Towanda daily review. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1879-1921, 1881-04-29


ly see these days passing down the river
are objects of much interest and excite
not little curiosity in those who catch
glimse of them. There were times
twenty to twenty-five years ago when
this branch of the Susquehanna was a
highway down which passed every spring
several hundred RATS and many arks.
carrying to market in lower pars of the
feet of lumber, principally pine boards
and some shingles, In those days there
were men whose chief occupation in
spring and occasionally in fall was to raft
and run lumber to market, the trip occu-
pying from six to ten days going down,
the condition of the wind and the stage
of water varying the time. The officer
known as pilot, though not proprietor Of
the fleet, was communicating chief, who
gave the directions as to running, the
"hands' doing the pulling. They usual
ly ran in pairs, at night "landing up'' in
an eddy, tying to a tree with huge ark
rope. The cabin was the boarding house
in which the cooking, eating and lodging
was done. A sheet-iron stove, tin pals,
plates and cups, with dry goods box
for table made up the kitchen and dining
hall furniture. The lodging rooms ad-
joined. A board a foot wide set up edge
ways made the partition and held the bed
ding-loose straw. Several fleets would
often "land' in the same eddy, the cabins
presenting the appearance of a small min
ing town, the hands visiting around,
spending the evening telling yarns, play
ing "seven up'' and singing songs.
The trip involved exposure to storm
and cold, some danger and hard work,
but there was about it freedom, fasci-
nation and pleasure that always comes
from life in open air away from the haunts
of domestic life. Many jokes were play
ed upon the green-horns and much fun
had at the expense of the timid ones.
Occasionally q raw recruit, was induced
to get upon the cabin and hold brand Of
fire to save it while running Buttermilk
Falls, little stream some miles below
here. The innocent Dutch were often
joked and sold by the yankee tricks play
ed upon them by the boys.
In calm weather and good freshet, the
running was easy, but little pulling be-
ing required, the hands lazily lote ring
about the fleet, watching the passing OBJ
jects along the shore and having good
time of it.
The bridges and schutes always broke
the monotony and made lively time till
the gauntlet was run. A ''stave up" at
an island, bridge or dam occasionally oc-
Cured, the craft breaking into pieces and
causing heavy expense. Columbia was
the end of the run, tide crew taking
charge of all fleets going to "port," some
fifty miles below.
Before the days of railroads the return
trip was made by canal boat and stage to
Northumberland, thence home on foot,
those of this section coming over the
mountain via Long Pond and Dushore.
The supply of lumber has been long
since exhausted as compared with the
early days.
''The Valley" Wilkesbarre ETC., is now
market for what little is manufactured
along the upper part of the river and the
railroad does the principal transportation
taking the trade away from the noble old
river, which rms on "a thing Of beauty"
an ornament to our city and a highway
for all.