250 A RAFT PILOT'S LOG 



CAPTAIN SAM R. VAN SANT 



The subject of this sketch is at the age of eighty-three 

 still enjoying good health and stands a fair chance of 

 outliving nearly all who were engaged with him in the 

 rafting business and securing the proud distinction of 

 being the last survivor of the Grand Army of the Re- 

 public of which he is a Past Commander. 



The Captain was thirty-three, when at twenty-one I 

 entered his employment as clerk and watchman on the 

 "LeClaire Belle" in March, 1878. 



He took great interest in my work and gave me every 

 encouragement to learn the river. 



In the spring of 1881 he gave me the chance to invest 

 in a one-sixth interest in the "Last Chance" which 

 led a year later to the organization of the LeClaire 

 Navigation Company, of which he was manager and I 

 was captain and pilot on its best raft boats. 



We were always glad to have him with us for a day, 

 or a trip. He was full of fun, life and ambition ; always 

 encouraging us to do our best. Good work and good 

 behavior never failed to secure recognition and ap- 

 proval and he was very kind and charitable to those 

 who failed or went wrong -even when it resulted in 

 considerable loss to him. 



His acquaintance and sociability were not confined 

 to the officers "up stairs." He soon knew every one on 

 board and was always popular with those on the lower 

 deck. 



But while friendly and sociable his manner always 

 commanded respect. He was very active then and as 

 strong as a young lion and "woe be" to any foolish per- 

 son who underestimated his ability to take care of him- 

 self in a scrap. 



In March, 1881, he moved from LeClaire to reside 



