the mail on a route from Aberdeen, W.T. up the Chehalis River. Capt. James P. Whitcomb (1824-1901) was master of Gov. Newell on the mail run between Montesano, Washington and Westport, Washington, as was his son, Capt. George A. Whitcomb (1854-1939). Westport was then known as Peterson's Point. William H. Clough was the boat's engineer at the time. Gov. Newell proved to be not profitable on Grays Harbor. In 1885 Gov Newell was returned to the Columbia River, where it was operated for a short time by Capt. Charles Haskell. In July 1886, there was talk of lining Gov. Newell upriver through the Cascades Rapids to operate the boat in opposition to the boats of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, which was apparently taking away too much business from Gov. Newell and an associated vessel, Lurline, at the mouth of the Columbia river. John C. Trullinger bought Gov. Newell in 1887. Capt. Perry A. Trullinger, son of John C Trullinger, ran the boat briefly on the route from Astoria to Westport, Oregon. By August 1887, Gov. Newell was carrying Sunday excursions out of Astoria, Oregon. In late November 1887, Gov. Newell was hired to tow the burned hulk of the elite steamer Telephone back to Portland from Astoria, where Telephone had been nearly destroyed by fire. Sabotage allegations In January 1887, Gov. Newell was owned by John Corse Trullinger (1828-1901). Trullinger had hired John Cox to act as captain of Gov. Newell. In a bitter argument that month after Newell had sustained some damage towing a ship downriver to Astoria, Trullinger accused Cox of trying to sink Gov. Newell on behalf of the powerful Oregon Railway and Navigation Company. Trullinger withheld Cox's wages, but Trullinger's accusation was found in subsequent litigation to be baseless. Sale to Charles and Minnie Hill In May 1888 Gov. Newell was for sale. The steamer was purchased for $7,500 by a husband and wife team of steamboat captains, Charles O. and Minnie Hill. The Hills had raised the money themselves from successful trading operations on the Columbia river, starting from small steamers and working up. Minnie Hill was the first woman west of the Mississippi river to hold a steamboat captain's license, which she obtained on November 30, 1887. On Gov. Newell, Charles ran the engineering department while Minnie steered the boat from the pilot house. In addition to navigating the boat, Minnie Hill