Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-05-16

stories OF adventure, were at urbt Spcu
by Big Olaf in sulky silence by the warn
glow of the open fire; but after a time
he began to amuse himself by carving
with his pocket knife really artistic anC
skillfully executed articles, which, wheI
they were finished he gave to the boy,
who was delighted with them.
The force of worlmen was divided
into squads OF about thirty men, each
of which was directed by foreman.
The foreman of the squad with which
Big Olaf worked was a Welchman
medium height, and perfectly fearless.
He was almost the only man in the camp
who did notseem to fear the Norwegian,
whom he frequently had occasion to re-
prove for his harsh treatment of the
team with which he worked.
One dark afternoon toward the close
of February, Big Olaf was employed In
skidding logs with a span of horses
which were especial fayorites of Fer
ron's, who himself cared for them, and
who could not bear to see them misused.
In attempting to start an enormous log
from hollow in which it lay, after
several Intellectual attempts, the spirited
team became excited, and refused TO
draw.
Yielding to his ungovernable temper,
the Norwegian at length caught the
nearest horse by the bit and began to
kick him with his heavy boot in most
brutal manner.
Ferron, who was not working far
away, called TO him to stop, bu' he paid
no attention whatever to the command.
The Welshman then caught heavy OK
goad from the hands Of one Of the men
and bounding to the spot, dealt Big
Olaf terrific blow across the should
ers.
With yell of pain the enraged giant
left the horses and turned upon Ferron,
who followed up his first blow with
others, backing away as the Norwe-
gian advanced.
The encounter caused the most in
tense excitement among the men who
came hurrying to the spot. The affair
might have ended differently had not
the Welshman caught his foot in pro-
truding root, and fallen back ward to the
ground. Before he could recover him
self the enraged Norwegian seized him,
and lifting him as though he had been
a child, hurled him with tremendous
force against the trunk of an adjacent
tree.
The unfortunate man dropped limp
and lifeless to the ground and never
spoke again; he was borne to the camp
and died at eight o'clock the same even
ing.
SO great was the excitement caused
by this unfortunate affair that no one
thought Of securing the perpetrator of
the deed until some time after its occur
renee, and thenit was too late.
He had disappeared, and although
the most strenuous efforts were put forth
to ascertain his whereabouts, and re-
ward was offered for his arrest, no trace
could be found Of Big Olaf. Where
or how he spent the interval between
that February day and that on which he
reappeared to perform a heroic deed no
one never knew.
The period of greatest interest and ac-
tivity in lumber camp is the floating
of its logs down small streams to the
rivers during the spring freshet, and
much skill and daring are required to
keep the logs moving and prevent jams.
was this the case with Rapid
Run, which, for much of its course, ran
between precipitous and rocky banks.
The most troublesome point was about
one mile below the camp. Here the
banks rose perpendicular twenty-five
feet, and converged so that the passage
was hardly twenty feet in width at the
part. For about one-fourth
IF a mile above this point the bed of the
stream descended rapidly.
During the first week of March long
period of cold weather was succeeded by
/ thaw, which soon released the stream
rom its bonds Of ice. Swollen by the
melting SHOWS, it attained the dignity
If river, bearing ON its bosom fallen
limbs and forest debris which had accu-
nulated in its course since the previous
spring.
On the third day of the thaw the water
vas SO high that Mr.. White determined
o begin the running of the logs ON the
ollowing day. Accordingly most of the
lands were set TO rolling the logs into |
he stream, while the rest, armed with |
ong pixies, were stationed at various |
,oints below to keep the current clear.
All went well until the second day, |
When large tree with upturned roots
anne down the current, and lodged in
he narrowest part of the chasm. A
ormidable jam ensued; the foremost |
ogs, driven on by those behind, were
,iled up between the narrow banks of
he gorge for a long distance back from
he point where the Jam occurred.
Above the gully, where the stream
the logs, in single layer, ex-
ended from bank to bank to a point
ONE distance above the camp.
To cut away the tree and start jam
4 such proportions was job attended
nth no little trouble and danger, and
ot much progress had been made when
light came. During the night the
FEATHER became Intensely cold, and
ontinued so several days, during which
he logs above the jam froze firmly
ogether.
Across the run and nearly opposite
he camp was low, swampy tract of
and about hundred acres in extent,
fhich WAS overfioWed several feet deem