cut II. Later. wood yards were estab-
lished. the wood cutters being nick