The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-10
OVER THE FALLS.
BY K. W. THOMSON.

the Canadian village of Chippewa, in Il
skitf for the first time, is an experience
one does not lightly forget.
The falls, two miles down stream,
seem much nearer. The great width of
the river tends to shrink their apparent
distance; the persistent roar of the
cataract, forcing ones voice to strong ef-
fort in speaking, appears to originate
very close by.
Having arrived at Chippewa onk June
evening, by mistake twenty-four hours
oner than my business required, de-
termincd to treat myself to 4 days troll
ing, and with this object, engaged the
help of Charley Pclton, fine, clcar-eyed,
handsome, powerful man Of about thirty,
who was recommended to me as the best
boatman in the place.
Bright and early next morning we shot
away from his boat-housc under the
Chippewa bridge. down the dirty, slug
gish Chippewa Creek perhaps third of
mile, to the junction of its dull gray
water with the clear green Niagara tide.
Here we're two channels leading to the
main river round an island that Pelton
called THE Hog SHACK"
The lower channel was, he said, the
natural mouth of the creek; the upper
channel, or gap" had been cut to ac-
commodate tugs and barges which had
once Piled regularly between Buffalo and
the tumble-down Canadian hamlet. As
we went out of the gap, [ noticed the
strong pull Of the current which broke
in "ripples" along the outer edge OF the
Hog back"
1T must have been pretty hard for a
tug to take long tow in here" re-
marked.
"You may we'll say that, he answered.
''This was an exciting point. I've SEEM
thought he was going to tell story,
but here the work occupied all his
breath and attention. He took me from
current to eddy, and from eddy to cur
rent, up the Canadian shore mile or
more, and then shot, by neat diagonal
easily across to Navy island, from which
the Caroline was cut loose by the Loyal
lists in 1887, fired, and left to drift over
the falls.
During the morning, Pelton showed
me very lair sport, and at noon, when
after having made the round of Navy
island, we landed on its foot for lunch,
we were in excellent humor for con-
fdential talk. After eating we fell into
long chat about the dangers of the
river, which he concluded with the fol-
lowing story:
eyes" he said, 'Tve got some cause
to tremble when look at the cloud of
spray and listen to that roar. For I was
through them rapids once!"
And over the Falls!n 1 exclaimed, in
credulously.
He looked at me little angrily, and I
feared I had lost the story. But after
some moments he went on again:
''It's not likely I'D "a been here to tell,
if I'd gone over. But was most over,
and l saw him that 1 loved best in the
world swept away to destruction.
But I'd better begin at the beginning.
I amt used to telling the story; don't
know as I ever did tell it right through,
either, because I never talked about it to
astranger afore."
Here he paused while.
''They told you," said he, 81 was the
best boatmen round here, did they? Well,
if you had asked them six years ago,
they'd have told you my brother Frank
was. And they'd have told you the truth.
He was six years younger than me, and I
was only twenty-five then, but he was far
the best man.
s'My! I was fond of the boy-and
proud! You see, I had give him his les
sons in most every kind of manliness
that he could do. Imind taking him in
swimming when he wasn't more than a
toddling baby, and me not much bigger,
seems now. Rowing! can't mind when
my hands weren't used to oars, but l
mind well enough teaching him when he
wasn't more than four years Old. What 4
brave baby he was-never hanging back,
but always trying to do just what he was
. showed! How quick he got TO be handy
all round And what kind chap! Say
I could 60 right on all day talking about
that little boy!
zone day, toward evening, me and
Frank was standing on the bridge of the
creek, fy-ishing for bass when up come
the whistle of tug from the river.
"'That's the Mixer, says Frank, look
ing pleased. She's got beck soon.
Mother'll be gladr
'You see mother and Sally and Jane
Rolston had went up to Buffalo couple Of
days before, and they was to come back
with the Mixers barges, the Mary Star
buck. of Chippewa. Old man Rolston
was the skipper of that scow, and his
daughter Kitty done the cooking for him
and his two hands. He'd agreed to give
p his whole cabin to mother and the
iris on the way down, if they liked, and
him and the men would 60 aboard one
of the other barges.
"It's the Mixer, sure enough" says l.,
Just coming into the gap. But what OH
earth is she whistling SO long forH
"'There must be something wrong!"
says Frank.
"Without another word we dropped
our poles, ran down under the bridge to
where the boats was, and jumped into a
skiff Just about the size of that there.
We pulled for the gap, and pretty soon
we could see the Mixer coming in, seem
ingly all right, but still whistling. We
couidn't sec what there was Dchind h'r,
as she MD the scowS some, and the front
scews hid them behind.
GAS we came racing along, old Cap
tain Dolby dropped his pull on the whls,
tie, and run to the Mixers bow.
"'Quickr he called. Go down the
old channel and save 'emn
"Who' cried back.
"'The Mary Starbuck's broke loose2'