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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1906)
THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 2. 1803. iz 1 mm tiJ J J L - t-ATL )(, L-JL Grin. 11- ?V. .J .. (N , 1 .. Set Wl?UWD. KATIE ZAVD - w' , ' m 77; ii t I X - WW ILLiJ V 5 i ' r( .LL'jm II - fv INI Kib ' 7. - ' IS ;V. ll . -r- -- i LizL" s i I i 1 wmurnna kc . . .j - . - . jj.onvrm:-n TTi1VrJTfll rr'. i M rQP VtFVwWlQT WTH YTEiMTTI -T LL10TT. 'SOD 31 -la GE0fi i V 4 EtPTT TMr ago all th ffelrht and paaant-r trafflo between Port. Jand - and Enat Portland waa "Tfearriia" acroaa tha Wiliametta In a little frry boat of 20 tona burden. Tha craft, a plctura of which would ba cutioaity nowadar". waa propallad by tnulra, and Charlea Fruah waa tha cap tain, pilot, collector, engineer and "part owner. Hta partners were Mra. - Fruah and tha lata Jamea B. Stephens. Vanjr pioneers at 111 remember that little ferry ' and also 'Charlie" Fruah as ha stood ateerlns; tha boat with an apron oar and --wrrlna; his pair of little mules to tread tha wheela faster whan awlft passage wa demanded by hurried patrons. , "Charlie" ha been In tha government service for many years, and he la not following the atrenuous Ufa he led when master of the first big trana Wllllamett ferry. His presence in the city a short time ago called to mind 'the time whan he waa the steamboat ; magnate. "I can aee Charlie yet," aald a pioneer . tha other day. "Tha ferry used to land at the foot of Stark street on the weat . aide, and J street, cow Oak street, on - tha eaat aide. Charlie would keep tha oar-end .of the boat out In the stream, and always kept bis eyea on hla two mules. Tha one on the north waa yel low and the one on the south waa by. It was wonderful how be bad those mules trained. When they ahowed a disposition to gut lasy, Charlie would kl-yl at them and the yellow one would pick up hla ears and the wheel would revolve faater. Sometimes shouting would ' do no good, , and then Charlie would give them a little strenuous treat ment. He always kept a bos of rocks near - the steering oar, and tha mules would get a couple of atones In . the flanks He wouldn't always have to burl a stone, though, for the mulea kept , their eyes pn him. and when they aaw him reach Into the bos they would strike faster pace.' ' , - ' Portland's First Big Ferry. The mule ferry waa Portland's first big ferry. It could tarry a number of ""tiaawngers' and suvtial1 teams."1" ppfore its advent, the ferries were sculled Soros the river by means of an apron oar. It was not until 1IM that the first ' steam ferry was placed In commission. Joseph Knott, father of A. J. and ievl Knott, who controlled the ferry business for years, had bought out the Fruahea and Stephens and acquired tha Portland, a elde-wheeler, 80 feet long and 18 feet wide. The Black Maria, a boat built by ! the Flushes, was also bnught by Mr. Knott flhe waa built before the Port land and waa a smaller boat, with, en gine located, on one aide and the boiler ' on another, and when she began her - run ahe waa considered on of the beat boata on tha river. Boon after tha purchaaa of tha ferries by Knott, Stephens made preparations to start another line. Litigation fol lowed, but Knott won. Stephens and - Knott never were on tha best of term a, and after tha settlement of tha caae the former indulged In a bit of revenge that . nearly cost him hla fortune. Tha Im proved aerviee given by -Knott made Kast Portland property valuable, and Stephens, who owned a donation land , claim, built a number of houses on that portion of It nearly opposite the J street v' landing. - At the same 1 1 life, to obstruct the operation of the ferry, he drove a number of piles near the landing In' the fill ran of the ferry. Knott retaliated by changing the landing place to I, street, now Eaat Washington street. ;. The result waa av boom for t street property. Housea sprung tip every- where, and the tenants 'Sll csme from, tha buildings erected by Stephen on J I W A HART .asaw DGZcS. CAPT V e 1 W.X.TAYLCR 1 i rmitJtYJTVTvmj ... -A Sp i -" ALEXANDER BUM SMITH " jTZRIilLL FF.GAT&S. BRHX3E8 AND FERRIES. 