St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-09-02

"What timberG Where Quick
Tell me Can the jam be broken ~
eyes, sir" returned the other, re-
spectfully touching his hat. at can
but it's dangerous work. | have Just
been below, and from there | saw that
Il great log which has lodged at the
very crown of the dam is all that holds
the ice. If that could he cut, the jam
would he broken"
"But how can it he reached ?" quer-
led Mr.. Watterson, anNiously. 'Can
any one get mt it to cut it ?"
eyes, sir" replied the man ''in one
way"
"And that is"
cover the ice itselfw
A shudder ran though the listeners,
and even the proprietoT's face grew
more pale. Who would venture upon
such IL bridge on such an errand
With Il common impulse, the crowd,
led by the workman who first discOv-
cred the log, turned hurriedly away
from the rivers brink, ran through
side street, and gained a position low
er down the stream, from whence the
dam could be plainly seen.
| The report was true. The Jam was
great square stick, doubtless torn by
the angry waters from sCme bridge far
up the country. If that could be cut,
the blockade would be broken, the ice
would no longer clog the stream, and
the mills would be saved.
For a moment silence fell upon all
then, suddenly, Mr.. Watterson's voice,
hoarse and thin, rang out above the
noise of the storm and the war of the
waters.
"a thousand dollars to the man who
will cut that timber y
The women in the little group lock
ed at each other and shuddered; the
men fixed their eyes upon the dam
but no one replied. The roar of the
angry stream increased and the waters
deepened beneath the mill-walls.
"Two thousand dollars !"
The proprietor's voice was hoarscr
than before but the women closed
their lips firmly and shook their heads.
The men moved little uneasily, and
one drew his hand across his mouth, as
if he would have spoken but still no
one replied, and the white foam from
the imprisoned river was tossed by the
wind against the lower windows of the
mills, while the corners of the build
ings were already beginning to crum
BILE and waste away before the grind
ing ice.
'"Three thou"
81 will 90 ~
The two voices sounded so closely
together that it was not until the
crowd turned their eyes upward and
saw the one who had answered, that
they fairly understood the reply.
Running from Il third-story window
of the lower mill directly across the
river, above the dam, was il long end
less chain, used to convey power from
the mighty water-wheel of the mills to
the machinery of little box factory,
located upon the opposite bluff. This
chain was at rest now, and there ap-
peared at the window near it the fig
ure of Il boy, in Il blue blouse, carrying
in his hand an AK. He it was who had
said 81 will gor"
When the people saw him, and real
lied what he was about to attempt (for
already he had fastened rope around
his body and was passing the end over
the chain, evidently with the inten
ton of sliding along the same until he
found point from which he could low
er himself within reach of the timber);
when they realized this, great muir
muir went up from the crowd, and the
women cried out in terror, while many
: turned to Mr.. WattersOn and urged
him to order the boy back.
"WhO is he ?" said the proprietor, in
dazed manner.
"It's Jerry, sir. Jerry the bobbin-
boy" said man, stepping forward.
"An orphan, sir, an starvin' to care
for his sick sister"
"Jerry! Is it Jerry ?" cried Mr..
WattersOn, turning quickly. "Then
he shall not go" and he waived his
hand, and shouted toward the window =:
''GO back Go back ~
But already it was too late, for, with
a little cry, the boy dropped from his
f perch and hung swinging above the
roaring, grinding ice, the rope which
supported him sliding slowly down
, ward along the chain toward the cen
ter of the dam. The breathless crowd,
the terror stricken proprietor, could
only watch and wait now.
. Slowly and unevenly the loOped
rope from which Jerry was suspended
slipped, link by link, down the sag
ging chain slowly his feet neared the
great mass of ragged ice beneath. AT
length, when he was directly over the
l center of the dam, and just above the
long beam which held the jam, allow
ing the rope to slide quickly through
his hands, he dropped lightly upon the
timber he had come to cut.
AT the sight the sympathetic crowd
= broke into wild cheer, both men and
d women; but Jerry wasted no time lis
D tening. A moment, half moment
lost might mean destruction to the
D mills, and before the echo of the shout
:, ing had ceased he was plying his
axe with vigorous strokes, that rang
y, sharp and clear above the voice OF
s crumbling ice and gathering waters.
: 1t was not Il long task. The straiI
u upon the timber already was enor-
nous, and ere the lad had dealt half 4;
t score of blows an Ominous cracking
: sound warned him that his errand was
|, accomplished and that he must be gone
Dropping the axe he turned, seizeC
= the dangling rope, and began to climl
toward the chain above, when, with Z
e shock like the repOrt-Of Il cannon, the
h beam gave way, and in an instant, il
u the twinkling of an eye, the air wai
filled with a horrible roaring, as the
e imprisoned waters burst the bound,
II which had confined them, and in one
;, impetuous, boiling flood rushed Owe
Is the dam, tossing the great cakes of ice
Ii that had formed the barrier high OF
the frothing waves-sO high that they
hid from sight the form of poor Jerry
l, and there went up from all the people
;; a single cry ''The boy is lost ~
|, But the Jam was broken The mill