The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-07-24

If he failed, then all the lumber was to
remain on the land. Pretty hard terms,
but Ralph accepted them on the spot.
Axe in hand he headed the woodmen,
directing the fall of each tree, so as to
save labor in hauling the logs. When
about hundred trees were dowr he or
ganized his force into choppers, and began
to get out logs of every size. A pair of
oxen were hired, and things began TO
assume shape. Heavy logs laid end to
end in a double row stretched across the
of the dam. Stout stakes were driven on
the low side, and shorter logs laid up
stream, with the ends resting on the heavy
timbers, raised the dam about one foot
The news quickly spread through the
country round about. Young Keystone
had found water power-in other words.
wealth-in the little brook. Within
three weeks the dam had been raieed
three feet, and the water began to back
up behind it, spreading out over the
marsh in slowly widening pond. Then
the people began to laugh. Keystone
was fool, after all. What could he do
with only three feet fall of water?
The next day small army of labor
ers appeared in the woods, and by night
they had dug long ditch or canal from
the river up the bed of the brook. Two
days after it reached the foot of the dam,
and brought the river water close up to
the logs. AT the upper end it was five
feet deep. Five and three make eight
Eight feet fall in the clear. Here's
power in abundance. Thereupon the
on-lookers said the young man was n
smart fellow. a good engineer, ETC., ETC.
Within week the village carpenter had
constructed water-wheel from Ralph's
designs. Within two weeks saws and
gearing arrived, a shed was put up, and
the sawmill was opened for business.
The first job was for lot of two-inch
plank for Farmer Bcsant. He claimed
that he was half owner of the mill by
their agreement, and would only pay half
the bill. Keystone took the job, and
soon had it finished, and even ran through
a lot of logs and piled up the planks on
sale. Sundry small jobs came in, and it
began to look as if he had started n good
business. One morning n stranger AZ
rived, and introduced himselfa as lumber
dealer from a town fifty miles down the
river. He was in search of lot of small
stuff, light scantling two inches, wide and
an inch and half thick, in lengths of
twelve feet and upward. He wanted a
million feet, and he offered good price,
and gave his name and references. The
offer was tempting, and Raj phi took it,
and agreed to have the stuff ready in two
weeks. Encouraged by his success, he
hired more help, and started on the new
order. In ten days he wrote to the party
to say that the scantling was nearly all
ready, and could be put on a raft and
iloated down the river. No reply came,
and lie wrote again, and in few days re-
ceived a notification of the failure of the
lumber dealer, and an account of the
winding up of his affairs.
Discouraged and sick at heart, he
wandered down by the river and sat
down on fallen tree alone. Everything
was lost. He could never marry Jane
A large part of his lumber had been cut
up into IA useless and unstable shape,
and he was in debt to his men. In fool
i>hly trusting the word of stranger he
had made n wreck ofeverything. When
the mind is i'll at ease a trilling circum-
stance will often absorb the whole atten-
tion, and us he sat gloomily brooding
boat rounding the bend Of the river
about II mile up stream. She was steer
ing dangerously near half sunken
island in the middle of the river. He
watched her with vague curiosity as
she came swiftly onward. Suddenly she
turned, and with apparent purpose ran
directly across lie upper end of the
island, struck, and grounded. He could
see the wheels reversed, and in q mo-
ment after saw the widest confusion
among the passengers on board. Spring
ing up, he ran at full speed along the
bank till he came opposite the stranded
boat.
1t WAS IA freight and passenger steamer
the Pioneer by name. She blew her
whistle loudly. and moment after he
saw a boat lowered. For an instant
| there was some confusion on the steamer
ms if the people were demoralized, but a
tall fellow interfered and order was re-
stored. The boat came slowly ashore
and by the time it reached the bank al
his mill hands and several farming peo,
Pile had arrived in an excited crowd or
| the bank. In the boat came the captain
of the steamer. AS he sprang ashore he
said to Ralph:
Are there any boats or barges about
here?"
Nothing but a punt or two, Cam
| you bring your passengers ashore in youl
own boats?"
"Bother the passengerS can lane
them easy enough. It's the cargo. The
steamer will never come off. The tillel
rope broke, and she ran nose on at full
speed. The old Pioneer had laid dowr
her bones forever. Poor old tub! l pity
her."
IN take your cargo ashore, or dow
stream to any point you say, in thre,
days. for five hundred dollars"
"Oh, you've barge or two. VIII,
didn't you say SOP" III hire 'em of you.
- have no barge, but I'll make on
in twenty y-four hours-for cash. l hav
a sawmill just back of here"
IN give you five hundred dollars i
you'll put the cargo on a flat within
three days. can't get steamer up her
in less than two days, and it will COS
almost as much, though don't see how
you're going to make fiat in that time
"That's my lookout. I'll have barg
'longside before tomorrow night"
1T will take two barges. Heav
cargo this trip"
"IfI leave a single barrel behind, T.
forfeit hundred dollars. You can tax
the passengers to the village. Som
of the folks, will give them lodging til
the boats come up on Monday"
The captain agreed to the bargain, an
put off to bring his passengers ashore.
johnson" said Ralph to one of tn
young men, go to the painters, an
tell him to send me three men and lC
of whitehead paint. Then get two kee
of sixpenny nails and bring them to tll
mill. Take my horse. Pick up all til
men you can find, l want all the cal
penters in the place to work day an
2 night on a good ioh -