The page below from Capt. William Tippitt’s History of the Lee Line recounts the clash and competitive spirit between the Lee Line and the St. Louis and New Orleans Anchor Line. The JAMES LEE “Took the Horns” (deer antlers – signifying the fastest boat) May 27, 1882 from the CITY OF PROVIDENCE in a record time of 5 hours 33 minutes between Helena Arkansas and the Beale Street Landing Memphis. A careful reading reveals a great deal of “trash talk” from the St. Louis news paper. Below this page is a model of the BELLE MEMPHIS which is part of the Howard Shipyard Museum, Jeffersonville Ind.
