The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-04-18
DEAD AND ALIVE.
A Woodchopper,s story.

DrOaQ-Drlmmeu naU ana req ndnnel
shirt. He sat on the railing of the
bridge, whiting, and talking to three
OF four others standing by.
"Yes, sir" said he, al was dead once.
1t was the strangest thing you ever saw
in your life. You don't believe it, ha
Well, L don't wonder I don't suppose
any other man ever went through
such an awful siege, and can't expect
anybody to look at it as 1 do. You see
it happened like this 1t was winter,
we numbered on Whitecomb Creek, six
OF eight years ago. 1t was war times
then, and wages were good. 1 was get
ting forty dollars month, and worked
like beaver till this little affair came
off. We went to work about mile from
the shanty-Jim Robinson and me-and
had slashed into the pine like all possess
ed. The boys were hauling pretty live
ly, for it was early January, and sleigh
ing was good. Jim was at work on a
big tree about twenty rods from where
l was.
"Pretty soon, after he had yelled at
me, his tree toppled over and fell. 1t
was rs handsome piece of pine timber
as ever you saw, and watched it as it
ltll. SIdSH IL WcDU, llllO but
of an old grub oak, and hung just there.
never saw fellow madden than Jim
was--we did some tall cursing among
them pines. He tried every possible
way to loosen the pine, but couldn't get
it off. Finally we made up our minds
to go for the tree, and in about ten min
utes we had it cut through so it trem-
bled like leaf with every stroke of the
axe, he cutting on one side and 1 on the
other. When it was almost through, as
l was the biggest and best chopper,
says 1 to Jim, and then 1 ripped out q
big oath,
"Let me finish her, Jim. Get out OF
the way, and 1 will have her through in
half a minute
~ had been chopping minute OF
two when Jim let loose a scream that
would have made an Injun's blood run
cold. had just time to look up and
see that pine tree tumbling down, when
I dropped my axe and run. I couldn't
have got far when something seemed
to hit my eyes, and then everything was
dark.
"I suppose was dead.
Maybe you don't believe me, boys
but that's all can make out of it. AL
at once, the light, the looks of the snow
on the ground, everything was shut out
from my sight. There was kind of ar
uncertain feeling, just as fellow has
when he's asleep. I knew something
awful had happened, but 1 could moi
stir hand or foot. 1t seemed as though
it was night, and that l was covered W
by something that pressed heavily OF
me. Still there wasn't any particular
pain, and fora long time couldn't thinl
where I was. How long l staid there,
can't tell. 1 suppose it wasn't long
when felt somebody pull my arm, ant
l heard Jim Robinson say:
$50 Lord Poor fellow"
81 knew he was there, and l coulC
feel him touch me, and yet L could no
speak or open my eyes. He thought
was dead. Then wondered if all deaC
folks could hear and think as 1 did.
tried to move my hands, tried t.
scream. But 1 couldn't do anything
Jim left me, and the next 1 remembe
of, was pulled out from under tn
tree and hauled to the shanty on one o
the sleds. You may bet there was con
siderable excitement among the boy
when was taken into camp. l coulc
feel that was dead. by heart didn'
beat. couldn't move. But 1 coul,
hear, and had a kind of misty notiol
about everything that was going ol
about me.
"Some of the boys, after feeling @
my Sorrud, wanted to send for the doc
tor.
"'It's no use, boys said the boss, tn
poor fellows gone. His neck was broke
The most we can do for him Is to tax
him to his folks
"Well, they laid me out on one of tn
sleighs, and fixing me up in as decent
way as a corpse could be in lumbe
camp, one of the teamsters started wit
me for Oshkosh.
"I first didn't realize Just how ba
the situation was. When it began t
leak into my head that / was reall
dead, and was 10 be buried in the ground
and shut out forever from the light c
the sun 1T frightened me. The long rid
TO Oshkosh passed like those things tina
happen in dream. We got there an
1 was taken to my brothers house. H
felt terrible bad when was brough
home. 1 hadn't any idea that he though
so much of me as he did. / could hea
him cry and talk, and hadn't the powe
to move muscle. l was put in col
fin, and it finally came out that 1 was t
be taken to Watertown to be buried
My old mother lived there, you know
Oh, boys hope none of you will eve
be made to feel the horrors that | fel
when knew that i was boxed up in
coffin and would soon be buried. Seve
years have gone by since then, but
never think of it without shudder.
felt them putting on the lid of the coi
fin, and then l knew | was fastened uI
"From that time until the cover q
the coffin was raised again haven
any recollection of what happened, onl
that l was. continually in motion
Though 1 could not open my eyes.
sorter felt that it was dark and r wa
going somewhere. All of a sudde
mother spoke.
"'George,' said she to nay brothe
his forehead don't feel very cold. Ho'
strange it is
"Then Georges hand was put on IN
forehead, and then could feel him plaC
his hand on my breast.