The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-24
YOUNG MOLL'S PEEvY.

YOUNG MOLL'S PEEvY.
villate's "drive of logs had jam
med ut the foot of Red Rapids in the
very throat OF the main "pitch, where
the Aux Lievres falls over the lodges
into the "glut-hole," fifty feet below.
A wilder spectacle never saw
throughout the numbering region during
the dams at the foot of the lakes were
up; 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 a
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 out the previous autumn,
bat had been prevented by heavy rains
They then stood twenty seven feet out
of water. Now their crests are barely
exposed, and the flood washes over
them in it's mighty rhythem-motion.
In the rapids the whole stream is COM
pressed tn a width Of little more than
seventy yards.
A hight jam had formed that morning
ut place about q mile above. This
was broken by getting haul on it from
the shore with q dng-warp. Thereby
several thousand logs we're liberated at
once. and went down together into the
rapids. The older drivers exclaimed
that it would make mischief when it
started; bat nothing could be done; it
broke and went out with rush. We,
who were ahead, ran ON down the
lodges to see it go 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 "broom" against the
sunken rocks. Turtlotte and Welsh
man named Finfrock were ahead. ]
heard Turtlotte call out in French
that the logs were jumping, and saw
the butt ends of great sticks fly 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, clambering from crag to
crag, till We came to q point looking
down on the guilt, sixty feet beneath
and that was about near enough, for
the ends Of the logs few up almost on a
level with our eyes, as they went over,
and the spray drenched our faces. The
lodges under our feet trembled as if an
earthquake were shaking them, and not
. word could be heard, even when
shouted IN the ear. The combined
noises were louder, heavier, deeper. 1t
was q warm forenoon, and the sun
shove into the rack dazzlingly bright,
making vivid rainbow. II was the
hottest chasm that can well be i'm
agiaed and to see that brilliant rain
bow hanging there SO still and motion
less amidst all the uproar, gave one q
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 hitch was
betwixt the shelving lodges on the east
side and one of the midchannel rocks,
It was not one log that had caught, else
the weight of the water would have
broken it out. It appeared that two
large sticks had come down with the
en- 8 lying across each other, and q
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
wand ends of the crossed logs struck on
beth 6des.
Inc warps were brought, and villate
called for volunteers to 90 down. OF
rather be let down, the lodges and prize
OF the shore ends of the jammed logs
with "peevies." There were plenty OF
bold fellows; but every man hesitated.
Murmurs of "certdisae mort" s1lr
mort" "Dorte du tona6e0u," "porte
denfer," arose and were repeated.
It's Q hard world, but I wants to
tarry in it spell longer, boss I" said
one grzzled old Yankee from the Maine
rivers, with q sage shake of his long
head. We all knew that when the jam
started it would go through like an
avalanche. Whoever was down there
would have to go with it-into the
gllt-hole.
By noon all the crew had come up,
The jam filed the whole river for a
third OF mile back from the fall, 30
completely that during the afternoon
the west bank gangs crossed on it to
the east side. We lighted our fires on
the Lodges and as the evening advanced
1t was q picturesque sight the red
shirted drivers camping there and sit
ting in messes about their course fare.
All the next day we worked with
the warPs. Moses were dropped over
the uprightends of the logs at the foot of
the jam, and the whole gang was set to
pull on them. Later in the day heavy
capstan was rugged. The hawsers broke
Like Irvine. 1t wss impossible to start
. log, 30 tremendous was the weight of
water and lumber combined.
Next day the jam was mined with
powder placed in water tight molasses-
casks and connected with fire at the top
of the lodges by means of tarred fuses.
The blasts blew ont splinters freely, but
failed to break or dislodge the large
sticks. Villate fumed and sweated.
Unless the drive went down to market
not dollar would be paid to one OF us;
80 he declared. elf you want your
pay, break the jam, was lis con tant eI-
and, indeed, we bad been hired ON
these terms WAGES to be paid when the
drive reached Montreal-not before
This is a common rule, or used to be;
the men have thus q strong interest in
the driving.
A plan was mooted among the messes
that following night to cut out the front
logs. The same scheme has been often
by stretching a warp-line across the
rapids. from cliff to cliff, directly over
the foot of the jam, a man might be
lowered on it, with an az, and cnt away
the logs. A large basket"-so it was
tslked-might be swung on the cable.
By slackening the line the ax-m man could
be lowered to the logs and the instant
the sticks cracked under the strokes he
could leap to the "basket" and be
pulled up ont of harms way, and let
the jam go through under him. The
idea gained favor. The following morn
ing the end of one of the seven hundred
foot lines was taken across on the jam
to the lodges on the west bank. Fifty
men went over with it, to handle it.
With n hundred men there was no diff
entity in lowering and raising it at will.
When drawn taut, it hung sixty feet
above the foot of the jam. One of the