A Raft Pilot's Log cont. Some of the Men Prominent in the Rafting Industry,1840-1915 SAMUEL HITCHCOCK 238 In old floating days Sam Hitchcock stood high as an easy, skillful pilot. He had rare knowledge of the draft of water at different stages and with his quiet manner and low voice he had excellent control of his crew. When towing raftscame in vogue, Sam soon got the hang of that, and always had choice positions, Ex-governor Van Sant writes me this about him: "Sam Hitchcock took to steamboat rafting very quickly and was a good handler as well as a good upstream pilot. "In 1874, when I began running rafts on contract, I 239 hired Sam Hitchcock for the 'D.A. McDonald,' ageeing to pay him one-third the net profit after all expenses were paid out of earnings. 'I have had a good many good pilots in my time but none ever did better work and I learned much from him about the business that helped me greatly. At the end of the season I paid him $2650.00 as his share. That was good pay then for six months' work, but he earned it. He was an even-tempered, pleasant man to work with. Captain hitchcock was on the towboat 'Minnesota' with Captain A.R. Young of Stillwater many years. " His last work was with me on the 'Last Chance' in 1882 and got off on account of illness that soon took him off."