Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26

from Pittsburgh to New Orleans He
Is today the nestor of all rivermen,
the Oldest of that fast-thinning band of old
timers who knew every snag, bend and sand
bar in the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
The captain knew Mark Twain in the late
sixties, when Twain was q pilot and he him
self was clerk on another steamboat the
City of Alton.
Born in St. Louis Capt. Dukes took to the
river as naturally duck takes to water
The Ohio River held no more mystery for him,
so far as knowing snags, bends and sand bars
was concerned, than the Mississippi, although
he spent the greater portion of his river life
on the latter,
He married at the age of 81 and settled In
Memphis; that is, the city was home for him
when he was not the river. Some men
make money their masters, others fall for
sports and still others follow the line of least
resistance. But for Capt. Dukes, wiry little
dynamo of energy, there has been but one
great love- for his family; one irresistible
lure and that was steamboats, and the river
Today he is considered the greatest living
authority on old and new river conditions
When an argument arises as to the palatial
fittings or speed of a certain old-tinne river
steamboat, the diSputants invariably have the
question settled by this spry old gentleman
typical of the best traditions of the Mississippi
in the days when there real romance on
that stream.
of a portion Of the most famous river race in
the worlds history-the race between the side
wheel steamboats, Robert e. Lee and the
Natchez, from New Orleans to ST. Louis. in
1870.
The Lee won by several hours her time for
-Ine l.2So-mlie upstream run being 30 hours
IL minutes. When the Lee pulled into St
Louis at noon on July bedlam broke loose
Every bell and steamboat wl1istle-and there
were many steamboat whistles at that time
opened up in turbulent greeting.
The record Of the Robert E. Lee stood for so
years until the Summer Of 1929, when DIR.
Leroy, Memphis sportsman and surgeon after
three attempts, ran over the same course in his
speedboat BOgie, completing the run in 90
hours, or just two hours faster than the side
wheeler made it SO years previously.
{ APT. DUKES says his steamboat, the CITY
of Alton, tied up at the Memphis
Wharf on the day Of July 4, 1870 Telegraphic
reports from down the river concerning the
racing steamboats, were vague and uncertain
thousands of persons waited all that after
noon. expecting any moment to hear the bel
lowing roar of the whistle of the leading boat
Daylight passed and darkness came but the
thrill OF the race was too great for the watch
ers to leave the levee and the bluffs behind it,
Each watcher feared the boats might pass while
he was absent
With darkness came bonfres, lighted on the
cobblestone levee and along the bluffs where
tne post ONCE now stands. Negroes were pres
ent by the thousands also
They were the life of the occasion says Capt
Dukes. mprovising songs and executing i'm
promptu buck-and-wing dancing in the fan
tastic shadows cast by the pinewood bonfires.
De hatcher naOu0ht be a De'y good boat,
But ct she iDins, 90 kin cut nah throat
Paddle wheels churnin0 an smoke rollin'
Jas,
De Lee cGp'n happy cause de Matches
CANT pass