MY FIRST YEAR RAFTING 75 



pilot nventy-five to thirty-five dollars and from forty- 

 five to ninety dollars for the bow^-boat. 



When we had good water, and no fog nor wind to 

 delay us, we got coupled up and under way from below 

 the Davenport bridge by 9 A.M. and had an easy, open 

 run, with no bridge, to Burlington, Iowa, reaching 

 there at daylight the next morning. After splitting the 

 raft in Rush Chute, we coupled up below the bridge 

 about 8 A.M., went on down and reached Fort Madison, 

 our destination, that day. We delivered the raft to the 

 sawmill, got our lines and other stuff aboard, and were 

 off up the river again by evening. 



Our expenses were divided under five headings : 



Portage, or salaries and wages. 



Fuel, including coal, wood, etc. 



Provisions, including ice and all eatables. 



Sundries, such as oil, rope, tools, packing, etc. 



Rapids expense, including pilotage and bow-boat 

 service. 



At the end of each trip, I closed up these accounts 

 and sent each owner a statement taken from the books, 

 something like the following : 



Steamer LeClaire Belle 

 Statement Trip No. 10 — June 20 -July 2, 1S7S 



EARNINGS 



Running 14 strings of logs, Stillwater to Fort Madison, 



for S. & J. C. Atlee, at $110.00 per string $1540.00 



Towing barge Fairport to Red Wing 100.00 



Two Round Trip passengers Davenport to LaCrosse 30.00 



$1670.00 



EXPENSES 



Portage, 13 days $ 468.33 



Fuel, 13 days 260.15 



Provisions IO4.55 



Sundries 159.06 



