Roosevelt High School - Bwana Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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STEAMBOATIN' Oh, when Uncle Henry was a little tiny boy A-sittin' on his daddyis knee, Says: 'lf l ever grow up to be a man, A steamboat man l want to be.' N fQuick, ulvlississippi Steamboatin' D A Q' ROBABLY many a tiny Uncle Henry has grown up to realize his usteamboatin' U dream. What could be more fascinating than to pilot one of those floating palaces down the broad Mississippi! ln his book, Life on the 1Wz'ssissz'pp1', Mark Twain tells how proud he was when he became a cub pilot. With his usual humor, he relates what trials and tribulations were his when he attempted to master the course of the ever- changing Mississippi. The life of a steamboatman was not all play--far from it. But every boy was willing to work hard for the honor of being one. The steamboat captain usually designed and directed the building of his boat. The typical river boat had three decks with a small, gaudily-deco- rated pilot house on top. lntricate, gingerbread woodwork between the decks transformed a rather commonplace vessel into a floating, fairy palace. The cabins were decorated with great luxury. Oil paintings were on the walls, and the carpets were usually an inch thick. Gilt was used to add to the magnificence. The river captain spared no expense in decorating his boat, for competition was strong. If one boat came out with a chandelier with one hundred lights, the other boats had to have chandeliers with more than one hundred lights. The passengers appreciated this competition. As more and more boats were launched, their decorations became increasingly elaborate. Steamboats were used to transport cotton, wood, and general merchan- dise up and down the river. But most people think of steamboats as passen- ger boats. Where every boat had a nigger on the safety valve, a gambler on the hurricane deck, and romance in the cabin. And it was for this trade that most of the finest boats were built . The negroes were musical and care-free. Usually one of them felt happy and would start a song. As the others gradually joined in, rhythmic music would swell over the muddy water. Many long evenings were spent in this manner by negroes and whites. Steamboatin' was not all fung many dangers were connected with it. Boilers would explode: boats would catch fire, or would run into snags and sink. The results would be tragic if no other boat happened to be near. Still people would brave these dangers for the fun of traveling up and down the Mississippi. Steamboatin' days on the Mississippi have come and gone. Those rough- and-ready days of steamboat traffic are only exciting tales. The railroad has practically replaced the steamboat. Oh, yes, we still have river traflicg the latest type boat, docked at the foot of Vine Street, is beautiful. But can it compare with the old-time steamers, with cotton piled high on the hurricane deck, the negro roustabouts singing their mysterious rhythms? No, those days will never return. But Ol' Man Riber, he still keeps goin' along. DORIS MARNER Twenty-three

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? F ' 5 boats for St. Louis trade, and in the same year Calvin Case opened a boat- yard. By IS47 there were seventy-six steamboats, and a great deal of river business was done by individual owners of boats or by single firms. Shortly after, iron gunboats were built here, and their successful navigation was seen on the Mississippi. These iron barges and steamboats were highly recom- mended, for they lessened the cost of freight and insurance, and increased the volume of transportation. There were few improvements after the iron boats, and in the following years until the present time these boats and barges traveled up and down the Mississippi. Recently there has been much discussion in regard to widen- ing the Mississippi so that the ocean steamers may come up to St. Louis. Then, indeed, St. Louis would be a Center of Transportation. JEANNETTE HOELSCHER 2 5 Z 3 2 1? g L I C uurivsif of .llissouri Hmmriful Society THE OLD ROBERT E. LEE Twcnry-two

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