The Russellville Democrat., 1883-04-19
JOE LAMBERT's FERRY.

1t was thoroughly disagreeable
March morning The wind blew in
sharp gusts from every quarter of the
compass by turns. 1t seemed to take
especial delight in rushing suddenly
breath of anybody it could catch there
coming from the opposite direction.
The dust, too, filed peoples eyes and
noses and mouths, while the damp, raw
March air easily found its way through
the best clothing, and turned boys skins
into pimply goose-fesh.
1t was about as disagreeab,e a morn
ing for going out as can be imagined;
and yet everybody in the little western
river town who could get out went out
and stayed out
Men and women, boys and girls, and
even little children, ran TO the river
bank; and once there they stayed. with
no thought, it seemed, of going back TO
their homes or their work.
The people of the town were wild with
excitement, and everybody told every
body else whatha happened. although
everybody knew all about it already.
Every body, mean, except Joe Lam
bert, and he had been so busy ever
since daylight, saving wood in Squire
Grisard woodshed, that he had neither
seen nor heard anything at all. Joe
was the poorest person in the town.
He WAS the only boy there who really
had no home and nobody to care for
him. Three or four years before this
March morning, Joe had been left an
orphan, and being utterly destitute, he
zk IN hn
house, or . bound out to some person
as sort of servant. But Joe Lambert
had refused to go to the poor-house or
TO become a bound boy. He had de-
clarcd his ability 10 take care OF him
self, and by working hard at odd jobs.
saving wood, rolling barrels on the
wharf, picking apples Or wedding on
ions as opportunity oaere he had
managed to support himself eater q
Manner" as tho village people said.
That is to say, he generally got enough
to eat, and some clothes to wear He
slept in warehouse shed. the owner
having given him leave to do so on
condition that he would act as a sort OF
Waterman on the premises.
Joe Lambert alone OF all the villagers
knew nothing of what had happened
and of course Joe Lambert d d not
count for anything in the est nation Of
people who had houses t, live in. The
only reason have gone out Of the way
10 ma se en- exception of so unimpor-
tanta person Is that | think ice did
count for something on that particular
March day at least
When. he finished the pile of wood
that he had TO saw, and went to the
house TO get his money, he found no
BODY there. Co g down the street he
found the town empty, AMI. looking
downa cross street, he saw the crowds
that had gathered on the river bank,
thus learning at last that something I'M
usual had occur ed. { 4 course he ran
10 the river TO learn what it was.
When he got there he learned that
Noah Martin, The fisherman who was
also the ,ierryman between the village
its neighbor on the other side of the
river. had been drowned during the
early morning in foolish attempt to
row his ferry skilf across The stream.
The ice which had blocked the river for
two months, had fe9un 10 move on the
day be ore, and Martin with his wife
and baby-a child about a year old
were ON The other side of the rive ri
the time. Early on that morning there
lad been q temporary gorging Of the
ice about a mile above the town. and.
taking advantage OF the comparatively
free channe, Martin had ried to cross
with his wi e and child, N his b az
The gorge had broken up almost i'm
mediately, as the river was ris NJ raHi-
". and Martins boa had been aurht
and crushed in the ice. Martin had
been drowned. but his wiie. with her
child in her arms. had clnng to the
wreck Of the Skin. and had been carried
by the current 10 a little low-lying
island just frogt OF the town
Whit had happened WAS of less inn
portanee, howe en- than what people
saw must happen. The poor woman
and baby out there ON the island,
orenchcd as they had been in the icy
water must soon die with cold and,
moreover. the is and was now nearly
under water, viii the great rcam was
rising rapidlF. II was evident that
within an hour or two the water would
sweep over the whole surface OF the
island. apd the great fields Of ice would
of course carry the woman and child to
a terrible death
Many Wild suggestions were made for
their reseuc. but none that gave the
least hole Of success II was simply
impossible to launch boat The vast
fields 81 ice. TWO or three feet In thick
ness, and from twenty feetto a hundred
yardsA m breadth. were crushing and
grinding down The river AZ the rate of
four on ave miles an hour, turning and
twisting asoui, sometimes amm ng
their edges toge her with 30 great a
force that one would lap over another.
aud sometimes dr.ft.Lg apart and leay-