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THE CLOVER LEAF LINE 1890 - 1901 By Rev. Edward J. Dowling, S.J. The Clover Leaf Steamship Line was operated in connection with the Toledo, St. Louis and Kansas City Railroad, the "Clover Leaf Road." The steamship line, using char- tered tonnage, extended the parent railroad's mileage eastward to Buffalo, New York where interchange could be made with main lines to New York and the East Coast. The steamship service was very successful as long as the railroad remained an independent entity, i.e., until 1901. After the absorption of the Clover Leaf Road into the Nickel Plate system, however, the steamship line became redundant with Nickel Plate's through line, and was no longer continued. The colors of the Clover Leaf ships were dark hull; probably black, white cabins and dark stacks, sometimes showing two narrow silver bands, and other times showing a clover leaf emblem on the stacks' sides. The following nine freighters are known to have been chartered by the Clover Leaf Steamship Line: B. W. BLANCHARD - Wooden package freight propellor (US. 2806) built in Cleveland in 1870 by Quayle & Martin for the Union Steamboat Co. (Erie RR.): 221 x 34 x 11.8; 1,142 gross tons. Chartered by Clover Leaf Line from 1892 through 1896, from Botsford of Port Huron. Later cut down to steam barge in 1902; 919 gross tons. Stranded and wrecked near Alpena, November 28, 1904. Last owner was Kotcher Lumber Co., Detroit. F. & P.M. No. 5 Author's Collection Wooden passenger & freight ship (US. 120812) built by Wheeler at Bay City (Hull #77) for Flint & Pere Marquette Railway: 226 x 38 x 24, 1,723 gross tons. Chartered by Clover Leaf for season of 1896. Later PERE MARQUETTE 5. Went to salt water in 1916, and foundered in heavy weather off Nanset, Massachusetts, February 23, 1917. Was then owned in Newfoundland and named ANSAC. aye