in the spring of 1908, both the "gatzert" and its competitor, the "charles r. spencer", began their summer operations on the same day, may 4, 1908, with talk of a pending rate war between the management of the two steamers, both of which had been recently rehabilitated and were reported to be in top mechanical shape. the steamers raced that day to vancouver, washington and then up the columbia river gorge to the dalles. preparations for the race had been going on quietly for week beforehand. the "spencer" and the "gatzert" were reported to have been at that time the fastest steamboats in the world.