Bonita (sternwheeler 1900)

In early September 1900, Bonita carried hop pickers from Portland to hops yards in the Willamette Valley, departing daily from Portland at 1:30 pm.[8]

On October 22, 1900, Bonita collided with the steamer Pomona as both vessels were entering the Willamette Falls Locks.[9] There was no loss of life or damage to cargo.[9] Bonita sustained $200 worth of damage.[9] The steamboat inspection service investigated the incident on November 5, 1900.[9] As a result, the license of A.J. Spong, master of Pomona, was suspended for 10 days for carelessness and negligence in handling his vessel.[9]

In July 1901 as Bonita was lining across the bar of the Yamhill river, the capstan gave way, throwing one man into the river, and striking several others, but without causing serious injury.[10] Bonita was stuck for most of a day, until the steamer Altona happened along and pulled Bonita off the shoal.[10] The next day, Bonita successfully transited the Yamhill bar heading upriver, but when the steamer was on the other side of the bar, the river water fell, leaving Bonita trapped behind the bar.[10]

Bonita's captain sought assistance from the local road crew, which put to work carving out with a road scraper a channel in the bar, reportedly just big enough for Bonita to pass through.[10] Said the Morning Oregonian of this incident: "It is further proposed that she be renamed the Gopher and equipped with a plow or two and a few agricultural huskies as assistant engineers. With a bucket of water and a road-scraper the Bonita could go overland to Kansas or anywhere."[10]

Bonita carried hop pickers in the 1901 picking season, departing from the foot of Washington street at 7:00 am daily for the hop fields.[11]

In late April 1902, Metlako ran from Portland to The Dalles, Oregon every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, departing from the Regulator Line's dock at the foot of Alder Street at 7:00 a.m.[15] Metlako departed The Dalles on the return trip to Portland every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 7:00 a.m.[15]

On the morning of May 3, 1902, en route to The Dalles, about five miles upriver from Vancouver, a cylinder head blew out on Metlako, seriously (or slightly[16] injuring a passenger.[17]

The Regulator Line sold Metlako to the Seattle, Portland & Seattle Railway.[18]

At about noon on January 27, 1903, Peter Gearin, a crewman on Metlako, either leaped or fell off the boat into the Columbia River and was drowned.[19] The incident occurred at Reed's Island in the Columbia River, as Metlako was steaming upstream from Vancouver, where Gearin had boarded the vessel.[19] Gearin was seen to dive off the companionway into the river, but whether it was suicide or an accidental loss of footing, could not be determined.[19] The boat stopped to look for him, but no trace could be located, so Metlako continued on its way.[19] Gearin, age 38, had been working on steamboats for about 15 years.[19]

Captain Johnnie Brown had been master of Metlako for several years.[18] In October 1910, Capt. Charles Jordan took over as captain of Metlako from Capt. G.F. Gildez. [20] In May 1908, Metlako was engaged as a tender for the construction of the Columbia River Railroad Bridge, and had been so since the start of bridge construction.[18][21]

Once construction of the railroad bridge was complete, Metlako was tied up at Vancouver until December, 1908, when the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway sold the vessel to Albert Burcham, of Kelso, Washington.[18] Burcham intend to use Metlako on the Cowlitz and Columbia rivers in the logging business.[18]

Metlako was rebuilt in 1909 at Kelso, Washington, by Robert Green for Burcham & Burns Construction.[4] In 1907, prior to reconstruction, Metlako was 198 gross and 122 registered tons, the same as Bonita when constructed.[22] The total crew required for Metlako was 13, as shown on the 1907 merchant vessel register.[22] After reconstruction, in 1909, Metlako measured out at 91 gross and 87 registered tons.[23] The total required crew was reduced from 13 to 6.[23] The length and beam of the vessel remained the same, indicating that the reduction in size was attributable to removal of a large part of the cabin structure.[23]

In February 1915, as Metlako was being overhauled in Portland, there was talk on the waterfront that it would be placed on the Portland-Lewis River route.[24] In early July 1916, high water on the Columbia river backed up the Lake River to Ridgefield, Washington, which was served by the steamers Metlako and Mimare.[25] In 1919, A.E. Hayes, of Kelso, Washington, rebuilt Metlako and ran it for a short time on the Portland-Kelso route.[26]

In March 1920, Metlako was tied up at a dock in Kelso, Washington, because of legal claims pending against the vessel in federal court in Tacoma, Washington.[26] The claims arose from an action filed by the Union Oil Company, alleging that they were owed $1,070.65 for fuel supplied to Metlako.[27]

On April 26, 1920, Metlako was sold by the U.S. Marshal for $5,200 to Captain Caples, of Woodland, Washington and associates.[26] Another source states that Walker & Co. bought the vessel at the marshal's sale.[28] In February 1921, Walker & Co. sold Metlako to E.E. Graham & Co.[28]

The sinking of the Metlako was filmed on motion picture camera and made into part of a newsreel which was exhibited in August, 1921.[29]