Harry G. Dyer

The Log of Harry G. Dyer: Steamboatman, Upper Mississippi, 1881-1902 Excerpts from Upper Mississippi River Rafting Steamboats Edward G. Mueller, Ohio University Press, 1995.

1886 and 1887

Harry Dyer left no record of his river activities in 1886 and 1887, but from other records he indicated he was on the LILY TURNER in 1886 and the HELENE SCHULENBURG in 1887 and we resume his account in 1888.

1888 Aboard the LOUISVILLE, NETTA DURANT and K1T CARSON

After spending the winter on the lower river, I shipped on the steamer LOUISVILLE, one of the Knapp Stout fleet. This was the first time I had been on a Knapp Stout boat since 1885. There had been a great change since that time. John H. Douglas was now in charge of the boats and one of his first moves was to cut the crew's wages five dollars a month. Before his reign, the Knapp Stout boats always had a first-class crew; now it was anything they could get.

The LOUISVILLE was in charge of Captain H. C. Walker; Mr. Dobler, second pilot; Henry Horton, chief engineer; Ladd Gault, second engineer; Al Stone, mate; and Chas. Buchler in charge of the kitchen.

We were towing lumber from Read's Landing to meet the BART E. LINEHAN generally about Burlington, Iowa. The LINEHAN took our raft on to St. Louis and we went back to Read's for another one. Our pilot, Mr. Dobler, was one of the best on the river, but Captain Walker and he didn't get along the best. I only stayed a month or so. The idea of working for five dollars less than anyone else made me sick, so I "hopped" her and the next day shipped on the NETTA DURANT with Captain Al Duncan, towing logs to the Clinton Lumber Company of Clinton, Iowa. I wanted all the experience I could get with different men as I was to go for my license. We soon found that Bailey was a "pet man" one who always has a man in the crew who doesn't have to do anything. Some call him the handy man.

Mr. Dyer shipped later in the season on the KIT CARSON and we pick up his narrative when he is on that craft.] The KIT CARSON was towing logs from Stillwater to Burlington. One trip, we were getting near the foot of Lake Pepin. It was about five o'clock P.M. Bailey came and called the crew to "tighten lines." I noticed he didn't call his pet, but he said to me, "Harry, you and your partner go up and sweep the boiler deck." Tom grabbed a broom and we started for the boiler deck, but we went in the office and got our money. Bailey wanted to know what was the matter, and Tom told him he was getting tired of doing another man's work. A short time after that I saw Bailey get the sweetest licking I ever saw one man give another and Gene Reeser gave it to him, and he didn't use anything but his hands and yet he never struck him with his fist. He simply slapped him to sleep. I finished up the season of 1888 as I started it, on the steamer LOUISVILLE. I left her at Rock Island, Illinois, October 22 and headed for Louisville, Kentucky and the coal boats.

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