THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 2. 1803.
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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
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ALEXANDER
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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
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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. ,
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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 -
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