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Ship of the Month - cont'd. here before the close of the season. " And on May 18th, 1888, the "Duluth Weekly Tribune" noted: "The new excursion stm. OSSIFRAGE will leave for Port Arthur and local points at noon Saturday. Capt. Inman purchased this beautiful boat, which is one of the fastest on the lakes, to supply the demand for a first class local excursion boat. She used to run last year between Cheboygan and Sault Ste. Marie. This is her first trip this season and the excursion should be well patronized as a very pleasant time is anticipated. " On May 25th, the "Tribune" stated that "The OSSIFRAGE will soon be making semi-weekly trips between Duluth and Port Arthur". And on May 30th, the "Evening Herald" reported: "Beginning next week the Inman Line stm. OSSI­ FRAGE will run on the Port Arthur route as follows: Leaving Duluth Monday and Thursday at 8 p. m., arriving at Port Arthur about noon the next day. Leave Port Arthur at 5 p. m. Tuesday and Friday, arriving at Duluth early the next morning. Intermediate points will be called at both ways. " Those inter­ mediate stops almost certainly would have included Knife River, Two Harbors, Grand Marais and Isle Royale. OSSIFRAGE must have been a success in 1888 because, on December 8th, the "Evening Herald" reported: "Capt. Inman is figuring on a considerable im­ provement to the OSSIFRAGE during the winter. She will be refitted and her cabin accommodation so much increased that more than double the present num­ ber of staterooms will be furnished. The captain expects to run her 3 times a week to Port Arthur instead of twice as heretofore. The last of the Inman fleet is now being laid up for the winter and will today be out of commis­ sion. It will not probably be enlarged next year, the captain having tugs enough to handle a tremendous business. " And on February 11th, 1889: "The Inman Line of tugs will probably be reinforced by another passenger boat du­ ring the season to run upon the south shore line in connection with the OS­ SIFRAGE. " On March 6, 1889, the "Evening Herald" stated that "Commodore Inman will be home in a day or two, when the work of outfitting his big fleet of steamers and tugs will at once commence... The OSSIFRAGE will perform one-third (sic) more service this year than last and will make 3 round trips weekly between Duluth and Port Arthur. The new prop. JOHN C. LIKEN will be here about Ap­ ril 20th. " And on March 29th, the "Weekly Tribune": "The OSSIFRAGE will open navigation this year by a trip to Grand Marais, Minn., tomorrow. She will start at 10 a. m. As soon as Thunder Bay is open she will make regular trips to Port Ar­ thur 3 times a week, namely, leaving here on Mondays and Wednesdays at 2 p. m. and Fridays. She will leave Port Arthur for Duluth every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2 p. m. The following officers will be employed on the different boats: Prop. OSSIFRAGE - Capt. W. B. Harrow; mate William McGilvery; chief engineer Wilson Palmer; steward J. D. Gray; cabin maid Mrs. Jessie McArthur... " But the 1889 season proved to be a short one for OSSIFRAGE at Duluth. In the January issue, we noted that on July 9, 1889, she was again enrolled in the name of F. W. Wheeler & Co. The explanation was contained in a report which appeared on July 1st in the "Duluth Evening Herald": "The OSSIFRAGE has been returned to F. W. Wheeler, of (West) Bay City, her original owner. She left for her old port at 2: 15 this afternoon. The loss of this popular excursion boat will be felt not a little in Duluth as she was the only boat of her class at the head of the lakes. "But Capt. Inman has contracted with Capt, (sic) Wheeler to build two enti­ rely new and powerful tugs, one of which will be ready this season, to be added to the Inman fleet. He is also about putting in at Duluth a large and complete wrecking outfit of steam pumps, diving appliances and lighters, and will devote all his time to towing and wrecking. The $30, 000 invested in the