Page:California Historical Society Quarterly vol 22.djvu/28

 for the ascent to Callville was begun in June 1 866, when it was reported that the Esmeralda was tied up at Yuma waiting for flood waters to recede before going on. It was not until August that the Esmeralda, accompanied by the indefatigable Adams, was able to proceed. She reached La Paz on the eighth,^^ but it was probably near the end of October before she finally arrived at Callville. The Alta California for November 16 carried news of the momentous event.^- She towed a barge 126 feet long by 27 wide, with between 90 and 100 tons of freight, and seems not to have encountered any unusual difficulty in making the ascent. Her arrival at Callville must have been the occasion for an enthusiastic welcome, although the only report of that event states tersely: "Cannon were fired and other demonstrations of joy indulged in."^^

Meanwhile the Pacific and Colorado Stearfi Navigation Company was experiencing many difficulties in its competition with the Colorado Steam Navigation Company. River trade was not sufficient to justify Rve steamers, yet in 1867 Johnson added still another to the river fleet, the Cocopah No. 2.^^ Competition was keen. During fifteen years of shipping on the river, Johnson had built up a trade with which the Trueworthy Company was finding it very difficult to compete. Because Johnson controlled the cream of the river trade, the new company was forced to undertake the more hazardous and less profitable voyages. Furthermore the new company had begun operations with limited finances. To add to its embarrassment the company became involved in a lawsuit with the Colorado Steam Navigation Company which kept Trueworthy in San Francisco much of the time, while his boats remained tied up on the river for long intervals.^^ Consequently there is some evidence that the Esmeralda was attached for debt before September 1867.^^

In San Francisco, Sneath continued his efforts to interest merchants in the Utah trade, but with little success. Some interest was shown in October 1 866, when the following exaggerated report on cotton production on the Muddy was published in the Alta California, but again nothing was done:^^

"We were, . . shown a sample of cotton received by R. G. Sneath from his agent at Callville, Arizona. . . . The sample is of the upland, or short staple variety, and ... is not to be surpassed in the most favored regions of the Southern States. It was grown by a colony of Mormons who have settled within 25 miles of Callville, and have raised this season a crop of between 70,000 and 80,000 pounds, with intent to ship to California. . . . The price of freight between San Francisco and Callville has been 5 cents per pound . . . which price competition . . . would considerably reduce. . . .^^"

In September, a year later, Sneath called together a group of fifty merchants at the Exchange in San Francisco to discuss again the revival of trade with Utah. He pointed out that in 1866 he had taken goods costing $37,000 in San Francisco to Callville and, after adding a freight bill of $3 1,000 more, had been able to sell them at a profit.^^ Two more meetings were held in October at which Samuel Adams, with the aid of Captain Rogers, testified