Butte record., 1854-08-26

Among the sturdy pioneers to whom
this town is ind sbted, for the ncepti n
OF Its prosperity, is james Sloan, of
Black Rock, a gentleman but little
known, prone to retir ICY, modest and
dlfident in dapoFtnelt, but with the
strong common sense, determined en- r
gy, and abiding honor and honesty OF a
Jackson. The history Of his connection
with the early efforts Of Buffalo to max
good the position Nature had given her;
the almost disheartening struggles in
which her infancy was passed the COM
bats with 'uke-warm faith al home, and
open opposition from abroad. would IN
terest and instruct our city readers, un-
acquainted with the facts, were it our
purpose here to give them. On fl-
ture OCCASION We may draw upon the
fund of recollections possessed be Mr.
Sloan, of some anecdotal sketches of the
infancy. of "New Ans erdam'' and the
Port of Buffalo Greek p" We only in
tend, at present, to narrate story Of
adventure, in which our respective
friend bore conspicu Us pars.
One day, in the month Of June, 1922,
when returning by the river from Chm
pewa, and having arrived abreast the
head of Navy Island, he discovered an
object drifting rapidly down tha current,
which, from the reiterated cries for help
he was shocked to find, was a human be
ing. HIS own boat being one used for
conveying salt was unmanageably heavy,
and to trust to her for rescning the poor
fellow, would have been to insure his
own loss, as well, perhaps, as that of
the canoe. He turned her, therefore,
towards the shore, and, leaping on the
strand near Chippewa, Sloan started for
that place to procure suitable boat,
directing his men to follow They, how
ever, gave out in the race, and our he
70, for he deserves the title, found him
self alone. Fortunately there were
three boys fishing from a light SIX f, a
short d stance from shore, and 10 the4
he appealed. Like himself, they were
Injured to the perils Of the river, and they
at once acceded to his wish. To sieze
spare oar, and wi the wiling aid of
the boys, to urge the little boat far out
upon the rapid stream. WIS the work of
but moment. By this time the objec.
of their anxiety had ceased his cries and
was lying supine, upon the log that sus
tanned him in his perilous voyage, COM
pletely subme ged, except his head and
part of his back. They reached him,
dragged him stiff and motionless into
the boat, and laid her head for STORE.
But now came the knowledge, that in
the desperation of the chase, they had
ventured far beyond prudence, and were
rapidly drifting down the river. On
either side the forest seemed scudding
by them at 4 fearful rate, and their little
cockleshell craft was tossing in the rap
i'd, while the combing waves threw tn ir
spray far over their heads. 1t was a
dreadful moment when they first awoke
TO the certainty of their imminent dan
ger, and so theirs thought 1t, for, gath
cred upon the shore were all the people
of Chippewa, watching with an intense
anxiety, the result of the hazardous un-
deriaking But, not for moment did
Sloan loose his self f-possession Calmly
addressing the boys and pointing out the
danger, he conjured them to chop aud
pull.' and nobly did the little fellows
respond.
1t WIS fearful work Now the boat
shooting over the seas, would gain few
lengths, and now a wave, more potent
than its predecessors, would send them
back, co, ering them with water. Oc-
caslonally, as they anxiously watched
the shores. the trees would seem to
stand still, and then the awful race
would again commence There was
thought of throwing over the ineumber-
ing body of the drowned man, but there
was no time for pause. Steadily and