The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-12-26
A Maine River Briyer's story.

zone time, when was ayoung man.
said he, II was coming down the Pc
nobscot in batteau with an Indian. We
run the falls al Great Works, but our
boat tipped squarely over. / thrashed
around in the water for a little while,
and finally clambered on top OF the boat
/ held on, and Aoated and bumped down
through the rips. looked around me
for the Indian. After floating for about
ten minutes and not seeing anything OF
him, made up my mind that he was
drowned. / had given up all hope Of
seeing him, when suddenly heard him
come up and shake his head, and he,
too, climbed TO the bottom of tho boat
with me. learned that the water did
not fiji the inside Of the boat complete
", but left an mir space Of six inches or
more. The Indian had chung TO tho ris-
ings Of the boat and managed to keep his
head in the air space all this time. |
never heard Of anything like 1t. / asked
him why he didn't come out before, and
he replied that he was afraid the rocks
would cut his head of. That, gentle.
men, was the coolest thing / ever saw
done on the river.
"The hardest place to get into is
Jam, Of course. At Fairfield, one time.
/ started to go down the river in bat
teau to work on jam. When / APP
preached within twenty feet Of the jam
my boat tipped over. When You talk
about facing old Death, gentlemen,
think I came pretty nigh seeing the old
Teller that time. All who saw me
thought was going under the jam, and
/ thought 30 myself II l had, that
would have been the end of me. just
as reached the edge OF the jam, / got
squarely on my feet on the bottom Of
the boat, made spring for dear life
and landed on top OF the logs. My boat
went under, and / never saw it again
You must bear in mind that the current
was awful, and the whole thing WIS not
more than n minute in taking place.
There, l guess I've given You an idea Of
river drivers life"
"What Maine river do you consider
The hardest 10 driver" 81 think the
Kennebec Is little the hardest, al
| tnDuku thcic hIo boiho pitb'y 'ouBii
places on the Androscoggin. The main
Penobscot il nm easy river to drive, but
the East and West Branches are rough.
I've driven EN- all. was the first man
to run the falls OF the West Branch.
Everybody said it couldnt be done, but
/ did it in one Of my own boats. went
over the Sowdehunk Falls, which have
n fall of 10 feet all right, in my boat
There's a good deal Of excitement in
such life, and ii has o. charm for some
young men. Take crew Of 100 mer
and 20 batteaus at work among a snar
of logs and you have lively picture. A
big jam Of logs is spectacle worth go,
ing miles to see."
The batteau, in which the rivermer
plies his perlious vocation, is made Of
the best pine lumber, and costs about
800. Living as much in the water rs OF
the land, rising earlier than the sun ant
working till dark, seven days in tn,
week, jumping over slippery logs ant
risking their lives hundred times ,
day, venturing in boats where falls,
stroke or an crring judgment would bring
death, wrapping themselves in theil
blankets and flinging their tired bodies
on the ground, feet to n cracking fire,
at night, they experience dangers and
hardships which many would not care
toundcrgo, even for 80 or 81 day and
the rivcrman's traditional four square
meals daily.