1160-44 Scull and mule-power boat, operated by James B. Steph ens, Charlea Fruah and "Auntie" Frush. 7- - i ; U6S First steam ferry. Slsa Ladd. built for Joseph Knott; tonnage, CI; master, John Douglas. Stark street ferry No. t. built In lit! for Mra. Fruah; tonnage, 54. Ferrv Portland, built for W. 8. Ladd,. E. M. Burden, 8. N. Arlgonl and A. P. Dennlaon; tonnage, 80 (boat waa sold In 1887 to Joseph Knott) . . ' ' 1170 O. C. R, R. Co.'s ferry Ko. t; C. F. Jones, master; tonnage, 8S8; length, ill feet; breadth. It feet;, depth. H feet. 1871 Katie Ladd, built at Wettport for Joseph Knott; tonnage, U0.f8; length, 100 feet; breadth, IS feet; depth. 4 feet 1878 Ellsa Ladd, built for Joacph Knott; master, W. H. Foster; ton nage, 118.47; length. 10 feet; breadth. 10 feet; depth, i feet Albina; & B. Douglas, owner and maatsr; tonnage, 77.71. - H7 Veto, built for W. H. Foater and E. A. Wlllla for Switser'a land ing (now Juat outside of Portland) and Vancouver route; tonnage. 74.58. O. k C. ferry No. 8; C. F. Jones, master; . tonnage, 414.81; length. 12? feet; breadth. II feet; depth, feet. ' 1880 Stark etreet ferry No. 8. built for A. J. and L. . Knott; W. It Robertson, master; tonnage, 181.11. Milwaukla, built for F. C. Harlow t0t AWm-VyHHnfihl" M'"'Mltiu W nag, 86.10.. - 1881-Dalay Andrua, built for tha Jefferson Street Ferry company; - master, C E. Cam tonnage,. 80.80. albloa No. 1, built for M A. and Na- than Hackett; tonnage, 110.81. 1884 Stark atreet ferry No. 7; A. J. Knott, managing owner; master, V7. H. Robertson; tonnage, 199.11. 194 w. 8. Mason, built for the city; Henry Van Auken and D. O. Brunger. captains: tonnage, 111. 904 Lionel R, Webster (Lower Albina ferry), built for the city; W. H. RoberUon and John J. Jaggy, captains; towage, 148. John F. Caplea . Bell wood ferry)! Oeorga P. Ewry, captain; tonnage, lis. ' J , ' .. , v ' BRIDGES... ;.''-' : '' I 1887 Morrison atreet; purcbaaed for tha city In lltt. New brfdga built In 1904-8 - ' .''.-.'..' 1888 O. R. N. Co.'s bridge the steel bridge); upper deck leased for the city in 189S; ' , lg)0 Madison street; purchased by tha city In 1891; purchaaa ap- . proved by tha bridge commission later. 1894 Bumalde atreet; built by the bridge commission for the city. street The blow nearly ruined Stephens and It waa several years before he re covered from. It . 9- ,, , Carrying Patsenger Car. The year 1870 saw a new ferry on tha river. Trafflo over Bon Holladay'g rail road was Increasing tepidly, and ha had the O. C. dock on' the east aid. It went out of aervlc in 1879 but wa tied up to the dock for several yeara afterward. It waa the first trip of thla boat H la said, that iig:e"ted to Ste phen Mavbell his. poem, 4The Bridge Across the Willamette." Maybell.' so the story runs, was lolling on the bank near where tha east approach of tit . . r . .' ..v ;...)''', ; steel bridge fs now, when the ferry shot out Into the stream with Its usual load of cara. Tha eight suggested the lines. Little Is remembered of the poem now except the refrain, ?'I see, I see It yet, the bridge across the 'Willamette." Maybcir poem waa widely printed in tha Oregon papera at , t time and cauaed many a school- teacher, to apply the shingle to pupil Who persisted In pronouncing Willamette si Maybell did when he took advantage of pjftle li cense In order to make a rhyme. Mar bell, likewise, la almost forgotten. The laat heard of him waa In San Francisco, where It la said he abjured poetry In order better to fit himself for member- mp la tha Salvation a my. , ... , W E.-e'ifc' . H S SM TuS, s.tscorv 1 The following yesr the Knott busi ness necessitated the building of a larger boat The Katie Ladd was con structed and four yeara later the Eliza Ladd, a sister boat was launched. W. II. Foster, until lately master of the ferry Webster, and W. H. Robertson, a captain of the Webeter.' were captains of these boata. The ferrlea were large for the time, but within a few yeara their capacity for trafflo waa found to be entirely inadequate. On ' Sundaya, when picnics were given at the East Portland, park, part ofwblch is now the Hawthorne park, the two boata had over a load that could be easily accom modated on any ' of the present-day ferrlea. .' , ;' Steam-Heated Carina. The