The Daily Gate City

The Boat Race.--A large crowd of people assembled on the levee last Saturday to witness the boat races. The ferryboat from Warsaw came up crowded with passengers.
Soon after 12 o'clock five row boats started from Main street, rowed down two miles, turned the flag boat, and two returned in three quarters of an hour. The Warsaw boat was several yards ahead just before reaching Main street, when she shot out into the current, and the Keokuk boat gained on her rapidly and came in almost at the same moment.
The Judges awarded the prize to the Warsaw boat.
The sail boats started about 3 o'clock. There were five of them--the Sea Gull, the Grace Floyd, one from Warsaw, and two others. They ran to Warsaw, and the Sea Gull came out ahead several yards. She was built by the Holt boys, of the Des Moines Planing Mill.
The Warsaw ferryboat and the Hamilton Belle went down at the same time, crowded with passengers, and got up a race on their own hook, during which the Warsaw boat knocked off the boards over the wheel and flooded the deck with water. The Belle got ahead, went to Alexandria, back to Warsaw and up to Buena Vista, on a pleasure excursion.
The prizes were presented on the Belle at Warsaw. The silver cup, won by the Warsaw rowers, was received by their leader, who is a steamboat engineer. When handed to him it was filled with liquor, and he was requested to drink. He declined, remarking that "he never drank a drop of liquor in his life." Considering that he has been thrown in company with all sorts of men for years past, we agree with Judge Rankin that this was a remarkable speech, and few men could make a better one.