Topic starter
14/01/2009 6:49 pm
Here's a snapshot I found in a bunch from CW. It was taken on the Streckfus steamer WASHINGTON in 1937 at Louisville. The officers are:Clarence 'Heavy' Elder Purser; T. Kent Booth Mate; Edgar Mabrey Master.
I've seen all black or blue and all white, but I've never seen white pants with the dark jackets. Was this very common?
14/01/2009 7:14 pm
'Three 'snappy dressers':
Thanks for this great photo Judy. No, can't say I've seen that uniform combination on the rivers but did years ago down to last year on some of the big 'blue water' ocean ships. These all round 'snappy dressers' really strike quite a picture.
Can you imagine what those 'white duck trousers' looked like at the end of the day with all of that coal smoke, soot and smuts! Keep these photos coming.
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River.
Topic starter
15/01/2009 1:12 am
White on a steamboat
I never brought any white clothes when I rode the DQ, can't imagine how much sootier the older boats were! Doc always preferred the black hats so as not to show the soot which the white ones did.
31/01/2009 1:45 pm
The Bobbsey Twins
The snazziest dressers on the DELTA QUEEN may have been Greg Menke and Jamie Hansel, both Watchmen during the 1971 season. Jamie worked for years at the most popular young men's clothing store in Cincinnati, a upscale place called Dino's, and as he was known as snazzy dresser his personal style of dressing soon became appealing to his partner.
That summer, before we left for the run up the Ohio to Pittsburgh, the boys spent a couple of week's wages at Dino's and came back to the boat dressed just like the guys off the WASHINGTON. Captain Louden immediately dubbed them the "Bobbsey Twins" as soon as he saw them in those get-ups.
The Bobbsey brothers wore their outfits every night when they made their clock rounds and they were especially striking standing "gate watch" whenever we were laid over at a town.
But that all came to a head the night the DELTA QUEEN was tied up at Marietta and a intoxicated woman stumbled out of a place called Kelly's Bar and made her way down to the riverfront where she came half way across the stage and demanded to be allowed aboard. When the twins refused to let the inebriated princess cross the rest of the way and onto the QUEEN, she threaten to jump into the river, and when the threat didn't get her free passage across the stage, over she went into the Ohio and into the river, right behind her, followed the Twins to her rescue.
By the time I got down to the bow Greg and Jamie looked like two half-drowned rats. Their expensive clothes were totally ruined, but the boys were beaming and proud that they had pulled the drunken woman from the river. They took on other airs when I gave them both a verbal drubbing for risking their lives by going in the river after such an unworthy prize.
"That's why the Good Lord allowed man to invent pike poles, they were informed.
That was also the end of their spiffy uniforms and the boys dressed like regular Watchmen after that... sorta.
31/01/2009 3:56 pm
RE: 'Bobbsey Twins/Dino's'.
Hi, Shipyard and Steamboating colleagues:
One great and entertaining account of the "Bobbsey Twins" on the DQ and the famed 'Dino's' here in Cincinnati. 'Dino's was one style-setting emporium on the cutting edge in those days. A little too flamboyant for my tastes even as a young guy back then not to mention very expensive. Capt. Fred Way had lots to say about uniforms and gold braid--along with the wearers--in many of his books and later articles. OUCH!
Your account above warmed up a cold day and is a real 'keeper.'
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River.