great wind atorm of 1880,, which cut down the tall firs in ths park aa with a scythe, caused a lull, in the picnic business for a time, but a bigger boat was needed for even ordinary traf fic, and the Knotta conceived the Idea of having a larger ferry with - a center wheel. Stark atreet ferry No. was tha reault The Cabins In this boat were on the sides and were steam heated. In the smaller ferries the cabin were over the engine room. Four years later No. 7 slid off the way a Thla boat also had a center wheel, but the cabins were over the engine room. Both these ferries were in commission when the Morrison street bridge end the Stark street and Albina lines were purchased by tha bridge committee for the city Invl85. . Steam, ferrying In the daya of No. t and Na 7 Was nothing to what It waa when the Idda plied at- Stark atreet and the Mllwaukle at Milwaukle. In the daya of the Ladd boats It waa Im possible to rn on- the -cable -ottrtog the freshets. -There was no steam-steering gesriss on ths later ferries, and the rttptnlns had to manipulate apron oara. Ho-w arduous this labor was may easily beieen by any on In the pilot house of the ferry Webster on a dsy when rlvee swells run high, the Webster has only one hand-stecrlng gear, andJt re- A quires ail the strength and dcaterltyot UTCrUJJiSQN the oaptalna to keep her from butting Into the big ships . anchored In the stream on stormy day. . Driftwood also waa something that early oaptalna had to contend with. Captain Foster tells a story of A. J. Knott who tried to shore a log out of the path of the Katie Ladd. The log got' amy from him, but he held on to his plktpole and plunged Into the stream. He could not swim a trok. The ferry passed over him and when he came up on the other end Captain W. H. Robertson raa a grabhook through hla coat collar and hauled him aboard. . "Man overboard'' waa not an unuaual cry, and Captain Henry Van Auken had a record of having eared It Uvea dur ing the eight or ten yeara ha was with tb Knott. Talking of Bridgea. Before the Stark Street Ferry com pany went out of existence, a deter mined effort waa mad to bridge tin Willamette, and also to start an opp altionerry: William . O. Beck and others Incorporated the Willamette Bridge ' toinrenr," Morrison street, and W. S. Chapma William IL Andrua and othera Incor porated the Jeffersoa Street Ferry com pany, to operate a ferry front' ther font of Jefferson atreet, Portland, to the foot of U street Kest Portland The bridge company drove a few piles, and waa then enjoined from doing any more work by the Knott!, who alleged that they had the exclusive right to transport passenger and freight over the river. Chapman and Andrua bought the ferry Veto from Captain W. 11. Foster snd brought It to Portland, and after its first trip over the river In lilt they also were 'enjoined. They gave bonds and continued tb operation of the ferry until the case was decided against the Knotta. The ferry ran until the Madi son street bridge was opened In the lat ter part of 1890. t'pon the. termination of the suit In 1888 work on the Morrison street bridge was recommended, and the bridge wa opened on April 11, 1887. The bridge waa rebuilt of steel In 1904. and Id now one of the finest In the west The draw la 888 feet long, and the vessel channels are 165 fet la the clear on cither side. The only accident that ever happened on the old bridge wa' in 1901, when the plank walk gave way and a number of people who gathered to wltnesm a swimming exhibition were thrown Inti the river. Two were drowned. The Steel bridge, the only bridge not owned by tjbe county, wa thrown open on July 10. , ajid on that day. the old O. A C, ferry and the O. R. N. transit r boat, wblcii a4 for year ' 1 : . . '.. . . - been carrying passenger to tha eaat side depot went to the dock. The steel bridge draw la 140 feet long and the channel la 147 ' feet clear between the decka and the cylinder pier. The Madison atreet bridge was built in 1880,. and waa acquired by the city without the consent of the bridge com mission In ths fall of 1191. Thla waa ths first free bridge In the city. The purchase by the city was made In the night and It 1 aald that next morning