Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-02-17

Captain Harry Zuleke of Salmon
City. Idaho. pioneer boatman on the
Salmon river, and well-known western
figure, Is n patient ut the Murray hos
pital. In Butte. recovering from an OPP
Grafton. The captain carries on one OF
the most unique river transportation
systems In the United states. lie takes
party after party of sishtseers down the
river from Salmon City TO Lewiston. a
distance of $40 miles. and never uses
the same boat twice; each party rides
in al absolutely new boat.
The reason for this is that q goodly
portion of the Salmon, along the route
indicated, is straight up" Having driv-
en- the boat TO Lewiston II is impossible
TO get it back to Salmon. The only al
tentative is to sell the boat The cap
tain now does a good business in these
boats. which are made out OF rough lum-
Der and cost him about MOO each to
build.
The crafts are 80 feet long at the deck
line and % feet at the keel. They are
eight feet wide. When the river Is high
the $40 miles are covered in two days.
Since the boats tie up at some conven-
lent sandbar at night, this means l55
miles each day. In some places the boats
travel like an arrow; again they idle
along. At low water 1t takes 10 to IL
days to make the trip.
The Salmon along the distance pre-
sents some splendid scenery, the captain
says. The river is 800 yards wide In some
places. AT other points the walls OF the
canyon draw so close together that the
sides Of the boat almost touch the rocky
walls.
IF the boat got stuck at one of these
points 1T would dam the river" says the
captain. At these narrow points the
river runs like a millrace and the boat
shoots along like a chip.
Have been building boats. hauling
sightseers and selling the boats at the
end of the trip for nigh IN 80 years"
says Captain Zuleke. AT first 1t was
hard to get a buyer, u now they map
them up. Same price to everybody. Boats
are made out of rough lumber. People
around lewiston tear up the boats and
build houses and sheds of them. Lots of
little lumber mills around Salmon. That's
how I get my planking."
Each night the boat pulls UP tt a
sandbar and anchor for the night. The
party must pay 500 per man and fur
nish their own beds and victuals. The
captain furnishes the boat and the crew
to work it.
"It is a fine life the veteran river
pilot declares. Course you got to know
the river. The scenery is grand. It's
canyon practically all the way. And such
a canyon"
The captain was born IN New York
in 1868. He has been west As years, of
which 80 years have been spent on the
Salmon. He didn't originate the idea Of
building n s%crapping boats. but he has
developed it into a profitable business.
Never had but one accident" the cap
tain declares. once a river man who
was q little drunk insisted on going
along. Suffering Mike Cronin said he'd
come, too. Just as we we're going over
the first dump Mike started to stutter.
l was too busy holding the boat to her
course to pay attention, but I could hear
him tipping out, 'G-g-g-g-g' like a mad
bee.
When we struck smooth water Mike
got 1t out Of him all at once. 'George. is
overheard he said. George could have
climbed to safety without an effort. But
he was drunk, and instead of crawling
up On a ledge On the right. he elected to
swim the river with a current running
against him at 40 miles an hour. Course
he was drowned"
The captain is making a rapid recovery
following an operation and expects to be
back on the job next spring looking for
passengers.