Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1875-08-21

/ 7 r.
A River Driver on the Androscoggin Goo
Through the Rapids and Escapes witt
Lswistown Me.) Journal, July O. ,lss 81 gi.s
Thursday morning the river driver
were cracking their jokes and stirrins
up the logs at the head of West Pitch.
jam had gathered at the very verge O
this grand waterfall. George A. New
man, of Bradley. below Bangor, stood OF
the lower log of the jam. He is a vet
eran .Penobscot log-roller, and this Is hi.
third season on our river. George got
his cant-dog under the. log, and imme
diately it rolled. Another rivermar
leaned off, but Newman's iron-shod boot!
were dull and he slipped, and in hewent
He caught hold of his companions can't
dog, but his hand slipped, and off New.
man darted down into the Pitch. He
SWAIN off the big curl, and quick as
lightning plunged down the awful abyss
His friends never expected to see him
more. but in twipklipS>~ he was seer
emerging from the foot of the falls and
lhvely striking out for the island. The
sylhre Of the river at this point is now
lined with logs, and rapid current flows
there. Newman saw that it would not
be safe to try to effect a landing at these
points, so he coolly swan for the island
distant perhaps fifty to seventy rods from
the foot of the falls. He reached the
land safely when he was at once taken in
batteau to the main land.
His hips, knees, arms and back were
somewhat bruised. He was taken to the
Auburn House and placed in bed, when
his fellows gathered around him, de-
lighted to find him crank and loquacious.
Said he: 81 wasn't badly scared. When
fell in struck right out and kept my
head above water. 1 was calm in there
as could be. paved little, thought
Thought / should have to give you
up, George, when saw you going down
there" said one of his comrades. sr go
81 didn't think anything of that kind,
said Newman; shut it did seem long
while, though. Seems as if L went 100
feet into that deep hole before I struck.
But l kept kicking, and when those big
'biles come L jest kept right on top of
'em to come up on. Ftried to kick my
boots off but couldn't. / tell you, bows,
twas peculiar machinery to 60 through,
but I'll 90 to work tomorrow. / wasn't
sharp at all or 1 shouldn't have slipped.
But L don't want to try it over again, l
tell you, Lish."
The doctors reported no bones broken.
Several bad bruises were gradually dis
covered by the patent, who signalized
the discovered by using strong exple-
tives. He continued: 81 held my breath,
'Lish, from. the time l took the plunge
until / got to the bottom. l thought
twas an hour. but didn't take bit of
water" "
"Don't believe anything else could go
over there and live" said one Of the
men.
2 "Don't say I amt tough any MORE"
said Newman. "But didn't L take good
care of my head, though; always did,
you know !"
"Some one of the crowd outside asked:
"Is he dead?'' mo-" said the river
driver, only. a little discouraged"
The Indian legends say that a large
party of Indians was once decOyed into
the rapids above the falls and persisted
In West Pitch. However that may be,
we doubtit any man ever passes through
what George A. Newman passed on
the morning of July s, to come out with
the breath of life in him.