LIST OF RAFT PILOTS, 1840-1913 267 



He is an ardent follower of Isaac Walton and likes 

 nothing better than sunning himself with a fishline in 

 hand. He is also a great story-teller. 



On a trip of the "Morning Star" in 191 2 from Daven- 

 port to Saint Paul, I had Colonel Durant and Captain 

 S. B. Hanks as my guests and I greatly enjoyed their 

 company and their reminiscences and they aided me in 

 completing and checking up the list of raft pilots which 

 I had prepared with the help of Captains Cyprian and 

 Joseph Buisson and John Monroe. Captain Hanks 

 piloted his first raft from Stillwater to Saint Louis in 

 June, 1844. His death occurred in August, 1913, at the 

 age of ninety-four. 



Three in Old Guard 



Three pilots, S. E. Lancaster of LeClaire, Iowa, O. 

 J. Newcomb of Pepin, Wisconsin, and Morrel Looney 

 of LaCrosse are still following their chosen vocation on 

 the Yukon river in Alaska during the summer months. 

 Others well known are Peter Kirns of Saint Louis, who 

 for years was engaged in that business in Saint Louis. 



John McCaffrey, another of the old-time pilots, is a 

 planter in Louisiana. Captain McCaffrey is a teller of 

 wonderfully interesting stories of the old river and raft- 

 running and is not at a loss for listeners. 



Joseph and Cyprian Buisson, two of the pioneers, are 

 still piloting on the Mississippi. Cyprian was master of 

 the steamer "Helen Blair" last year and Joseph Buisson 

 piloted the "St. Paul" during the past season. 



Three of the living river pilots are located in Clinton. 

 Joseph Duley is at the present time engaged in the un- 

 romantic calling of liveryman, but secretly his thoughts 

 turn to his first love and he enters the sand and gravel 

 business "to get the river smell," he says. O. P. McMa- 



