Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-01-21
HE GOT TO THE CARRY FIRST.
How II Maine Tcamstcr Won n Pound OF
Tobacco and Lost u Friend.

How Maine TcamStcr Won Pound OF
Tobacco and Lost II Friend.
A group of wOOdSmen were sitting
about the great log fire in a little pub
lie house in northern Maine one whist
ling winter night several years ago,
and storytelling was going on at a
great rate. After several pretty tall
yarns had been launched the old team
stcr laid down his pipe and remarked
that he had done some pretty fast
travelling in his time, hauling supplies.
and that lie never took back tracks on
the ice road from Greenville to North
east Carry but once.
Flows that, them" asked one of the
group, from behind cloud of tobacco
smoke.
Well" said the teamster, sit was
along late in the COS that me and Jim
Bray We're hauling grub and one
thing'n another to camps up the west
branch. The lake was froZe up and
there was pretty fair goin', when one
day caught up to Jim on the road to
Grecnville. lie had fOur big red horses
hitched to heavy load of pork, flour,
and other stuff, and had pretty much
the same kind of Il drag behind a team
not quite SO heavy as his, but smarter
critters. Well, we got to talking horse,
and finally Jim he bet me pound of
terbackcr that he'd get to the Carry
first. Not likin' a stump, | shook
hands with him on it. and told him to
pitch in. Well. Jim dropped me be-
hind on the road, which is up hill and
down, and laid back Il bit. expecting to
see him at Grecnville. When got to
Grccnyille it was pretty dark, and, after
putting the team up at Il place there
and getting some supper, | rolled
up in my blanket in the hay and went
to sleep without even so much as
lookin' for Jim and supposln' he'd
done the same. 1t had been sort of
mild that day, coming just after the
cold snap that had shut the lake, and
when turned out the next mornin'
there was four or five inches of damp
snow, and it still comm. 1t was
thick as a fog, that storm. was, so with
out hitchin' up at all began to look
round for Jim, and | was never so
took aback inmy life as when found
that stead of stopping over night he
had haited his horses, got a feed him
self and kept on up the lake about 10
o'clock. Says | to myself: Hes
bound I'll pay for that terbacker. but
| wouldn't work my team like that i'll
this weather for all the terbacker in
Bangor, so | just settled down and
took my ease. 1t showed all day, but
long toward S.2per time it cleared
from the nor, West with irregular Wits
tier. and if it didn't blow cold that
night may never eat beans. Well
long in the morning hitched up, and
Such beautiful goin' you never saw as
| had over that frozen snow to the
Carry. | got up Thursday night in
good shape and slick as whistle"
But what time did jim get upy'
asked some one.
''.Jim?" and the Old driver looked
sorroWlully into the fire. "Jim never
got mp, mister. When the snow thaw-
ed of in the spring they found buff
ller robe and whip stickin' in the ice
where it was hubby, like it had been
broke through. The blanket was
marked j. b. the letters of Jm's
name. He went on the lake when
the weather WAS soft and the ice new
got to the Garry first, after takin
back tracks, but poor Jim's done
p2yin' bets.-Now York SIM.