17 Brothers start trip from Detroit to New Orleans

                                     17 Brothers start trip from Detroit to New Orleans

                             17 Brothers start trip from Detroit to New Orleans

The Log
Line: Stermer
Captain: James Stermer
Crew: John Stermer
Departure: 1:00 p.m. Belle Ile Michigan June 20 1928

June 20, 1928     
     Wyandotte, Michigan. Mrs. Lester Piper time 7:30 PM These three loafers think they going to be some roaming Romeos, sailing the high seas.                    

June 21, 1928      
     River Basin Leaving Wyandotte. The wind is favorable for a while. Hoisting the  sailes we skimmed along in luxurious ease passing the isle of Gross Isle. A calm befell us, so we had  to paddle the rest of the day across a mirrored lake. We arrived at the mouth of River Basin first.  A hard Southeast wind began to spring up.

June 22, 1928 
       We arrived in Toledo after having crossed a rough foggy lake early in the morning  and a becalmed one later in the A.M. While in Toledo, we had our pictures taken  by the News and gave a story to a cub reporter. We paddled in the afternoon up  the Maumee to a grove outside the town of Maumee. We camped for the night.   Found two leaks to repair in the boat.
                               
June 23, 1928       
     Grand Rapids. We left Maumee after repairing the leaks in the canoe. We moved the boat portaged to the old canal. This canal was at least eighty feet above the river.  It carried us past the rapids which would have made the river impassable had we gone that way. At 1:00 PM, three miles east of Waterville, we were caught in rain. We were drenched. We dried out in a section house, by a railroad.

Later, we paddled on until 11:00 o’clock at night.  Then we camped in a cottage three miles from Grand Rapids for the night. (Cottage called The Castle.")

June 24, 1928       
     Castle Napoleon. Left The Castle in a clean, brisk morning. Arriving at Grand Rapids we portaged around the locks. Going on up the canal, portaged around the locks. We entered the Maumee River above the dam and rapids. The city of Napoleon became the wil-o-the-wisp because whenever we are asked the answer was always “six miles.” We reached Napoleon at 4:30PM We camped in a deserted house. We shipped the boat from this point to Waverly on the Scrota by way of DTol.                                             
June 25, 1928       
     Napoleon, Ohio “We hope you have great pleasure and good luck on your long  journey.” D2 and JRL Frank Barts, agent. Entry of person met.

       “One by one in the infinite meadows of Heaven, Blossomed the lively stars,   the for-get-me-not of the angels.   Florence C. Schmeder, Napoleon, Ohio. Entry                              
      Northwest News reporter Mike Reichert, Napoleon interviewed us.
      Kenneth W. James North Baltimore Truck Driver. “Don’t forget Lentogroney  Finley”.
      Stayed all night in the town of Finely. It was second time I had been in the place.A year and a half ago I had been here. I had never dreamed that I would pass through it again. It is like the rest of the small dreamy Ohio towns.

June 26, 1928 

      Walked out of Finley. Was picked up and carried to Arlington. We walked from  Arlington to within 5 miles of Kentair. Here we were caught in a shower. Stopped on farmer’s porch until the rain stopped. As soon as we hit the highway again old plug from Lexington News picked us up. He drove out of his way to get us into Columbus.

           It being 4:30 we would not make any good connection on the highway at this hour we decided to take the Interstate to Chillicothe. From this point we took a bus to Waverly. Waverly is a half dead town that afforded us a place to sleep. We bunked on a truck bed in a garage near the railroad station.                        

