Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-11-24

Journey up the Sc. John What . msgnif-
iceus river 1t 10 and how gfandly IL holds
its breadth ss this grea. distance from the
Sea. Hsw clear and transparent are IL
waters, 90 different from the muddy stfexms
Of the West and south. Who would care to
drink from the turbid waters Of the hissts-
sippi, or from the clay eolofed depths Of
the Potomac? Yet here ~ reach over the
side Of the canoe and Dip our cup into the
clear flowing current and. placing ii to our
lips, fsd the drAughs to be cool. pure and
refreshing
Something like thirty miles above the
mouth Of the AllegAsh, - ve follow the
windings Of the river. We come to the mouth
Of Big Black, . large river which flows in
4 toftuous course from hey ond the Cana1isn
border and enters the st. John 10 township
No. is. Range Is. It 10 the largest tFibu
,ary river above the Aliegash aad large
quantities Of lumber have been driven from
Il into the 81. John. 1t 10 disliked by lum-
bermen, however, for il 10 a treaeherous
river and by no means an easy one to drive.
A few miles farther up tie main river we
aod Ourselves at the foot of Big Black river
rapids and see before ~ . long stretch
of angry, surging water, broken BY many
rocks, some Of which project above the
surface of the river. Hers we disembark
and walk by the rapids on the beach, while
the bostman, planting his iron pointed pole
firmly among the rocks. urges the canoe
up sgaias, the strong flowing current. After
pas sing these rapids We re embark and cou-
tinue on up river some eight or ten miles
when again the sound Of breakers shead''
and xao In he
foo; of Big Rapids. the toughest and most
dangerous upon the river. Here canoes and
even tow boats have been swamped and
lives have been lost in the madly surgins
torrent. Here, too, we walked upon the
beach while the bostman with much skill
and strength threaded his way through the
intricate passages between the rocks. A
broken pole, or careless slip might mean
q swamped canoe, 8 cold bath among the
rough rocks and perhaps q drowned boat
man. As we watched him from the shore
we could not help thinking of thu boast Of
old Jim Riddle, who in dispute with 8
rival boatman IS to their prowess in man
aging a boat in dangerous water. clinchet
the argument by declaring by bod,
can pole canoe where you darsn'
.is on the shore ard look a
me-" We have stood on the beach
here years ago and watched a skill
full boatman as he ran canoe down riveI
through these same rapids where 1t seemet
at every instant that his frail boat must BIZ
dashed in pieces upon the rocks and him
self hurled to swift and sure destruction
Then the implement used was the psddl,
instead of the pole and, standing erect
with quick eye and strong arm, the boat
man dipped his paddle with q swift strok
now on this side and then on that and, a
the bow of his boat seemed surely about I,
strike some threatening rock, with skill
full turn of the wrist caused it to veer but
hands breadth and shoot safely by only I,
encounter others in its swift course below
Thus dancing, tossing and rushing on ami'
the rocks, the strong arms now holding tn
paddle firmly in the water with blade turne
At lust the right angle with the current
now dipping and pulling with every muscl
TO shoot by some rock against which a sid
current is strongly setting, the boat plunge
on until the rapid is passed and vigorou
stroke sends it sway through the smoothe
waters below. 1t is an exciting scene to u
upon the beach, but the man in the boat
cain, cool and collected as we'll he need
TO be, for no man who is at all liable to &c
urattled" should ever essay to shoot Bi
rapids.