hundreds of people who had not read the papera hurried past the supposedly neglectful toll-collectors without paying their nickels, each fervently hoping that he had cheated a corporation out of a nickel. Thla bridge will have to be rebuilt within two years, aa It la unable to atand the wear and tear of heavy team and railway traffic. The draw of the bridge Is 120 feet long, and the channels 140 feet In the clear on either side: The most, dlaaetrous acci dent In the history of the bridges and ferries occurred on thla bridge on the morning of November 1, 1898. While tha draw waa open, a ear sped over the frosty rails and through the wooden MAsJiaMM tapman. I P'e were drowned, and several injured or shocked. The Bumslde street bridge was opened In 1894. The draw of this bridge Is 188 feet long and weighs 800 ton without the wooden . decks. The chan nel are 188 feet In the clear. Trouble With Mariner. Each of the bridges la operated by crews of from six to ten men on eight hour shifts. The principal trouble thee crews have to encounter la from open drawa. Under an agreement the river captains signed with the county court the drawa are never opened until the boats sre Within a reasonable distance from the bridge or when they have a heavy tow, such aa a monster lumbor carrier or a boom of logs where skillful msnenverlsg Is necessary, but often a bridge will he "held op" by a steamboat master, either because of Incompetency or from, pur 'meanness of spirit. Sttnti "holdups" hare been noticed frequently on tha Madison street bridge, where the draw machUiery la old and worn and careful handling Is necessary. Tt la not unusual to see a captain let Ma boat drift through the draw whaj 4he spans are lined with people in a hurry to get to work or to get home at noon or In the everting, and when the bridge oper ator expnettilaten; to offer the childish excuse; "1 can't take a chance. If I teem up FN have an accident." There are only a few of these captains left, and tbey vn not much bf a standlne, but they make audio troublo, aiul the bridge crews have to shoulder all thai blame for tha delaya. How many people pass --over they bridges during a day 1 a matter od conjecture, but It la safe to plaoa the) lowest number at 80,000. ' On holidays. or during tha summer when there arai attractions at-the places reached by the, railwaya on both aides of the river U number could safely be estimated aa 100.000. Of the ferrlea tha Webster oar riea the most passengers. Its daily average 1 about 1,800. The Webster' carries about 1.000, and the Caplea front 100 to BOO. Team trafflo oa tha Atbtn ferries Is very heavy, and 80 team a day la not aa unusual number. LIVING EYES IN PICTURE How a Burglar Made Note of Vic . tima'.. Valuables. A Russian official named M. Lokttef f. on returning- home with bla wife about 1 o'clock In the morning, was attracted by a strange noise in tha drawing-room, amlnaUon by candle-light revealed nothing amis, and search In the other rooms bad tha same result. - ' They returned to the drawing-room, where a large portrait of Mme. Loktleff grand father. In the uniform of a Uhlan officer, waa standing against the wall. The young wife glanced at the portrait, and, uttering a scream, rushA out of the room. !. "What the matter?" aked br bus band, greatly surprised. "I Just thought the portrait was look Ing at ma with real eyes," answered hie wife, who waa trembling violently. Her husband laughed at her cnlMlnti fears. Half an hour pHed ba'or Mme." Loktleff came to herself, and then re membering that she had left her purs In the drawing-room with In it she took a candle-and bravely entered trie drawing-room on lir swrch. A wild shriek followed, lftr husband ruahe.l In and. found his w'fe lying In a dee.I faint on the floor. With the cx-k's help he carried his wife to bed. While he waa nursing her he told the cook ti search the room carefully., h -it she dH not find anything euepMons. The nest morning 4. Utlff. Ifctn more closely at the pvrtrat the eyes hit ! portrait hud h' the wall. fimnd the cit out eed f a tJMlw ff'n Further Inv-!' ho that manr ve'iia tht.-f had hl.i ' hind the r",r' rMiple H - boU' ; 1 ftr. .'If. II 1 1 w A , t.,1',- J i - r 'I 1