IAGenWeb - Scott County
MISSISSIPPI RIVER FOLK BACKGROUND
JAMES STEDMAN Capt. W. Blair
RECALLS MANY OF THE BOATS
This company bought from W. A. Blair the excellent raft boat, the Silver Crescent . She was 123 feet long with a 23 foot beam. She was built of selected Kentucky oaks and was a fine model. She had the engines of the two-boat Park Painter of Pittsburgh, with 14 inch cylinders and a 4 1-2 stoke. She was fitted with a comfortable cabin and was one of the handsomest and fastest crafts in the entire rafting fleet.
The writer was her master and pilot with Parm Lancaster as mate, James Stedman as engineer and S. R. Dodds as clerk. For a few weeks Capt. Lon Bryson was with us, to teach and show us raftsmen how to handle passengers and freight as well as the clerical work connected with these things.
Source: Blair, Capt. W., Saturday Evening Post, Burlington, Ia., Unknown.
RECALLS MANY OF THE BOATS
Career of Silver Crescent
This company bought from W. A. Blair the excellent raft boat, the Silver Crescent. She was 123 feet long with a 23 foot beam. She was built of selected Kentucky oaks and was a fine model. She had the engines of the two-boat Park Painter of Pittsburgh, with 14 inch cylinders and a 4 1-2 stoke. She was fitted with a comfortable cabin and was one of the handsomest and fastest crafts in the entire rafting fleet.
This boat finished up some rafting and after a few changes and additions started to revive, on June 17, 1892, the old trade to Burlington. This was the summer of extremely high water.
The writer was her master and pilot with Parm Lancaster as mate, James Stedman as engineer and S. R. Dodds as clerk. For a few weeks Capt. Lon Bryson was with us, to teach and show us raftsmen how to handle passengers and freight as well as the clerical work connected with these things.
Our start was not encouraging. The entire earnings of our first round trip were $16.75. The increase was slow, but by the end of the season in 1893 we paid a 5 per cent dividend.
Source: Blair, Capt. W., Saturday Evening Post, Burlington, Ia., Unknown.