6o A RAFT PILOT'S LOG 



lecting one hundred dollars more than the contract 

 price, as he had not suggested claiming any extra pay. 



The "LeClaire Belle" made one trip to Saint Louis 

 during low water in September. She made this trip 

 under charter to the Eau Claire Lumber Company. 

 Captain Peter Kirns took charge and Captain Hugunin 

 went with him as pilot. He did not need a clerk, or had 

 one of his own, so George Tromley and I did not get to 

 make this trip, but were transferred to the "Silver 

 Wave" until the "Belle" returned. 



On this trip the "Belle's" lumber raft was put 

 through the new Keokuk canal. Coming back up, while 

 locking through, some of the crew gathered a lot of 

 persimmons, which were growing plentifully along the 

 canal-side. They ate all the ripe ones, and carefully 

 put some green ones where I would find them. Fortu- 

 nately I boarded the boat long before daylight on her 

 return, and had my first experience with green persim- 

 mons before there were many around to witness my 

 struggles to get my mouth back in shape so I could talk 

 and eat my breakfast. I threw the others all overboard, 

 but claimed I had eaten them and liked them. Any one 

 who has not tried eating green persimmons should try 

 a few to get the correct idea. 



On our first trip to Stillwater, Minnesota, for a raft, 

 there was much to see and enjoy. I had never been 

 above Dubuque before, and that is where the fine blufifs 

 scenery begins. 



Many fires on the blufifs at night added much to the 

 natural grandeur of the Great Canon. At that time, 

 wood cut on the blufifs was the principal fuel used by 

 the many steamboats operating north of Dubuque. 

 Every spring, too, there was a lot of brush to be burned 

 away. The work was usually done at night, and cer- 



