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River Commerce 19 |
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After the election the national vote was praised later by the Gazette as an "overwhelming and unmistakeable expression of popular favor."25 Locally there were two hundred river men who turned out as an organization of "Steamboat Men and Owners for the support of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore."26 Included in this organization's printed roster were the names "Arch'd Irwin, Jr., D. M. Foster/'26 and Irwin served as a member of the committee which drew up resolutions calling for the election of the Whig candidates "who will remove the dangers and difficulties attending our calling."27
In addition to boiler explosions, collisions and snagging there were troubles for the river men in the annual weather changes, such as the usual winter and spring floods of the rivers. Stephen was to see one of the greatest of these, the flood of December 1847, when the Ohio "rose to 61 feet, six inches above low water mark, and about six inches below the freshet records of i832."2S The Irwin & Foster advertisements of December 17 announced that "the steamer South America^ Clarkes, Master, will leave for New Orleans as soon as the stay of water will admit of taking her cargo on board."29 By December 22 the Gazette was able to report:
The river has fallen so that Front Street is clear and business has resumed its usual activity. . . . There |
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