Topic starter
20/02/2007 12:35 am
I wanted to start a new thread so people wouldn't miss FWJr. pix and discussions due to the obscure title I used on Saturday. Here are 3 pictures of Capt. Fred showing his many talents. The first one was taken in 1937, with him posing by the model of the J.M. WHITE which he had made. This huge model now reposes in Keith's River Room. The second photo was taken in 1984 as he and Keith posed by Skid Row on the DQ. They were enroute to Cedar Farm, JoAnn Schoen's family home, as part of the Stanford charter I believe. Capt. Fred was always along as a guest lecturer on Peter Voll's Stanford U. Alumni charters. The third pix was taken in 1981 in the basement of 121 River when Keith, Jeff and I were visiting. It gave me hope to see his cluttered desk, knowing how organized his written materials were. The basement was full of filing cabinets which were full of steamboat photos. Unfortunately my clutter didn't allow me to find the pix of his yard, showing the BETSY ANN antlers on the garage and the LADY GRACE wheel in the yard.
20/02/2007 2:52 am
Cap'n Way...
All of us who knew Captain Fred Way hold dear memories of special moments shared with him. He was especially kind to the up-and-coming young generation of steamboat men and women who were the understudies of his own generation. Cap'n Fred was never without a word of encouragement, and he made me, for one, proud that I followed in the footsteps of men like him.
Attached is a treasured postcard he sent in reply to a question I posed to him regarding an S&D article.
20/02/2007 4:41 pm
Steamboating colleagues:
Many thanks to Judy Patsch for reminding us of the late Capt. Fred Way, Jr. and for the memories from so many adding anecdotes and comments on a remarkable man. I penned the following article on Capt. Fred when he died which in time appeared in the CINCINNATI POST, WATERWAYS JOURNAL, MARIETTA TIMES & CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER etc. I humbly share with you all at this time.
* * * * * * * *
An All-Time Great
"Since October 3 a number of warm, sensitive letters of tribute have appeared in the pages of the WATERWAYS JOURNAL, marking the passing of one of the inland rivers' all-time greats, Capt. Fred Way. No better forum to honor this man could be found.
Through the years his books, directories, guides, articles and that classic S&D REFLECTOR have continued to fascinate and enthrall legions of readers charmed by our rivers and the steamboats, both large and small, that steamed upon our waterways. Fred was a man torn between two appealing professions. His first was that of pilot, captain, boat owner and consultant to numerous excursion and passenger boat operations. More than once he was called upon by the Smithsonian Institution and other leading museums and libraries for data and resource information. His interest in the continued operation and success of the DELTA QUEEN and MISSISSIPPI QUEEN could be traced back to his early career and association with the Greene family of Cincinnati. He was a valued family member of the present 'Delta Queen Steamboat Co.' for his encyclopedic knowledge of boat management and history. Had Fred lived in Japan, he would have been designated a 'living treasure.'
Fred Way's second profession was that of the dedicated literarian and newspaper hack. On numerous occasions he edited the SEWICKLEY HERALD newspaper; and he could sling ink with the best of 'em. He once said to me, 'You know, writing is something that gets into your system just like printer ink gets under your nails..it's always there with you.' His writing was clear, concise, simple with no frills. With the tenacity of an archaeologist Fred could decipher the faint images of an old steamboat photo and weave a narrative of beauty, wit and charm. He was one of the first to approach the subject of marine writing in a way that gave a boat a living, breathing personality of its own. His authority on the subject was earned by years of toil, experience, scholarship and a keen eye. Whatever Fred's motivations were, he fell hypnotized at an early age by the song of steam.
Now and then we meet an individual who has a clear understanding of the times in which they live. Fred not only saw and understood his era--he set out to do and say something about it. Yet, he was the first to say: 'People call me all the time, thinking I know it all. Well, I don't.'
I'll always remember Fred as being ever fascinated and encouraging of youth. From the first time, now over 30 years ago when I began writing and conversing with him, he'd say, 'You can do it...you can do it...keep those dreams.' Together, and without fanfare, we worked on several river projects; a few succeeded and a few failed.
He's gone now, and I'm poorer for it. I've lost a warm, valued friend and correspondent. His folders of letters, cards and notes will always be a treasured part of my library. In years to come, when I take down one of his books from the shelf and read the words, I'll hear each sentence in his own unmistakable voice.
The great French writer Marcel Proust captured the mystique of the scholarly writer in a passage from 'LaPrisonnierre:'
'They buried him, but all through the night of mourning, in the lighted windows, his books, arranged three by three, kept watch like angels with outspread wings and seemed for him who was no more, the symbol of his resurrection.'"
Respectfully submitted,
R. Dale Flick