Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-05-17
Breaking "a Sam.


Of eighteen, have passed my life principally
in the gloomy recesses Of her woods, far
from the abodes of civilization, following
the arduous and often ruinous pursuit Of 3
lumberman, as we who get out the timber
are called, and amongst class OF men
hardy and daring as the world can show,
had become noted on our river, from
chence escapade Of mine one spring IN
/" driving"
We were well down the river, and had
united our gang with several others whom
we had overtaken; there were perhaps one
hundred and fifty men altogether. We
were running through rapid, free from
rocks, but still, from the enormous body of
water pouring through narrow passage,
sufficiently wild to daunt the bravest among
us, and prevent the men practising favor
lite feat, and one in which lives are often
lost" running the rapids on o stick Of
timber" / was working at the head of the
rapid, showing the timber from the banks,
when l suddenly became aware that the
stick was on-a red pine spar about eighty
feet long-was bound for the rapid. and
that | could not avoid being an unwilling
passenger.
At first, | thought there was no great
danger. my only fear being that either end
of the long spar might strike the shore, in
which case / should certainly be swept off,
and most probably smashed by some other
stick. However, we ran the rapid in splen-
did style, the spar keeping perfectly straight,
and not rolling in the least; in fact, it was
as steady as though it was on shore. The
swells were running very high, and as
.darted past the men who lined the banks,
saw by their alarmed faces that they thought
/ was in great danger; and now came the
pinch for as we drew near the tail of the
rapid--boiling and seething like Malstrom
II saw that collision with another stick
of timber, which was being whirled round
in an eddy, was unavoidable.
l had hand-spike in my hand, and
thinking might be able to get on the other
stick, ran towards the end of the spar. L
had got within ten feet of the end, when the
two sticks going in contrary directions
struck, fortunately for me, exactly in the
same line. l left my spar, of course, in
hurry, and describing curve, alighted,
after an aerial flight of some twenty feet,
fair on the other stick. The handspike,
grasped in both hands, and held in front
across the body, saved me from falling. To
spring up, run to the end of the stick, and
swim ashore, was the work of a few mo-
ments. The men cheered, for they thought
it was through my own agility that my life
was saved; whereas, | was not free agent
in the matter, and had the sticks not met
end on, should most probably have been
drowned or smashed.
This feat established my reputation for
courage; and the following adventure, al
most unparalleled, imagine, in the history
of mans escape from apparently certain
III 4 ha nf
and | believe that the ignorant French
Canadians who witnessed it think l bear a
charmed life.
1t was in the spring of '64. Embarking
all my capital in numbering, 1 had, during
the winter, placed very considerable
amount of square timber on the Ko-wash
gong, a branch of the Madawaska, a large
tributary of the river Ottawa; all my ener-
gies were strained TO the utmost to get it
down to market, for my future depended on
the result l had gang of thirty good
men, but unfortunately, as it turned out, |
placed myself in all situations of danger;
this, indeed, is always looked for from the
T" boss of the drive" but ought to have en-
gagged another man in that capacity. All
went well for a time, and could l pass a
dangerous and dreaded rapid without jam
AS an accumulation of timber, consequent
or perhaps one stick jamming up the pas
sage, is called felt secure of profitable
return for my winter work.
1t is usual before running timber through
q rarid, to throw boom across the river,
at a short distance above, to confine the
timber, which being allowed to pass down
in small quantities, aud entirely stopped, if
necessary, cannot. under proper manage
ment, jam to any extent; but such was the
rapidity of the river at this point, that we
were obliged to have our boon some three
miles above the rapid, and the quantity of
timber in that three miles was quite sufi
cient TO cause a very large jam, should any
hitch occur. l was well aware of the dam
ger, and had my best men stationed at the
rapid, to guide the timber into the channel,
and was there myself most of the time.
We had run large number through sue
cessfully, and | was congratulating myself
that all would go well, when, towards even
ing, rash of timber came down; one large
piece struck first one shore, Slowed round,
and caught the other. In moment a Jam
was formed Now, could we have stopped
the timber from coming down. we could
have easily broken the jam, but the timber
came down SO fast upen us that our efforts
were useless, and for that evening we gave
up, and returning 10 camp, which was up at
the boom, awaited the daylight with SINH
lar feeling of coming danger that | should
think hangs over an army the night previous
TO a battle Ii was, we knew, almost a Ger
tainty that some of our small number would
not live to see that jam broken.
IN the morning, we started for the rapid;
/ and another man went in a boat, the rest
by land About a mile above the large
rapid Was another one. at the head of which
we we're in the habit of leaving the boat,
for the only attempt hitherto made 10 run it
resulted in the death of the adventures,
two Yankees; but this morning | saw with
dismay that boat might live through it
the cause well knew; it was caused by the
Jam damming back the water, and it enabled
me to form an estimate of the pile of timber
that must have accumulated during the
night.
Although there was nothing to be gained
by running the boat through the rapid,
felt reckless, and determined to do whaS in
all probability could not be done again; so
receiving an assurance from the man 9Th
me that he would risk his life on the issue,
| put the boat in the channel. We passed
in safety, though we had several very mar
row escapes, and soon arrived at the jam.