The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-11-13
Captain John Belk,
Pioneer Missouri
River Pilot, Dies
CONTINUED from pace one,

ttie prairie country III TIC JUS.
His last association with the river.
after the railroads had driven off the
boats, was as ferryman between here
and the Mandan side Of the Missouri.
Father Slain as Marshal
Captain Belk was born in Tusca-
loosa. Tallapoosa county, Alabama,
March %, 1850. His father, Lee
Belk, was a blockade runner in the
Civil war and "a killed in a Balti-
more and Ohio station riot at Meri-
Dian. Mississippi. while serving as
city marshal in 1877. The elder Belk
had been a river skipper in Alabama
while his son was q lad Of Is.
The father married twice. The
first wife. mother Of the captain, was
Martha Lambert. who died when he
was q mere child and he then went
to live with his grandfather, Luke
Lambert, q farmer. The fathers Sec
ond wife was Elizabeth Merideth.
With the death Of the grandfather,
young Belk went to live with his
uncle, Bill Lambert. It was then that
he was introduced to steamboats,, at
Northport. opposite Tuscaloosa, on
the Tombigbee. The sight Of his first
boat scared him, he used to say. It
was the Senator No. 2, and he went
aboard to look 1t over when he found
It wasn't dangerous. The cook In
duced him to take a job at washing
pans and saving wood. When he
learned the boys name he took him
to the first mate. who proved to be
Belk's own father. As a result of that
job he learned steering from his
father.
Crippled BY Fall on Boat
Dislocating q hip in falling down
the long steps to the main deck. he
was laid up seven months and carried
the effects Of that accident through
life.
In 1864, he enlisted in Company A,
Eighth Alabama regiment, Captain
Lawrence and First Lieutenant Wat
son. serving rs city militia.
After the war conditions were bad
~ the South, SO. after choring up and
down the river. he went to Columbus,
Mississippi. and from there by rail to
Meridian. He worked his way to
Cairo, ILL.,, on the boat General And
erson. Captain Murphy, and from
there on the boat Princess made hts
way to st. Louis, in 1865.
Conditions Of employment we're lit
tie better In the Missouri metropolis.
etrolling down to the river one day,
the sight Of the boats at the levee In
spired . desire to strike out for new
fields. But he had very little over
30. SO he applied for q job on the
boat he had selected to travel on. It
was the Evening Star.
The captain said he could use him
IN the stewards department. One
Of his duties was at stated hours to
take coffee to the pilot. and he was
asked to pun sugar into the cup as
he offered 1t to the man at the wheel.
Instead. he suggested that he hold
the wheel while the pilot sugared the
drink to suit his tastes. That led to
questioning. and when young Belk
said he had piloted on the Alabama,
the wheel was turned over to him,
while the pilot slipped coffee.
vslunteers Into Pilot Aid Again
Hours ct the wheel were long and
there was lack Of an assistant to re-
lieve the regular steersman, SO the
man 1t the wheel went to the captain
and had Belk transferred to pilot
house Is relief assistant. That. was
his first experience ut plotting on the
DIG Muddy.
The Evening Star ran Is far Is
Atchison, Kansas, and there Belk
left II and with money he had earned
he took passage on the Sunset. one
of the river boats going to Omaha.
He paid 80 passage and registered.
The thrill Of plotting now was In his
blood again and while the boat was
proceeding northward, he hung
around the wheelhouse.
Then almost the same incident Is
that which led to his getting the Job
Of relief pilot on the Evening Star
occurred. a boy from the stewards
staff came up with q cup Of coffee
Tor the pilot. Belk stepped forward
and offered 70 steer while the wheel
man drank the coffee. He told Of his
experience on the Alabama and Of his
trip north on the Evening Star, and
he not only steered the boat while
the pilot enjoyed his coffee. but when
that Was done the latter went to the
captain and had the young Alabaman
hired a. his assistant. The SO pas
sage money was returned, and when
the trip was finished. Belk found
himself In the struggling young city
Of Omaha.
Becomes Regular Eliot
However. he did net remain In
f1mAaha DnNfN u,apA 1aaAiNa Anp ~