Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-11-25
[PRIGE ONE CENT.
Q b c y a ilp spy.
Pictures of Forest Life.
BY A DOWN EAST LUMBERMAN.
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(coNCLUDED)
Bat while the greater part of swamp life is
more or less merry, there are occasional Interrupt
lions to the joyousness that abounds Logging
roads are generally laid out with due regard to
the eonvenlences OF level or gently descending
ground. But IN some Instances the uneyenness Of
the country admits only OF unfavorable alterna-
tves. Sometimes there are moderate rises to
ascend or descend on the way to the landing; the
former ale hard, the latter dangerous to the team.
knew teanster to lose his life in the following
shocking manner: On one section of The main
road there quite smart pitch'' of consd-
cradle length, which the load invariably
" drove" the team along a forced trot. Down
this slope our teatlster had often passed. without
sustaining any injury to himself or oxen. One
day, having, usual, taken his load from the
stump, he proceeded to wards the landing soon
passing out of sight and hearing. Not making
his appearance the expiration of the usual
time, 1t was suspected THAI something more than
usual had detained him. Obeying the impulses
OF proper sollcitude on his behalf, some of the
hands started to render service if it were needed.
Coming TO the head of the hill, down which the
road ran, tney saw the team at the foot of il,
standing with the forward oxen faced about up the
road, but no teamster. On reaching the spot,
most distressing spectacle presented itself; there
lay the teamster OIL the hard road, with one of tile
under the weight of several tons of timber, were
pressed down to the thickness of mans hand
lie was su alive, and when they called out to
MN, Just before reaching the Sled he spoke IN
promptly as usual, Here am L. as if nothing had
been the matter These were the only words he
ever uttered.
''pry was Immediately set, which raised
the dead fall from his crushed body, enabling
them to extricale it from its dreadful position.
Shortly after. his Iafi hi,
never more returned. He could give no expla-
nation; but we inferred, from the position of the
forward oxen, that the load had forced the team
INTO il run, by which the tongue cattle, pressed
by the leaders, turning them round, which prob
ably threw the teamster under the runner, and
the whole load stopped when about to poise over
his body.
lie was taken to the camp, where all was
done that could be, under the circumstances. TO
save him, but to no purpose. His work was fin
cended above the signing pines, and entered the
eternal state. The only words he uttered were
those in reply to The calling Of his name. AS near
near as we could Judge, he had laid two hours in
the position in which he was found. 1t was as
tolsshug u see how lie had gnawed the rave of
the sled 1t was between three and four inches
through. In his agony, he had bitten il nearly
half oil, To do this lie had pulled himself up
with his hands, gnawed awhile, then fallen
back again through exhaustion and despair
He was taken out to the nearest settlement, and
buried.
Alta later period, we lost our teamster by an
accident not aoget Their dIssrniidr. 1t was at the
winding up OF our winters work in hauling. Late
in the afternoon we had felled and prepared our
final tree, which was 10 fin ish the last of the
merous loads which had been taken TO the we'll
slowed landing Weuried with the frequency Of
his travels on the same road for the same pur-
pose this last load anticipated with no ord-
nary interest; an when the tree loaded, he
seemed to contemplate it with profound satisfac-
ton.
"This, - said he, &c is my last load.'' For the
last time the team placed in order, to drag
from its bed the tree of hundred Summers.
Onward it moved at the signal given, and he was
soon lost to view in the frequent windings of the
forest road. 1t was neatly shutdown, and had it
not been for closing up the Winters work that
day, the hauling would have been deferred till
next MOI ming. E3H4 es
The usual preparations for our evening camp
fire had been made, and the thick shadows of
evening had been gathering for an hour, and yet
he did not come. Again and again souIe one OF
the crew would step out to listen if he could
catch the iingIing Of the chains as they were
hauled along; but nothing broke upon the ear in
the stiffness OF the early night. Unwilling longer
to resist the solicitude entertained for his Safety
several of us stated with lantern Tor the landing
We continued to pass on, every moment expect
ing to hear or meet him, until the landing was
finally reached There, quietly chewing the cud,
the oxen were standing, unconscious of the cause
that detained them, or that Tor the last time they
had heard the we'll known voice Of their devoted
MASTER Fastening along, we found the load
rolled off the sled, but heavens what a sight
greeted onr almost unbelieving vision !! There
lay the yoor fellow beneath that terrible pressure.
log was resting across his crushed body. He
was dead. From appearances, we Judged that,
after having knocked out the &c 6d, /" which united
the chain that bound the load, the log rolled sud-
denly upon him. Thus, without mom ent's
warning, he ceased in the same instant to work
and live. II proved indeed, his g last oad.''