The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-04-23
YOUNG MOLL'S PEEVY.

the Aux Lievres falls over the ledges
into the "glnt-hole," fifty feet below
A wilder spectacle I never saw
throughout the numbering region during
a space Of eight years. The gates Of
the dams at the foot of the lakes were
mp the volume of water was immense.
Rocks, which in summer stand twenty
feet out of the rapids, were now under
water The torrent came pouring down
the long incline, black and swift as an
arrow, and went over into the pool at
one thunderous plunge. throwing up q
vast column of mist. Two lodges only.
situated in the very throat of the
"pitch, " showed above water. These
rocks the numbering company had de-
signed to blast ont the previous autumn,
but had been prevented by heavy rains.
They then stood twenty seven feet out
of water. Now their crests are barely
exposed, and the food washes over
them in its mighty rhythem- motion.
In the rapids the whole stream is COM
pressed tn a width of a little more than
seventy yards.
A light jam had formed that morning
at pace about a mile above. This
was broken by getting q haul on it from
the shore with a dng-warp. Thereby
several thousand logs were liberated at
once, and went down toge.her into the
rapids. The older drivers exciaime I
that it would make mi schief when it
started; but nothing could be done; it
broke and went out with a rush. We,
who were ahead, ran on down the
lodges to see it 90 through the falls,
and we had to run fast to keep up.
The instant the logs entered the rapids
they left us behind. We could see them
going down, however, end over end,
and hear them "hrOom" against the
sunken rocks Turtlotte and Welsh
man named FinfrOck were ahead. I
heard TurtlOtte call out in Fcench
that the logs were jumping, and saw
the butt ends of great sticks fl up.
glittering out of the water. The logs
had struck and hung on one of the cen.
ter rocks, and on the shelving lodges
upon the east side. The ends of three
large STICKS, three or four feet across,
stood fifteen feet or more out of water.
We ran on, clambe.ing from crag 10
Crag, till we came to a point looking
down on the guilt, sixty feet beneath I:
and that was about near enough. for
the ends of the logs few ND almost on a
level with our ewes, as they went over.
and the spr5y drenched our faces. The
lodges under our feet tremblei as if an
earthquake weIe shaking them, and not
word could be heard, even when
shouted in the ear. The combined
noises were louder, heavier, deeper. It
was a warm forenoon, and the sun
shore ito the rack dazzlincly bright,
making a vivid rainbow. It was the
hottest chasm that can well be i'm
agi.ed and to see that brilliant rain
bow hanging there so still and motion
less amidst all the uproar, gave one a
queer sensation.
Old man Villate himself, with his red
cap over his ears, came putting down,
shouting at the top of his lungs. We
could see his lips fly. The Intel was
betSlxt the shelving lodges on the east
side and one of the midchannel rocks.
1t was not one log that had caught. else
the weight of the water would have
broken it out 1t appeared that two
large sticks had come down with the
en- lying across each other, and a
third log, perhaps several logs, overly
ing these. When the current sucked
them through the rapid, between the
center and the shore lodges, the out
7'rd ends of the crossed logs struck on
both sides.
Ln- warps we're brought, and Villate
called for volunteers to go down, or
rather be let down, the lodges and prize
off the shore ends of the jammed logs
with "peeyies." There were pls ntly of
bold fellow; but every man hesitated.
Murmurs of "ccrtHine mort, " sur
mort, " "pOrts de taBlbedu," porte
dCyJsr," arose and were repeated.
It's hard world, but I wants to
tarry IN it n spell longer, boss - said
one grizzled old Yankee from the Maine
rivers, with sage shake of his long
head. We all knew that when the lam
started it would go through like an
avalanche. Whoever was down there
would have to go with it--into the
glUt-hole.
by noon oil the crew had cone up.
The lam filed the whole river for n
third of mile back from the fall. so
completely that during the afternoon
the west bank gangs crossed on II TO
the east side. We lighted our fires on
the Lodges; ard as the evening advanced
1t was picturesque sight the red
shlrted drivers camping there and sit
ting IN mesSes about their course fare.
All the next day we worked with
the warps. Moses we're dropped over
TIE uprightends Of the logs at the foot of
the lam, and the whole gang was set to
pull on them. Later in the day a heavy
capstan was rugged. The hawsers broke
ike tTIne. 1t was impossible to start
log, so tremendous was the weight of
water and lumber combined.
Next day the Jam was mined with
powder placed IN water-tight molasses-
casks aud connected with fire at the top
OF the lodges by means of tarred fuses.
The blasts blew out splinters freely, but
failed to break or dislodge the large
sticks Villate fumed and sweated.
Unless the drive went down to market
no. dollar would be paid to one of us:
so he declared. eff you want your
pay, break the jam, was MS con tant ex-
hortation, enforced by vigorous curses:
and, indeed, we had been hired on
these terms wages to be paid when the
drve reached MOntreal-nOt before.
This rs common rule, or used to be:
the men have thus q strong interest in
the driving. 4
plan was mootsd among the messes
that following night to cut out the front
logs. The same scheme has beSn often
put in execution. 1t was argued that
by stretching a rp-line across the
rapids, from cliff to cliff, directly over
VIC Atcb VA L4AR 4AA4AS a AIdu SlI DG
low red on it, with an SIX, and cut away
the logs. A large basket"-so it was
tlkei-might be swung on the cable.
By slackening the line the ak man could
Toe lowered to the logs; and the instant
the sticks cracked under the strokes he
could leap TO the basket and be
pulled up out of harms way. and let
the jam 60 through under him. The
idea gained favor. The following morn
ing the end of one of the seven hundred
foot lines was taken across or the jam
to the hedges on the west bank. Fifty
men went over with it, to handle it.
With hundred men there was no diff
Guilty in lowering and raising it at will.
When drawn taut. it hung sixty feet
sbovethe foot of the jam. One of the
Indisn drivers, named Lshmunt, had
Ee5D at WORK weaving a "basket" of
ash strip; and as soon as this novel
carriage was finished and slung on the