The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-15
VOLUME III.

on them. Later IN the uaY reaNy cap
stan was rigged. The hawser broke like
twine. Ii was impossible TO start log,
SO tremendous was the weight of water
and lumber combined.
Next dav the lam was mined with pow
der placed in water-tight molasses-casks
and connected with fire at the top of the
hedges by means of tarred fuses. I he
blasts blew out splinters freely, but failed
10 break or dislodge the large sticks. Viii
late fumed and sweated. Unless the drive
went down to market not dollar would
be paid to one Of us; so he declared. " II
YOU want yoar pay, break the JAM" was
his constant exhortation, enforced by vig-
orOus cures and, indeed, we had been
hired on these terms; wages TO be paid
when the drive reached MOntreal-not be-
fore, This is a common rule, or used to
be; the men have thus strong interest
ia the driving. .s.-..
A plan was mooted among the meSses
that following night TO cut out the front
logs. The same scheme has been often
put in execution. It was argued that by
stretching a warp-line across. the RAPIDS.
frOm ciifl TO cliff, directly over the foot OF
the jam, man might be lowered on it,
with an ak, and cut away the logs. A
large .,.basketp,-so il was talked--mfght
be swung on the cable. By slackening
the line the aX-man could be lowered, 10
the logs and the instant the sticks crack
Ell under the strokes he could leap SO the
"basket' and be pulled up outpf harm s
way, and let the jam go through under
him. The idea gained favor. The
following morning the end OF one
of the seven-hHndred fog lines was
faksn across on the Jam to- the lodges on
il. to handle it. With a hundred men
there was no difficulty in lowering and rails
ing it at viii. When. drawn taut, it hung
sixty feet above the foot of the jam. One OF
the Indian drivers, named Lahmunt, had
been at work weaving a basket of ash
strip: and as soon as this novel carriage
was finished and slung on the cable the
project was ready for trial While the pro-
iecE was being talked over several of the
drivers had declared themselves willing to
undertake. the, feat; but now that the
basket was slung, and after seeing it
drawn over the abyss, they were less dis
! posed to prOiler their services. 1t needed
strong nerves and a stout heart to gaze
into that 1oaming gulf and not turn dizzy.
There was among us a youngster whom
the old drivers called - Feung Mefl'sPee-
FYslp=s. Y Ioupg Mall-s.Was halfbreel
+ fFren CHI ana Rif]. ta,sNoman
at this time, Of thirty or fessand
the mother of this boy. Some e
drivers saidl that his rightful patf'oI C
was Skelly; but this was a rather ollsssssssfe
matter. 81 e. -
.The Peeyy as be was. halfsliszner-
ously christsned, mast have been Htssffy
or quite eighteen The name was sssafp
have come to lam one day IN boy ho8t
when,a ''peevy'' .was dropPef OF gltt
into ten or asdozen feet of water. Several
ofthe drivers were trying to hook II up.
bat kept missing it The boy, then etegen
or twelve years old, had come along uli-
observed. Presently; and WI tliUtit saying
a word, he dropped on the logs, brop giit
1p the peeyy and ran away Gripping
The men laughed, and not knowing his
| name, called him q the peevy-boy.S After
ward, when thev found his mother. they
i,naufed the urchin :, oiing Moll's Peeyy.''
| But his mother called him .Lletfe. A
stranger would not easily have believed
him the child of the fresh young person
who had cared for him; for he was
unusually staiwart and brOnzed by
exposure. Seen together, they rather
resembled lad and lass. | thought so,
1 at least, when first | saw her COM
ing-to fetch fli4i dry feetipgg and a clean
I shirt. She had walked twenty miles to
--hrin4- them through tAe--3eedS, te49~
| ing our trail. And the way she kissedthe
young man, asiie. was, OIL looked to abe,
rather lOver-like than maternal. Z After
ward, on several similar occasions, ! was
EmuchF struck by the genre picture they
made; the youth had the great black eyes
andcurling hair of his mother. The drivers
used to chaf the fellow increasingly about
Young Mol and the care she took of him
I all of which he bore silently, switA q
Troubled, reseptful eye; though other
kwise,ta great nobie-hearted boy, generous
and inclined to iollity. Really, the rough
fellows thought the more of the youns
woman for this motherly affection aio
wealth OF, cage sfog her boy t..rxas ~
4 t6ntups beEied them. ~ ''-' -, -
The "basket" was slung and ready
The gang on the other side were gestic1
lating, with random tugs at the line. Their,
was something Whimsical in the way the
lproposers Of the project shraHk the on'
behind the other. with assumed bravadC
and covert glances at each others faces.
O. shall have to go myself!' Villat'
exclaimed, with his characteristic Frencl
oath. u will go myself, fat as | am y
i;wffen' bashfullv, as if'afraid of giving OF
fense, young Lotte said lie &0Hsa go ii
no better man wanted the job" "Ther
were at first muttered mon mons" of dis
cussion in the crowd, but nobody claimed
the Job" and Villate was too glad to ge
4 a InsBsto go, In a; moment the yotrns
| man had stripped TO his shirt and rec
drawers. taken his AK and stepped to th'
basket, but il was found to be insecurell
attached; and afterward several better
kmOdes of handling the line We're suggest
Jed, m s1f c$usiHg' 1 -delaE 'ofaii hour o.
& two. =! !;,i a1zlo 81 - = sl.--s-
And now, as if the birds of spring, jus
fitting past, had carried the word, OF SOM
presentment of evil had found it way t
the peevy,s mother, she inOpportunell
i made her appearance. Rad Caets private
ly touched my elbow and nodded back, NJ
the bank. then saw Young Mol stand
ing partly in the shade of shrub fir,
hundred yards off, intently watching tn
gang aaia the extended warp.51 =
.li Ssyeral of the'men saw her, bat did no
Look s1 or .Ro{ice her after the fest glance
f"Parbleu! pity she's here !" one said
and they closed in about LOtte to preven
his seeing her. But the woman 500
came nearer, going partly around tn
, crowd, keeping aloof.s She had Q neN
4 pihEl siiSAt4s EdylA Cp8OTSuy ItDubl SiVoc1
about her neck, and her long. black, In
dian-like curls showed beneath beade
scarlet hood. There was aniintently anA
ioaslF look In her eyes; sheappeared wer
! and tired.
"The Peevy'' was too tall a man to b
= 4shut up in the crowd. Presently he e:
pied her, and his eye fell. After time
s.keas sustlE, Rs itweressmade his way back
: her. None Of us heard what was saiC
The most instinctively kept their eyes {
: themselves. The gang on the other sid
) was staring across the chasm. Villate riI
: ped eut IN czth,snd saw Lofte push, III
!eirlasideso rosghly that she caught at
shrub to save herself. He walked straigf
, TO the brink of the cliff.
: "I am here,' said he. | never saw hiI
!, laok.s6 manly - We knew 4lis eye wa
quick and hand sure. / had little dout
| that he would cut the front logs and con-
: up safe. We did not know what the daI
u per was stAl.afterward. 'RezSteod 1iprigl
! T in the basket" with one hand on ii
haYser. to steady himself, and his ak
the other. =,
At signal the gang on the west SID
straighteiied the line, We paid IT. q
: slowly. They drew hin ogt fran q
4 brink Of the ledge, rill the basket was d
y L,