The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-04-21
THE sAw-MILL MAN.
rpeek,s Sun-l

feck Sun-i
 An exchange, published up in the pineries, in speaking of a rich lumber man, Nho sold out his saw-mills last year, and retired from business, entering the legislature, etc., says he has bought another saw-miii, and adds: There is something fascinating about saw-mill, that cannot be easily dispelled." How true 1t is! When a man once becomes addicted to the seductive influences of a saw-mill, it is hard to swear of. He thinks, at times, that he has sufficiently broken of the habit, and that he can live without the stimulant of the saw-mill ; but in an unguarded moment the old ap- petite steals over him, and he longs for the saw-mill. He tries to shake of the feeling, but it haunts him in his sleeping hours, and while awake he thinks of nothing but his old companion, the saw mill. He may try to busy himself cut ting of coupons with shears, but he keeps thinking of the gang-saw, and how easy t would be to cut of all the coupons in the world, in a minute, with the saw. He goes to the legislature, and takes no interest in any legislation ex- cept that which re.ers to logs and lum- Der: and while the business is going on, and statesmen are sitting around, earn ing their salaries, he puts his fee, on his desk, his head in his hands, and thinks he would rather stand on the deck of d saw-mill than be President. 4 lumber yard at the capital of the State is of more interest to him than the halls of legisla- tion, and the only happiness he has is when some lumbermen ;isit the capital 10 lobby for a bill 10 authorize the building of a dam or boom on some logging stream, when he brightens up, and they talk of logging, and estimate the cut of logs an the different tributaries to the WIsconse," or the |" Chippewa His heart is full size, and anybody who has an honest measure that needs SUD- port, will find in the saw-mill man friend; but the logger finds in him a brother. He takes cold in the ill-venti- lated, steam-hea,ed capitol, and as he sneezes and doctors himself, he thinks how he has passed whole winters, sleep ing in the woods and working about saw-mill, where there was no fire, and never took cold and he begins to en- HuiC III any oo0y AuONs a kOOd SdW-ultli for sale. As the session draws to close. and he is pale and used up, doing noth- ing, he registers m oath that this is the last s,atesmanship he will indulge in :; and before he has been home week he has bought a saw-mill. and his lace looks plcasanter than ii has since las; fall and a visit to the saw-mill by a brother lesis- la,or, would find a mighty happy man, with long boots on, sklddins logs. order ing ox-team drivers around. ard watch ing the beautiful, balsam-iiavofed pine boards trying to catch each other, going out of the mill. And as the saw-mll man inhales the odar of the pine. which Is cure for half the diseases in the world, the contented lumberman slaps the visitor on the shoulder, and says : :" There. boss, this is business Z" And they go down to the mill boarding shan,y, and eat. of of lin plates. dinner of pork anc beans, that tastes better than any meal Delmonieo could prepare There is no use oftalking. when a man be- comes addicted to saw-mill, and gets it fairly into his system. nothing bu, death can eradicate it; and the man who has been brought up lumberman. and knows all about t. and likes t. makes Il mistake when he loses his grip on it. He sill vcarn for if.