                                             
June 27, 1928          

       Waverly Ohio. “Delivered the boys their canoe at 9:00 AM after sealing one end  of it with shellac. They borrowed one of our twins to haul it down to Crooked Creek so they can float into the Scioto. They might make it. The Scioto is as much as the Creek is - very high at present. Wish them all the luck in the world. Know they will make it. Enjoy the trip. Wishing them well.” D. Barr, Waverly, Ohio

June 28, 1928           
       Portsmouth, Ohio. “James and I went fishing at the Eastern Bridge this morning. We met two gentlemen on a canoe trip from Detroit to New Orleans”.   C E. Maritz, Portsmouth, Ohio 1413 Bld. Friendship, Ohio

June 29, 1928           
        Roy Swearinger, “I met these two men in the early morning of June 29 enroute from Detroit to New Orleans at Dam 32 on the Ohio River."                            
     “These two gentlemen was here on June 29 1928 on their way to New Orleans.” Perry E. Bennett, Lockmaster Dam 33 Ohio River.     “I should think this would be a pretty hard bed but I hope you will have a nights rest.” William G. Craft                                           “
                                     
June 29, 1928            
     Slept in warehouse on the concrete floor. Dam 33 Ohio River, morning under  P. E. Bennett, Lockmaster Maysville KY.
June 30, 1928           
     H. A. Dice Maysville, KY “One Hell of a trip.”  Stanley Hysell, engineer Second Dam 34.   ‘I be damned if I know what to think of this trip."
                                                            
July 1, 1928              
Camp Mearham, Cincinnati, OH. Routed at Mentor, KY Charles E. Lee “Glad to welcome the friends from Detroit. “Bon Voyage.” Wm. Pettit  “Arrived hale  and hearty. Cincinnati Gym basin boat club Cincinnati"
                                       
.July 1, 1928               
     Jo McMann Captian of Cincinnati Gym Boat Club “Good Luck and Happy trip”  As captain McMann says we arrived hale and hearty. But we sure did have to do some tall scratching to get here.
The Ohio at flood waters isn’t as much as I thought it would be. The current in the Scioto, it being a small river, was much greater than the current of the Ohio.
     The first day out of Portsmouth was one of hard luck for us. We had to put up a few leaks that we picked up in coming down Cripple Creek to the Scioto from Waverly. Waiting for our patches to set up, we cooked our stew consisting of cabbage, peas and tomatoes. The shellac having set we starteddown the Ohio. The jinx caught us again at about 3:00pm as it began to rain. Crossing from the Kentucky shore to some cottages on the Ohio shore,                       
      We thought we might get some shelter in a barn in the hospitable town of Friendship Ohio. We were refused the privilege of staying in a vacant barn until the rain would stop.  We went back to the canoe on the river. We paddled down a little way.  We found a small canopy which had been put up for children. Crawling under this sun shelter, we spread what canvas we had and erected the skeleton of a 3 sided waterproof structure. The slope of the bank was at such an angle that water came rushing from higher up on the bank and onto the river. The rain kept up all the afternoon and on through the entire night.
     Dawn found us dogged tired but determined to move on. At the first break of the storm we started down the river. We were caught by another shower. The water came down in torrents, so much so, that we could not see either bank. At last we found shelter in a Kentucky barn. The night of the 29th we
stopped at lock UNB Dam 33. At this lock we slept on the concrete floor of the warehouse. We discovered when we went to get in the boat in the morning, that the river had raised so fast it about covered our canvas. The Ohio ranges from two feet deep to 56 and over during flood periods.

    Leaving Dam 33 we stopped at Maysville to get breakfast before making the days leap. In the afternoon, we noticed a group of boys swimming in the river. Thinking they were country boys we went over. This happened to be a YMCA camp for boys of Cincinnati.   Mr. Lee, the Physical Director, after finding out that I had engaged in the same work, invited us to stay for the night.        Entry July 1 1928 Ed Burdick, Captain of Jimmage III New Port Ken. “Wish I was going along with you River Rats !! But you go ahead its your choice” Madison Ave., Covington, Ky.     The above, Edgar Burdick, certainly is a jolly fellow and has a heart as good as gold. He is the owner, captain and holder of the houseboat “Jimmage” We are flopping in the “Jimmage” for tonight. His brother Joe just drove in from Detroit. Edgar is also from Detroit.