Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-07-17

,aws to swerve from the perpendicular,
and Jump sidewise through the logs
with terrible noise.
The mill owner was greatly dis
turbed. He was scolding the mill
men for their ignorance and careless
ness, and they we're retorting bitterly
as Life entered the mill. While they
were disputlng he looked at the saws,
and thought he saw the cause of the
difficulty. The mill.owner, who had
observed his movements, at length
asked him for his opinion.
Start up, said Life, laughing. Let
me see how the circulars run
They turned on the water. The
driving power was developed In tur.
bine by means of water which came
down long penstock from a pond
half mile back of the bluffs. The
pond was over two hundred feet
above the level of the mill, and the
penstock was an iron pipe foot in
diameter.
Any student of hydraulics will
readily see what a fine power was
brought into use here. Life, who
liked ease of power in mill, was de-
lighted with it. The saws went straight
through log without Slowing per
ceptibly. 1t made HIM tingle with
excitement, for, as he said, he liked {
mill that didn't tucker OUT He pu
a tough spruce log on the carriage
and sawed it. The new saw ran we'll
but when he shut off and tried tht
arbor, he found that it was already
beginning to heat.
Let me see the oil you are using,
he said to the owner, and, as he sale
it, he watched the mill men, and no
ticed that one of them tried to shif
the oil cans. Life examined the OF
in each Of them, and, as he had ex
pected, found metal filings in one o
the cans.
He showed the grit to the mill own
er, and laughed in his good naturet
way. He had once had similar cas-
at his fathers mill on the Penobscot
Get some clean oil, and watch tha
fellow over there with .he cap on, sale
he, and your saws Iguess, will run al
right
Upon that he started to leave The
mill, but had not taken many step
when the mill owner overlook him
i don't know you" said he, and
don't care if I don't. I'll give you fif
ty dollars to help me for a week. Come
now
Life laughed, as usual. All right,
said he Il will work a week fol
fifty dollars He had taken a fancy
to the mill.
Without any delay he went tc
work, and of course, with the thought
less vanity of young manhood. and
liking to show Canadians what ar
American could do, he made business
in the mill move In lively manner
The mill men were first astonished
then angry becuse they were so vigor'
ously kept at work. They were moi
lazy fellows, but slow-going. anc
perhaps made use of liquor too freely
They did not like the new system
That fellow with the cap on attempt
ed to quarrel with Life on the third
day, and was discharged. He threat.
en- ed the new foreman as he went
away. Two more men left the day
after. The places o. the men who
left were filed with young French
Canadians from a neighboring parish
who were not afraid to work, and the
work went on better for the change.
At the end of the week the mill
owner was SO much pleased that ht
offered Life fifty dollars week for &
years engagement. The young mar
had intended to journey on, but the
large wages tempted him, and he &C
cepted the offer. Il will earn a pock
etful of money, then make my grant
tour, he said to himself.
This was in June, about the twenti-
eth of the month, and for number o
days all went smoothly at the mil
Then one evening he was stoned in
the dark. but fortunately not hit, q
he was going from the mill to hl'
boarding house, or rather boardin,
camp, where they all ate and slept.
A few days afterward a four-foo
stick of wood was maliciously thrus
into the pen-stock at the mill-pond
1t came down the pipe, and broke tn
turbine. The mill owner was yer,
angry. He procured a rife, and ad
vised Life to 60 armed.
During the first excitement, Lif,
loaded his pistol and carried it on'
day; but thinking it over, after hi
usual manner, he laughed, took on
the cartridges, and threw the pisto
under the mill.
I'VE shan't mend matters by shoot
ing anybody, M. Macdonald, said he
'and don't want to be put in jail u
here in Canada for manslaughter.'
He was stoned again the next even
ing, however. These mischevious act
continued, and threats were reporte
nearly every day.