Los Angeles Herald, Volume 41, Number 72, 1 January 1894 — JOHN C. AINSWORTH. [ARTICLE]

JOHN C. AINSWORTH.

A MISSISSIPPI STEAMBOAT PILOT WHO MADE HISTORY.

A Brief Sketch of His Busy Life by a Former Employee, Who Was Well Aware of His Worth. — The stern and rugged old man who sank to rest with last Saturday’s sun at Oakland was no ordinary man. Born in a small town of Central Ohio, in June, 1823, of good but poor parents, he was left at 10 years old to the care of a severe and harsh old uncle, who was selfish enough to make a farm drudge of him. The boy “would not have it that way,” but ran off and became a pilot’s “cub” on an Ohio river steamboat. At 19 years old, while a freight clerk on a steamer employed in the lead trade between St. Louis and Galena, he had evinced such proficiency at the wheel that an ineffectual effort was made to induce the local inspectors to waive the disabilities of minority and grant him a pilot’s license. Their refusal terminated with his twenty-first birthday, however, the 6th of June, 1844, when he went aboard his boat with second-class license (for boats from 1000 to 1500 tons) and an endorsement in red ink across the face which authorized his appointment as master. There were many first-class pilots (1500 tons upwards) on the rivers at that time who could not have gotten that endorsement. The next year firstclass papers were issued to him, and he married a Miss Kinersley, of Des Moines, Ia. She died in the following year. Young Ainsworth waa almost paralyzed with the crushing blow, but he worked along patiently until the winter of 1848, when the news of the gold discoveries in California came on, and one of the first to leave for the new El Dorado was Ainsworth. Arriving in Sacramento, he looked about for a chance at steamboating, but every place was full except on a class of boats that did not meet his approval. Fortunately he met an old acquaintance, Presley Dunlap, whom he had known in St, Louis, and under whom he accepted a deputyship. The certificates of admission to the bar of this state of Solomon Heyderfelt, Milton S. Latham and Henry Hare Hartley were signed, “P. Dunlap, clerk, by J. C. Ainsworth, deputy clerk.” He remained in the county clerk’s office till the election of 1852 when Judge Dunlap was defeated for re-election, and then he sailed for Oregon. On arriving in the webfoot state, things were wholly different from what they are now. Oregon City was then the largest place north of the California boundary, but the sea-going vessels could only get to Milwaukie, which was eight miles below it on the river. At the latter place, soon after his arrival in Oregon, he began the construction for a syndicate, of a side wheel steamer 136 long by 29 feet beam, which was to be named after the man who subscribed for the most stock in the company. That man was William Lot Whitcomb of Oregon City, a brave and genial man long gone over to the majority. The new steamer was of a beautiful model but deficient in power; and as a vigorous opposition was going on in California waters, the Whitcomb was sold to people in San Francisco, and towed down from Astoria by the propeller Peytona, afterwards destroyed by fire in Callao. With the proceeds of the sale of the Whitcomb a new stern wheel boat called the Carrie Ladd, which Captain Ainsworth ran to the cascades of the Columbia, till 1862, when the big Nez Perce gold excitement broke out. This necessitated the building of larger boats and the acquisition of new capital in the concern. He, therefore, in connection with Robert R. Thompson, Daniel F. Bradford, John S. Ruckel, Harrison Olmstead, Lawrence W. Coe and William S. Ladd, made a consolidation of all the boats on the Columbia river under the title of the Oregon Steam Navigation company, which soon became a power in the land. Two years later Olmstead sold out his interest to Simeon G. Reed, then a partner with W. S. Ladd in Portland. Mr. Reed was made vice president of the company to succeed Mr. Coe, who retired with about $350,000 which he sunk in mining speculations in Nevada. Next the interest of Bradford was purchased and that left four in the directorate, Ladd having a mortgage of $100,000 on all the boats. Much of this indebtedness grew out of the extravagance of Ruckel (who was president in 1866) in building the steamers Oneonto and Webfoot on a lavish scale of expenditure. Tne next year Ruckel, who was always a visionary man, was ousted from the presidency and Ainsworth succeeded him. Ainsworth saw the business would never pay Ladd’s debt, which drew interest at 2 per cent per month, so he came to San Francisco and borrowed the money of Fretz & Ralston at 15 per cent per annum, with which he released Ladd's grip on the property. Out of this loan grew Fretz’s dissolution of partnership with Ralston, who carried this mortgage into the Bank of California as the largest and best of its assets. Business ran along fairly and the company was moderately prosperous till 1886, when the grain trade of the Columbia valley began to increase so fast that Capt. Ainsworth and his associates were puzzled what to do with the savings. If they declared dividends of 18 per cent per annum, that meant a stampede into Oregon waters of all the unemployed boats of the California rivers. So Reed came to tbe rescue by proposing to pay 10 per cent dividends and to use all the money over that in building a new fleet. The suggestion was favorably received, and in the next three years the following boats were built at the cost hereafter named: R. R. Thompson, 903 tons……$118,000 Wide West, 820 tons………$129,600 S. G. Reed, 675 tons………$95,000 Harvest Queen, 800 tons………$115,000 D. S. Baker, 700 tons………$98,900 *John Gates.…………$44,000 *Spokane…………$28,000 *Almota…………$30,000 *Annie Faxon…………$65,000 *Mountain Queen…………$80,000 *Built with second-hand machinery. Of these the Wide West was the most palatial, the Thompson strongest and most durable. There was never such a fleet of sternwheelers in the world as that. Several of them could go 18 miles an hour, and for comfort they were the greatest boats ever known. In 1889 [sic] Henry Villard came to Portland and gave $4,500,000 for the property, payable 40 per cent in cash, 30 per cent in stock of a new company to be called the Oregon Railway and Navigation company, and 30 per cent in its bonds. In 17 years this was the outgrowth of $250,000. Could anything beat that for good management? Shortly after his retirement from the Oregon Navigation company Captain Ainsworth came to California to reside. His old associate, R. R. Thompson, has already preceded him. He had made

