Vintage Views from Another DQ Era

From Purser to Captain

Amazing how many contemporary Captains went through the Pursers Office! Gabe was a Purser on my first DQ trip in 1973 and I believe he was Mate in 1974. Roddy, Jim, Gabe... any others? I don't think in more recent times that this transition has been made, has it? Back in the Streckfus days, Clarence "Heavy" Elder of Rock Island started in the band, became bandleader, then Purser, then Captain of the WASHINGTON. Other examples over the years of this advancement route?

Great "pick-chahs", Keith! Judy, in answer to your question about the Purser's office being a route to navigation officer-ship, I would say it ceased to be common due to 2 things. First, in the 1970's the company began hiring from the outside people with extensive hotel experience for Chief Purser and other positions in "passenger services". The compartmentalization of departments became more pronounced during that period, and the fact that the entire operation was beginning to be run by those without river steamboat experience (Greene's, Leyhe's, Streckfus's, etc.) exacerbated this. I think the second thing that hastened this along was that in the '70's there were people who were willing to work as deckhands, where previously those who might be officer material were either quickly moved away from the deck, or were not inclined to be deckhands in the first place. In the era we're speaking of, Don Sanders was maybe the first to fall into this category of folks willing to be deckhands until moving up.

Even on boats way, way back (both packets and towboats), many folks wanting to be pilots or captains began as steersmen. Witness Sam Clemens. Often in the olden days, even as late as the 1940's, men who worked on deck tended to stay on deck...there were mates and even "professional deckhands" who were on deck for years with no intent or desire to move up.

On the older boats, if someone showed promise, they were given clerical duties while trying to learn navigation sort of on the side. I think what we're seeing in Keith's photos is sort of the last of that mentality.

Way, way back, before they were called Clerks rather than Pursers it was not uncommon for a qualified captain or one of the owners to fill that slot. I have information for quite a number of boats where one name moves from "mud clerk" to Clerk to Master over the course of years. It is also common to see a man listed as Master one season and Clerk the next, or even Clerk on another boat, returning to Master at a later time. In some companies where the majority of owners were related, the same names show up itnerchangably as Master, Pilot or Clerk, seemingly depending on the route, stage of the water and other imponderables.
And, of course, on the smaller boats, the Owner, Clerk and Master were often the same person, with perhaps a son or a nephew as "mud clerk".

Transitioning

Yes, Bob, we started our DQ experiences just as the 'passenger services' and corporate stuff really took wing. We were lucky that it hadn't gotten to the trumpeter swan fluffy bathrobe extreme and that we cruised more than we did shore stops. Those were the days! Incidentally, I emailed one of the principals in Keith's pix, because I know he doesn't always check the .org board, and he said it made his day to see those oldies but goodies.
Now, here's another question about the old(as in former) first-class licensing: you needed letters proving your time of service before getting the license - did that time have to be in deck/navigation, or could it have been in purser/service positions too?
As an aside, Capt. Bill Foley went on the river at age 13 or 14 as a dishwasher on a Corps boat, I believe. Of course, our contemporary Miz Lexie was my maid on the Sundeck port back in 75...... So there were many avenues to get to sit behind the two stacks, I guess.

Once a Deckhand......

Actually Don Sanders, like EE Wagner, started his steamboating career as a Cabin Boy, but that only lasted a day for Sanders, as he knew at an early age where he wanted to wind up, and serving orange and grape pop out of a water jug was not the way to the little house on the roof, approached the Mighty Master of the steamboat and transferred to the deck where his heart remains to this very day. Or as Captain Kevin Mullen so wisely once said: "Once a deckhand, always a deckhand." Which makes one wonder if graduates of the Purser's Department retain such a faithfulness to their office of origin.

Days spent as a steamboat Purser was considered good time towards a Mates license before the CFR's were rewritten. Captain Albert Kelly told me that Commodore Fred. Laidley disclosed he personally hired but two people on his White Collar Line steamboats:

"I hire the Captain; he takes care of my boat, and I hire the Purser; he takes care of my money."

Sam has answered the question as to "office time" counting toward a license. Actually, any position on a boat can still count, I think...I have known of cooks on modern towboats requesting and getting a service letter for licensing purposes. Clerks and Pursers on packet boats had to know the landings, etc. to be any good, and that knowledge of course led to learning the river, at least to a degree.

As far as First Class Pilotage is concerned, once a person has decided to go that route, they of course have letters from officers they have served under, attesting to the fact that they have observed the handling of the boat and have been involved in that. That being said, though, it is essential that one have a good working knowledge of what goes on on deck to be a good mate, master or pilot -- locking, landings, tow building, etc. are a team effort and require that one member know something about what they other is doing. This becomes especially important in situations where something has to happen RIGHT NOW!

One clarification too about the term "passenger services": on a boat like the DQ, I guess the whole operation is passenger services, since if there were no passengers, there would not be any reason for the boat to go!

Purser/Captain

And that quote probably explains why many Pursers became Captains: they knew what it took to keep the boat profitable, and they were trusted by the owners.
Here's a picture of Capt. Clarence "Heavy" Elder in his Streckfus Purser days. He started on the WASHINGTON in the band, became band leader, then Purser, then Captain along with Edgar Mabry.

Is that true about the deckhand? I know a guy who misses it already. 🙂

In the old days (1800's), prospective masters were going to come up throught he management ranks and decking was for lower class individuals who could only aspire to become a mate someday, at best. Captains were general managers and pilots got the boats from point A to point B, although a captain needed to know what his boat could and couldn't do. I remember when the DQ company wanted all masters to have pilot's licenses as well, and this caused quite a stir. It's all different now, I'm sure, in our more tolerant, but more regulated, society.