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Show 143 to Moab in a boat . On other occasions I have gone down part of the way ; we ( had bad ) some cattle on the river bottom about 6 miles below Castle Creek and I would go down to look after them . On our return journey we would take the boats back upstream . I would take a trip clear to Moab merely for pleasure and as a sort of vacation . Over the riffles I would tow the ( boat-at boatat ) the ( Narrows-for Narrowsfor ) a distance of about a quarter of a mile . It was not necessary to wade the stream while towing . I had some brothers who went with me on those trips . The shallowest place on the river I have seen was at Nigger Bill riffle , where the ( water ivater ) was up to a ( man's mans manvs ) waist . ( R . 4718-21 , Vol . 27 . ) Once in a while , in bringing down a raft , it would get stuck on a submerged rock , but this ( wouldn't wouldnt ) occur on every trip and it was not a common occurrence . None of our rafts ever were stuck in the mud or on sand bars . We have had difficulty with mud getting in between the boards . The only effect of this was to make the lumber soggy and cause the raft to draw more water and to run slower . Our rafts were made out of lumber and were not log rafts . We never had to tow them downstream and the only power used was the current . ( R . 4727-9 , Vol . 27 . ) We did not have trouble with ice in the winter . After accompanying a raft ( down doirn ) we would go back up to the sawmill with a team and wagon . In bringing a raft down I have had occasion to get in the water when it got stuck on a rock in order to shake it loose . ( R . 4731 , Vol . 27 . ) ( Thomas Thonw ) G . Wimmer testified : I am 62 years old and live in San Diego , Cal . In 1900 , ( I 1 ) engaged in the sheep business north of Green River , Utah , and there had a small row boat . In 1904 or 1905 , I moved to Green River Utah , , and bought a ranch at the mouth of the San Rafael . During that time I took several short boat trips with Mr . Wolverton . After I bought my ranch below town , Mr . Wolverton built for me a boat that I called the Marguerite . It was 33 feet long , 7 or 8 feet wide , with a light draft empty . When loaded with more than three tons its draft was in excess of 21 Vo feet . At one time I had a stern wheel on it , at another time a ( propeller pfopeller ) , and at another time both side and stern wheels . It was propelled by a gas engine . I got this boat in 1906 or 1907 and took my last trip in it in 1915 . ( R . 4732-7 , Vol . 27 . ) |