some great investments in Portland real estate and so had Thompson. In 1888 they began to look for investments in Southern California and finally pitched upon Redondo Beach as the place. The million dollars invested by them in this vicinity helped to tide this place over one dull season at least. Captain Ainsworth leaves six children to mourn him—three sons and three daughters. The eldest, Capt. George J. Ainsworth, is a foremost man in everything that is liable to inure to the good of Los Angeles, of which he is now a five years resident. Captain Ainsworth’s death leaves a fortune of about $2,500,000 and perhaps more. It is all good money, amassed in legitimate business and by clean methods. He waa a very just man and a good one to serve under, because he was a good man to serve with. He never asked an employee to do a thing that he would not have done himself had their relative positions been reversed. Strictly conscientious in handling other people’s money, he was shrewd and quickwitted in the management of his own. Courage he possessed, and that of the highest order. To have known him intimately, and to have shared his confidence on several occasions is one of my pleasantest recollections. He was a typical pioneer, straight and wiry, and, until three years ago, active as most men of forty. Since 1891 he has been a great sufferer, and it would have been cruel to have besought for him a longer life. And so with every obligation fulfilled on earth, the brave old pilot cast off his lines and started out upon his voyage on the midnight sea—the sea without a shore—that we call eternity. —Baseball Revived. Thanks to the exertions of Pete l.ohman a number of the local baseball cranks have organized a Southern California league. The game yesterday between the Los Angeles and the Olympic teams was very interesting, the former winning by the score of 11 to 7. The players for today are: Lohman…Catcher…early Cobb…Pitcher…Van Horn Gureio…1st base…Cleveland Ed Moore…2d base…J. S. Allen Heaps…3rd base…Harter C. Franks…Short stop…Smith Sepulveda…Right field…Austin Tyler…Center field…McBain Lewis…belt Hold…Wilson Umpire—L. Carlin. The game will be called at 2:30 and will be played at Athletic park. The Young Los Angeles baseball team was defeated by tbe Heralds yeaterday by a score of 4 to 3. The Young Los Angeles had the game won until the last inning, when they were defeated by a three-base hit, made by Joe Carmona, bringing in the winning run. The Young Los Angeles have been organized for over a year, and this U the first time they have been defeated. The features of the game were Carmona’s catching, Darcy’s pitching and Amey'e one band catch. The Heralds would like to bear from some of the amateur baseball teams of the city. A challenge can be sent to No. 737 College street, Los Angeles. —A New Cause. Flock io Its Stanpaud.-When a attar c»u-e is presented to the pud is n always excitesattention. A proiniue.nL vnteteiau lias s»id trnu la ttrippe, uu ion the last three jears has done more to weaken t lie hearts of me worht man any other cause mat has cv rex- ' Hied. T:.o»e who have had this m.l.dy and sub-equent.y found themselves subject lo ptipliattou short' ieatli. iireeular puts*, wma in tio i sen, pain in sice or shoulder, amomeriuK spell*, lainting, dropsy, etc., may 'eel H.sured ta»y have aeait'd'eaatu, wa'ioa unless checked at o'nee. may resu I Utah}. Dr. Mile?,' New Heart Cure is the only reuieuy that can bd relied upou loeflb is cure. p-o,d by C H. daoc-, 177 -.spine ou a guarantee. v,k for the cojlor's new boo*;,free.

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