The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1883-02-08
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
around corners and taking away the
breath of anybody it could catch there
coming from the opposite direction.
The dust, too, filled peoples ewes and
noses and mouths, while the damp, raw
March air easily found its way through
the best clothing, and turned boys skins
into pimply gooSeiiesh.
1t was out as disagreeable 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 what had happened, although
every body knew all about it already.
Everybody, | mean, except Joe Lam
bert, and he had been so busy ever
since daylight, saving wood in Squire
Grisard's 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 wears before this
March morning, Joe had been left an
orphan, and being utterly destitute, he
should have been sent to the poor
house, or " bound out to some person
as a sort of servant. But Joe Lambert
had refused to go to the poor-house or
TO become bound boy. He had de-
clared his ability to 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 Offered, he had
managed to support himself later a
manner" as the 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 50 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 II. The
only reason | have gone out Of the way
to make an exception of so unimpor-
tant person is that | think Joe 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. Go ng down the street he
found the town empty. and, looking
down a cross street, he saw the crowds
that had gathered on the river bank,
thus learning at last that something I'M
usual had occurred. Of 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 ferryman between the village
is neighbor on the other side of the
river, had been drowned during the
early morning in foolish attempt TO
row his ferr, -Skiif across the stream.
The ice which had blocked the river for
two months, had begun to move on the
day be ore, and Martin with his wife
and babv-a child about a year old -
were on the other side of the river at
the time. Early on that morning there
had been a temporary gorgng of the
Joe about a mile above the town, and,
taking advantage of the comparatively
free channe, Martin had tried to cross
with his wife and child, in his boat.
The gorge had broken up almost i'm
mediately, as the river was rising rapid
lv, and Martins boat had been caught
and crushed in the ice Martin had
been drowned, but his wife, with her
child in her arms, had chung TO the
wreck OF the skilf, and had been carried
BY the current to a little low-lying
island just in front of the town
What had happened was of less i'm
portance, however, than what people
saw must happen. The poor woman
and baby out there on the island,
drenched as they had been in the icy
water, must soon die with cold, and,
moreover. the island was now nearly
under water, while the great stream was
rising rapidly. 1t was evident that
within an hour or two the water would
sweep over the whole surface of the
island, and the great fields of ice would
of course carry the woman and child to
a terrible death.
Many wild suggestions were made for
their rescue, but none that gave the
least hope of success. 1t was simply
impossible to launch a boat. The vast
fields of ice, two or three feet in thick
ness, and from twenty feetto hundred
wards in breadth. were crushing and
ory;nd5ncr doxyn tho ri ver at the rate of