Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1891 — EARLY FLATBOATING. [ARTICLE]

EARLY FLATBOATING.

Life on Western Waters in the Anti- * Steamboat Days. Ind tanapolte News. ' , . There is no business, probably, that has undergone greater changes than the carrying trade on the Western rivers, and old river men delight to talk of the days gone by, when there was no fast freights or lightening express trains. Last evening a reporter found one of the old timers, and plied him with questions concerning early days on the rivers. - ~ “The changes on the Western rivers have. indeed, been many T ” said he. • ‘The first steamboat on the Mississippi *was, I think, in 1811. Prior to that time, and for many years after, for that matter, the river commerce was carried on in keels and flatboats. A keelboat starting from Pittsburg would reach New Orleans in about sixty days, with from thirty to fifty tons of freight. Some of them carried passengers, families, travelers,, hunters and others going down the river frequently taking passage on the keel. “The keelboats were light, longand narrow, sharp at both ends and roundbottomed. They were rigged with one or two sweeps on a side for propelling purposes, and,a ‘sweep’ on one end for use as a rudder. These sweeps or bars were usually made of small trees about 30 feet long, and hung to the side of the boat on iron pins. The big end of the tree was ‘inboard.’ or on deck. The small or outer end had an inch board, about 1 foot wide and 8 feet long, nailed diagonally across it to form the blade of the oar. These ‘sweeps’ were used in still water and for working the boat out of bends in the river, out of eddies and making crossings and landings. To work the sweep the boatman would take the pole against one shoulder, and quartering across the breast, would push, not pull, with a walk up about 15 feet, carrying it back to get another bold in the water. It was extremely hard work and very trying on clothes and shoe leather. The boats were also rigged with a mast and square sail, and often carried a small cannon for protection against Indians and lower river pirates. A keeiboat would be from three to six months on the return trip from New Orleans to Pittsburg. Down the river with the current was slow enought, but against the. currant was tough sailing. Where bottom could ba reached poles were used, but in deep, swift water, ‘warping’ or ‘Cordelia’ was the motive power. To •warp’ is to run a line ahead and fasten it to a tree on the bank, and then all hands haul on the line, to ‘Cordelia’ was to take a rope ashore and all hands get hold and haul or tow the boat —a very slow, hard job. “Assteamboats become more numerous the keelboats dropped out of use and the flatboat came into service; A flatboat would make the run down the

river in about the same time as a keelboat, but they never returned, their owners selling then at their destination for little or nothing. The purchaser generally broke up the boat and used the lumber for building purposes. They were rigged and manned about the same as a keelboat, but were differently constructed .They were what the name implies—flat—especially bn the bottom. The deck or the ‘roof’ was slightly crowning athwartship. The boat was from 80 120 feet long. 18 to 20 feet bou,m, square at both ends above water, with a short ‘rake’ or run at each end from the bottom to the deep-water line. They would carry from 100 to 150 tons freight,and their kind was. known by the cargo they carried as ‘whisky boat,” ‘pork boat,’ •hay boat,’ -corn boat,’ ‘live hog boat,’ •pumpkin boat,’ ‘hoop-pole boat,’ from Posey County, Indiana: ‘chicken boat,’ from Wabash and White rivers; ‘salt boats,’ from the Big Kanawa River,and ‘coal boats,’ from Pittsburg. The points of destination, were Memphis, Vicksburg, Natchez and New Orleans, mostly the latter. I have seen at the levee in New Orleans as many as 200 flatboats at one time. It was nothing uncommon to pass twenty or thirty ot them a day on a steamboat trip down the river. Some of them would be tied up to the banks, some at anchor, others drifting along with oars at rest, a jug of whisky and a tin cup on deck and the crew having a] jolifleation. As soon as a flatbout was landed at New Orleans the entire crew except one man, was paid off. and as they had no opportunity on the trip to spend their money, they got their wages all in a ‘pile.’ Then they would start out for a high old time, and have it, too. The canalboat men the News spoke about a few weeks ago were angels compared with the flatboat men. They would usually remain in -Orleans’ until thqir money was gone, or at least all buienough to pay their passage up the river, and as they generally took deck passage, which was only $2.50 or |3,they didn’t require much of a surplus Sometimes 150 or 200 flatboatmen would be on one steamer, and woe would be to the boat when the clerk attempted to collect the fare. They would not only refuse to pay, but would often take possession of the lower deck. “I was a passenger on the General Pike when there was just such a gang on board. When the clerk tailed on them they gathered on the after part of the boat and refused to pay a cent. Not only did they refuse to pay, but they nearly killed the unlucky cleik Tne boat was landed at a wood yard and the crew, armed with clubs, attempted to make the flatboatmen p i v or go ashore. The roughs were armed with knives, and the most terrible fight in the history of the river took place. The crew was driven for’ard to the fo’castle deck, the lines were cut and the boat set adrift and, taking full possession of the boat, the engineers were compelled to send the steamer up the river. Two of the crew were killed, and the mate so badly injurad that he did not leave his room* I

f until we reached Cincinnati. A' Natchez the captain got assistance an/ half the rowdies were put ashore. Ths balance paid their fare.” ••Did you ever flatboat it?” asked the reporter. “I never made but one trip. I shipped as supercargo on a boat from Cincinnati loaded with perk, hams, lard, flour and apples to run ?for a market. Our crew consisted of six men, and we shoved out from tha landing at C neiunati on the Ist day of February, 1844. My arrangements with th® owner of the boat were that I was to be treated the same as a passenger; that is. I was to have nothing to do with the- management of the boat except to order landings and departures. It was also stipulated in our contract that I was to pull at a sweep in a pinch; i. e., in case of an emergency, in pulling out a sharp bend, making a dangerous crossing. or in any place where the pilot considered ih j boat in a ‘pinch.’ I don’t think there ever was a boat in as many ‘pinches’ as our was. I learned afterward that we pulled headway nearly the entire distance fromCincin. nati to Cairo. 600 miles and I, being green in the flalboat business, worked all the time. Above Cairo we lauded alongside a “whisky boat.’ also from Cincinnati, This gave us twelve men and two pilots for a crew. When we struck the. Mississippi River, 1 congratulated myself that there would be no more of this everlasting ‘pinch’ business,and going to the cab n -turned in.’ Some time in the night I heard a rapi ping on the steering oar over my head. This 1 knew was a signal for all hands :to turn_ou L-and-in a few secunds, the I crew had sprung to Hie oars. A few I minutes latter the signal was given ■ that the boat was again in a ‘pinch.’ As it was raining very hard I concluded that I would rather pay for the blanked boat that turn out in such weather. My bunk was situated on the starbord b side and fore and aft of the boat. Ln less than five minutes from the time I ’ got I was pitched headfirst out of bed across the cabin My bunk fireplace, the cook’s galley and wardrobe and one corner of the boat above i the water was carried away by the snag which projected from the bank. I crawled on deck from the wreck and was soon at one oar helping to work out of the bend. W e landed at Memphis to repair damages, and finally landed at New Orleans, twentyninp days from Cincinnati, the fastest trip on record. I found that I had worn out three coats, two vests, two pair of boots and one pair of shoes working at a flatboat oar in a -pinch.’