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Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ============================================================================= Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. ============================================================================= The Muskegon Chronicle Saturday, 17 June, 1899 Pioneer Days in Muskegon CAPT. JOHN WITHERELL, who came here in '47, was, with CAPTAIN WM. MEES, the first tugmen on the lake. Today he is the only one left of the old tughands. "I have seen a great many different boats," said CAPT. WITHERELL to The Chronicle. "When I first came here there was nothing but sailing vessels on the lake. In March, '53, I was a sailor on a small vessel called the 'Congoy,' which was a freight boat, a coaster, and traded along the shores. She left Muskegon one forenoon and was on her way to Grand Haven for a load of flour. As we were getting ready to enter Grand Haven harbor, the rudder carried away and she 'broached to,' (came up into the wind), and then the vessel capsized. I was in the act of lashing a small boat to the rail, so the former wouldn't get washed over, and, when the vessel capsized it threw me into the water and the little boat went on top of me. It was floating light and I thought I'd stay there and it would wash ashore; but the first thing I knew, a big wave came along and I made up my mind I'd better get out of that. So I kicked out from under the boat and got hold of the spar. AREY BRITTAIN, old MR. RILEY, (the one who used to own the Bay Mill,) and CAPTAIN GEO. MITCHELL were there hanging onto the mast. I said to BRITTAIN, 'Catch me!' and as I slid down he caught me by the coat collar and held onto me. If it hadn't been for him I wouldn't be here today. Then we hung on until the masts fell out and the boat turned bottom side up and we shifted our position. The whole of us were right along in a row hanging onto the keel of the little boat like birds sitting on a limb. Every time a big wave came along we would watch and duck our heads until the sea went right over us. Then we'd kick and pound to keep warm. Old MR. RILEY said, 'Have patience boys there'll be somebody out after us.' We looked very anxiously to- wards the harbor and finally saw two boats coming, but they turned and went back, the sea was too heavy for them. Then SAMUEL GARLAND, RALPH BALBIRNIE and a man by name of CHAPIN came out in a small boat and got us into it and we all started for shore, when a big sea came along, filling the boat with water. MR. RILEY was drowned then and the little boat capsized. The next thing, as I seem to remember it I looked around and saw a man's head come out of the water and the blood running down his face. That was RALPH BALBIRNIE. One of the oars had hit him in the capsizing of the boat. After this I lost all consciousness. I thought I was coming in a room like this and I saw a lounge and said, 'That's a good place to take a nap.' So I threw my feet up and folded my arms and went to sleep. We drifted in with the sea. My hair was quite long and red then and some of them saw it and waded in and pulled me out. They carried me about half a mile to the light house where they had a big fire in the fireplace. There was quite a crowd there by that time and GILES WOODBURY, (GEORGE WOODBURY'S brother) and ALEXANDER JUDD fussed and rubbed with me. They said they'd never leave me as long as there was a warm spot on me and at last they brought me to. "The first boat that was used for towing logs here, was a scow that had a big sail on it. The JOHN RUDDIMAN built a kind of an old scow-boat which they called the 'Peggy.' She had a stern wheel and an engine. The next boat they got for towing purposes, was the steamer 'Algomah' about three seasons. Then RYERSON & MORRIS bult a tug called the 'Martin A. Ryerson' which was the first vessel tug - propeller tug. CAPTAIN MEES ran this and I wheeled. "The first boat I was really captain of was a steamer called 'Croton' and I ran her up Grand River from Grand Haven to Grand Rapids. The 'Martin A. Ryerson' and 'Geo. Foster' (which I was captain of,) were used for towing schooners in and out of the harbor. The "Algomah' was principally used for towing logs and they also had for this a tug called the 'Monitor' and another called the 'Peggy, No. 2.' Sometimes five or six thousand logs were towed in one tow. Then, besides, every night the Boom Company had a night force at work towing, there was so much work then. As regards the vessels, at one time I had seven vessels in one tow coming up the lake. The first ferry-boat to cross the lake was a sail- boat, rigged up with horse-power. It was geared with cog gear and sweeps for the horses to work around on the same principle as moving buildings. ARCHIE READ built it and it ran between North Muskegon and here. "The 'Algomah' later blew up and killed the engi- neer. Steam wasn't as safe then as now. People didn't know how to handle it. "I have been boating 45 years, starting when I was 17. Last summer I ran the 'O. M. Field' for the Crosby Transporation Co. "When I first came here in early days, the Ryerson creek was covered with grass. There was a regular channel there then. They never towed logs there. It couldn't have been over three feet deep. When the frost came the grass wilted down and sunk and then the water would be higher. It was also sometimes higher on account of the wind and rain. I have paddled over it in a canoe at such time and speared fish." ===============================================================================