Show Busy Year ear Winding Up for Boater Tex McClatchy was whoopIng whoopIng whooping whoop- whoop Ing it up that afternoon when he piloted his 45 foot Cliff Dweller into sight of Anderon Ander Ander- hon on Bottom From the top deck of the trl level trl-level level boat Dick Lundberg's band played Dixieland Dixieland Dix Dix- Jazz below passengers waved and yelled to the astonished as- as d audience on shore Behind a couple of water skiers skiers ski ski- ers cavorted In the big boats boat's wake Activities ceased at the picturesque plc- plc site as the hundreds of river runners rushed to the bank to watch the show Colorado River Cruises Cruises Cruises ses they read on the side of the big What Inthe in inthe In Inthe the world kind of boat was this The spectators had a right to gasp They were all part of the annual friendship cruise on the Green and Colorado Rivers and most of them traveled in small cruisers under under under un un- un- un der 25 feet with feet with outboard motors The show-off show boat was a 45 footer with a high upper deck where the pilot sat The passenger passenger pas pas- sen r deck had seats bling pews in a church Oddest of ot all was the strange roar of the motors and the swoosh of water from under the boat This hu huge contraption was Jet propelled It was Indeed The first of Its kind and the largest jet passenger boat in th the United States It was designed by the enterprising enterprising en especially especially ally to carry tourists down the scenic rivers a tour that has since become one of th the most popular recreation attractions attractions attractions at at- tractions of the area The Cliff Dweller pro proved prod d It Itself Itself itself It- It self that day It not only made the trip without a hitch but served as tugboat for smaller boats that under estimated their power And it arrived in Moab with an extra 25 passengers passengers pas pas- fengers taken aboard to lighten lIghtn light lIght- en n the load of other boats The Idea of a tourist boat on the Colorado had long In Interested Interested interested In- In Tex a former school teach teacher r. r But It was not until jet et propulsion motors for forr boats were proven that he felt the Idea was feasible Too many had tried and failed in a similar on the Colorado River Unpredictable water and ami moving sandbars made the route Impossible to chart and outboard motors and paddlewheels were always vulnerable With jet propulsion propulsion sion slon a boat could travel in mere inches of wat water r. r It was worth a try I Tex designed the boats him him- self elf A passenger 65 boat he named the Cliff CUff Dweller the Major Powell was 20 passenger to carry the smaller small small- er groups down the river The boats were built by Arnold Arnold Arnold Ar Ar- nold Feller of Grand Junction Junction Junction Junc Junc- tion a Colorado River racing enthusiast A California company company company com com- pany provided the motors It was a tense day when they first launched the boats None actually knew if they would do the job But they passed the tests with flying colors and Tex was in busi busl ness The success of the passenger passenger ger cruises during their first year fear of operation has exceeded exceed exceed- ed Tex's wildest dreams Already Already Already Al Al- ready he has taken 1600 passengers passengers passengers pas pas- on the scenic tours On the red carpet tour he takes passengers down the Colorado from Moab Mo to Dead Horse Point and back He lie contInually con con- discovers n new w attractions attractions attractions to thrill his guests They love the beauty of the steep red cliffs behind th the tamarisk tamarisk lined lined river banks they thrill to the spectacular view of the hu huge Texas Gulf ulf Sulphur Co potash Installations They see ancient Indian ruins and and beautiful red rock arches invisible In Invisible Invisible In- In visible except from from the river They pet the deer swimming by the boat and exclaim at atIt It e seldom seen seen- en velvet on their horns They watch beaver beaver beaver bea bea- ver playing on the water and watch the t less tall blue herons herons herons her her- herI I ons white sand cranes and sea seagulls seagulls g gulls feeding In the river They see s see a petrified forest lorest with both fallen and standing logs imbedded In sand rock cliffs they drink from cool springs bubbling from the rocks I On a rainy day they get a r s y L 4 hi t. t I special treat Hundreds of I spectacular water falls pour off the cliffs and rainbows seem to grow from Its ba banks ks The most recent attraction attractions Is s the ca man cave man buffet By chance Tex located a large cool ool cave near the bank of the river Iver where he serves a del de- de l clous buffet lunch to hungry passengers They love It he e says ays It was a quirk of fate that the he only difficulty Tex has ever ver encountered on one of his ils tours occurred when he had lad 85 m members of the Utah 5 State tat cPr Press e s s Association aboard board his boats The night before an water rise Ise filled the river with floating float float- ing ng debris This filled the in In- In take screens on the jet motors motors motors mo mo- tors and time aft after r time the boats were stopped to clean out the screens The trip was dela delayed Cd a full four hours and andIn andIn andin In the end passengers were unloaded on sandbars and riverbanks riverbanks ri- ri to lighten n the load Cars arrived to pick up those marooned and It was 7 that night before the last passenger passenger ger r reached town The press representatives loved every minute of their trouble filled trip Not a one missed the banquet In town that night and not one wrote a critical report of the novel trip If It had to happen Tex says It couldn't have happen happen- ed to a n more sportsmanlike group As success successful ul as the tours have been Tex has still greater great great- er plans for the future A loud loudspeaker loudspeaker loudspeaker speaker with music that lends Itself to romantic rides down the river at after r dark a coat of white paint to beautify the boats And a brand new boat for special occasions which he and Arnold Feller will build and share It has been a great thrill to master the mighty Colorado Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- I rado Tex says But most re rewarding rewarding re- re re-I re warding has been the reaction of his guests to the tour To I date he hasn't a disappointed customer Why should I Tex muses Here In Moab we have a bit I I I I I I I I I I of 01 almost every type of scenery scenery nery there Is except an ocean With the Colorado River we dont don't need that |