The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-15
YoeNG M0LPs PEErY.

VILLATE's eClrive y of logs had jammed
at the foot of Red Rapids in the very
throat of the main" pitch, - - where the
Aux Lievres falls over the ledges into the
"glut-hole,i fifty feet below.
A wilder spectacle never saw through
out the numbering region daring a space
of eight years. The gates of the dams at
the foot of all the lakes were up; the vol
ume of water was immense, ROCKS,
which In SKINNER stafid twenty feet OUT of
the rapids, were now under water. The
torrent came pouring down-the hong itf--
cline, black. and swift as an arrow, and
went over into the pool at one thunderOus
plunge, throWin9> up a vast column Of
mist. Two ledges only, situated in the
very throat of the "pitch, F" showed above
water. These rocks the numbering COM
pany had designed to blast out the pre-
vious autumn, but had been prevented by
heavy rains. They then stood twenty
seven feet eut.ofwater. Now their cress s
are barelyexposed. and the flood washes
ovcfthsm its mighty rhythui-motion.
In the rapids the whole stream is COM
pressed TO a width of little more than
seventy yards.
A light jam had formed that ImSEgiing
at place about a mife above. This was
broken by getting a haul on it from the
thousand logs were liberated at once, and
went down together into the rapids. The
older drivers exclaimed that il would
make mischief wlFen il started; but
nothing could be done; IL broke and went
out with 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 eptered
the rapitis they feft us behind. We could
see them going down, however, end over
end, and hear them g broom" against the
sunken rocks. Turtlotte and a Welshman
named Finfrock were ahead. L heard
Turtlotte call out in French that the logs
We're jamming, and saw the butt end of
great sticks fly up. glittering, out OF the
water. The logs had struck and hung on
one of the center rocks, and on the shelly
ing ledges upon the east side. The
ends of three large sticks, three. or, four
feet across, stood fifteen feet or more o1t
of water. We ran on, clambering EoBl
crag TO crag, till we came TO point look
ing down on the guilt, sixty feet beneath ;
and that was about near enough, for the
ends of the logs flew up almost on a level
with our eyes, as they went over and the
spray drenched our faces. The ledges un-
der our feet trembled as if an earthquake
were shaking them, and not word could
be head, even when shouted in the ear.
The couybiaed noises were 1oEtleF than
thunder, heavier, deeper. ,ltgVas a syaru
forenoon. and the sun shQne into the rack
dazzIingly bright, max :iYg aSfvid Rainbow
Ii was the hottest. maddest chasm that
can well be imagined; and TO see that bril-
liant rainbow hanging there so still and
motionless amidst all that uproar, gaveone
queer Sensation u 4-tssSs y T
Old man Villate himself, with hisred cap
over his ears, came putting down, shout
ing at the top ofshis lungs Wscould see
his lips fly. The hatch was betNiXt the
shelving lodges on the east side and one
of the mid-channel rocks. 1t was not one
log that had caught, else the weight of tiTt
water would have broken it out. Ii ap
peared that two large sticks bad poHls
down with the ends lying across each 9th
er, and a third log, perhaps several logs
everything these. When the current suck
ed them through the rapid, between the
center rock and the shore-ledgess the out
ward ends of the crossed logs-struek -eE
both sides.
The warps were brought, and Nillatt
called for volunteers to go down, or rathel
to be let down. tbe ietiges and prize of tbf
shore ends off the jammed logs WITH
''peevies.' There were plenty OF bold
fellows; but every man hesitaied. Muir.
murs of .'eSrtGsRs, psorT.r ''sx nert,
porte da tonabeau,' porte d'enter," arose
and were repeated.
"It's a hard world, but l wants TO tarry
in il a spell longer, boss 7" said one griz-
lied old Il ankee from the Maine rivers,
with asxge sbake ofsifis long head, we
all knew Chat AThen- the Jam stsfteds II
wouid 90 through like an avalanche
whoever was down there would have to
go with it-into the glut hole.
By noon all the crew bad eome. Up,
The lam filled the Who'll river tor athirdSi
3 mile hack from the fan, SO completely
that during the afternoon the west banL
gangs crossed on it to the east. we hgat
ed our fires on the ledges; and as tht
evening advanced it was a pisturesqu Us
sight-the red-shirted drivers camplne
there aud sitting in messes about theii
coarse fare.