According to the Dictionary of Americanisms by John Russell Bartlett: TO ROW UP SALT RIVER, is a common phrase, used generally to signify political defeat. The distance to which a party is rowed up Salt river depends entirely upon the magnitude of the majority against its candidates. If the defeat is particularly overwhelming, the unsuccessful party is rowed up to the very head waters of Salt river. It is occasionally used as nearly synonymous with to row up, as in the following example, but this application is rare: Judge Clayton made a speech that fairly made the tumblers hop. He rowed the Tories up and over Salt river.--Crockett, Tour Down East, p. 46. To row up Salt river has its origin in the fact that there is a small stream of that name in Kentucky, the passage of which is made difficult and laborious as well by its tortuous course as by the abundance of shallows and bars. The real ----- p. 280 application of the phrase is to the unhappy wight who has the task of propelling the boat up the stream; but in political or slang usage it is to those who are rowed up--the passengers, not the oarsman. [J. Inman.] In a message dated 6/3/2012 11:31:12 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, mrbill1033@comcast.net writes: Calling all historians on this one! There was a celebratory parade in Flemington on 17 Nov. 1896, on the occasion of the election of McKinley to the presidency of the USA. A number of wagons, marching groups, horses and what-nots participated. There were 2 entries that were noted with the quotation marks: "Salt River Boat" I Googled the term and did get 2 hits that may be relevant out of 39 total listed. Most were advertisements. Unfortunately, the hits did not give me any information about what the term meant. Does anyone know what that meant way back in the late 1800s? As always, I appreciate facts and not guesses and assumptions!!!!! Thanking you all for your time, Regards, MrBill Hunterdon Republican newspaper, visit: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njhrna/ Visit the Hunterdon County GenWeb page at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NJHUNTER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message