Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-06-19
SUPPLEMENT.
Newspaper Decisions.
For the Democrat
TEN DAYS ON A RAFT BOAT.
lConcluded from June,6.l

Three hundred miles above our start
ing point, and twelve miles below the
mouth of the Chippawa river in Wis
consin, we enter Beef Slough (pro-
nounced sloo), which takes it name from
Beef river. The logs from the Chippawa
are driven into this slough through a
"cut off" which connects the head Of
the slough with the river: here are great
Rafting Works where the logs are made
into brails, differing in size, but usually
about forty feet wide, by five hundred
long. Six of these brails form raft.
The slough is narrow, and but half a
raft can be taken out at once these half
RATS are tied to the shore on every hand,
and a dozen or more steamers are as
busy as our own in dropping out their
respective RATS. The RATS are secured
to the bow Of the boat by system of
lines which are regulated by the "Nigger
Engine" by which the raft is turned this
way and that at will.
The water Of the river being very low
at the time Of our trip. it was only posi-
lie during the first few days to run half
Of our raft: so we each day go down as
far as possible, tie the raft to the shore
in some sheltered spot, and at night run
back to the other half This is called
"double tripping" and is tedious for the
men in charge, but fine for excursionists,
as it gives us abundant time and oppor-
tunity to see everything along shore, as
every mile of the way is sure to be passed
by daylight.
Having left our first half, a days
journey fiom the Slough, we were re-
turning in the evening for the other piece:
the night was foggy and in low water,
the islands, sandbars, and hidden reefs
make navigation difficult enough, with
out the added hindrarce of darkness and
fog. Only a skillful pilot could carry
boat safely through on such night; and
as we find our boat making faster time
than usual, and learn that the engineers
are crowding her that she may keep good
her record as the fastest Of the raft-boats,
by overtaking the Eclipse, a new boat
just out for her second trip, we remember
the collisions and explosions on this river
of which we have read in times past, as
the result of such races. Though our
faithful pilot compels the engineers to
run slower than they wish, yet we are
are gaining upon the Eclipse, and we
cannot help wondering what will be the
result if we overtake her where the chan
mel is narrow. From our station in the
pilot-bouse we watch the contest with
no little anxiety now we are close upon
her-a few moments more and we have
the start by two feet; but as the boats
are full fifty feet apart, all danger seems
past. We have scarce time 10 heave
sigh of relief, when the Eclipse, which is
next the shore, turns, and attempts to
make the middle Of the river by cutting
across our bow-we cry out in terror,
the pilot turns our boat as best he may,
and stops her, and with an awful crash
their broadsides come together. Since
this is our first experience Of the kind we
may be pardoned if we are paralyzed
with fear for few moments: finding we
we do not sink, we soon regain compos-
ure sufficient to 60 down stairs and in
ouire as to the extent of the damage.
The men are excited, and some of them
seem hardly less frightened than our
selves. Investigation shows only broken
tenders and stanchions, and we are soon
on our way once more, hoping, for our
own part, that our first race may likewise
prove our last, as this is a feature OF
of steamboating not specially funny to
llandsman. As we move slowly down
the river with our raft, idly happy, drink
| ing in the beauties of sunrise and sun
set, and Of all that the intervening hours
reveal. we pity these unfortunate mortal'
who make their hundreds of miles pei
day over the railroad which winds close
by the rivers bank. With screecf
and rumble, the trains come rushing
around the point Of some bluff, clinging
oftentimes to the very face Of precipice
with only the water below and we won.
der if their passengers have any concep'
ton of the magnifcence Of the scener.
through which they are hurled at such {
rate-and that. too, with only half of il
visible at all from the car windows. A!
it takes but a few hours at night to re-
trace the path which we have been al
day in making with our clumsy raft, thu
last half of the night we are =" laid up
waiting for daylight to enable us to star
our next piece.
These quiet nights are often put t.
good use by the men, who like nothing
better than to row away in skiff t