Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-06-03
AN UNLIMITED GUEST.

AN UNLIMITED GUEST.
When Colonel Frank johnson and his
two sons settled on the banks of Pleas
ant Creek and commenced saving lum-
Der with the newly invented gang-saw,
it was perfect wilderness. Their hut
of logs was erected ON a slight hill
overlooking the stream on which their
rough mill was situated, and these two
structures were fully ten miles from
any habitatiOn. One who looks to-day
upon the pretty little town of Johnson
vile can hardly realize that its origin
was of SO recent date.
Great trees wooded the banks of the
creek, through which path had been
cut from the house to the mill, the
track of which to-day bears the name,
"Tom's Avenue" SO called by the old
man in admiration of his son Thomas,
who was the hero of the story l am now
telling.
The mill was in constant operation,
night and day, with one or the other of
the three, and sometimes two of them,
to watch the process of saving; all of
them being required when the saving
of one log was completed to put in
another. When two had the watch by
night, one would lie down under blank
cts brought from the house, to be called
when wanted by the other. In summer
it was luxury to break off the spruce
boughs and make a bed of them, and
the boys. who were sixteen and eighteen
years old, enjoyed this wild life very
much.
Their mother being dead, they had
to do their own cooking and mending,
and were very handy housekeepers.
They were handy also with the gun and
fishing rod, and the woods were full of
deer and other game, and the creek
with fish. They lived like Princes on
what they procured in this way. 1t
was fun for them to range the woods
and fish in the stream, and they would
take turns to watch the saw while one
went hunting, or, at times, they would
both 60 together, leaving their father at
the mill.
One day they went further into the
forest than usual in search of game,
when they were startled by the break
ing of branches, and huge bear came
out of little opening and stood on his
hind legs before them. looking very in
quiringly as to what their errand was.
They did not stop to tell him, but
scampered off as fast as possible, with
out letting the grass grow under their
feet. When they found that the bear
was not following them, Dick, the old
er, expressed himself very sorry that
he had not fired at the brute, but Tom
thought they had done better to retreat;
saying, that while bear. venison was
very good upon table, it didn't seem
so attractive to him in its raw condition.
This was the first bear they had seen,
but their father told them there was a
bare possibility of their seeing more
sometime.
They were rather on the lookout for
bears after this, fearing lest some
trouble might be bruin; but they kept
away, and soon the boys thought moth
ing about them. And they went on
pretty much as they had done, saving
out lots of lumber, which purchasers
from below made RATS of and run down
the creek to its junction with the great
river. The saw employed was, as I
have said, the new gang-saw. which
made whole log into boards at one
time. When the saw was running,
some portion of the machinery was APP
piled to drawing the log through as fast
as it was sawed.
One night the saw had commenced
busily running through large log,
with Tom on the watch. Dick had lain
down under his blankets, and their
father was. at the house awaiting a sum-
mons to help clerk new log" 1t
was very still outside, and the ruddy
light from pitch faggots. that burned
| on a great stone, shone through the
open sides of the mill and lighted up
the forest all around. 1t was a weary
watch for Tom, though he had become
accustomed to it, and he beat his feet
upon the floor and warmed himself at
the fire when he felt cold until eleven
o'clock had arrived, as he judged by
the stars. Dick was to be awakened at
midnight, and his father was to be
called soon after; so to keep up his
spirits he took the lunch he had brought
to the mill, which was placed in side
nook, and, seating himself on the log
which was slowly being sawed. he
spread his repast out and began to eat
He had scarcely made way with one
mouthful, when he heard q sound which
caused him to suspend the second one,
and wait with open mouth, eyes and
ears, to have the sound repeated. He
| could not make out the nature OF it or
where it came from. 1t seemed q sort
of growl or snort, and amidst the noise
the saw was making, it was not possible
to determine its character. 1t might
have been Dick snoring as he lay hid
den by the blankets, 80 he stopped eat