The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-06-01
THE GREAT LANE FREsHET
nY HARRY HOWARD.

Abner Bald win and JOSIAH clint bad
been good friends and neighbors from
their boyhood days. They grew up
together, married sisters, and settled on
adjoining farms. There they lived mono
tonous and uneventful lives for more than
twenty years Then came season Of
arrangement
Josiah lived Oh fine farm in the angle
formed by the junction Of Salt Creek and
Lane RIVER. Abneris farm was Just above
Josiah's on the bank Of the river. Both
farms were for the most part what IS
called bottom land" and subject to
overflow during prOtracted rainy wealth
er.
Besides being sometimes flooded By
the river, Josiah's farm was occasionally
inundated by Salt Creek, the turbulent
little stream which flowed along the
southern boundary line. SalI Creek sci
dom rose very high, but when it did 50,
is rapid current wrought much greater
damage than the rises Of the larger but
more sluggish Lane.
The riyer would have been more de-
structive had It not been in some degree
controlled by great leyee on the farm
next above Abner's. This levee acted in
such a way that the water from the Lane,
when II did cover the lands Of Abner
and Josiah, spread over a wide expsnse
and moved with very little current
But even a slight current viii carry
wooden things q long distance. Abner's
rail fences, together with brush, logs and
debris from his woodland, were some
times lifted by the waters Of the Lane
River and set down on various parts Of
Josiah's farm. Then Abner would haul
his rails back and rebuild his fences,
while Josiah would burn the debris.
But one unlucky spring, when Josiah's
corn had just appeared above the ground
the Lanecame over its banksand wrought
unusual harm. Not only we're Josiah's
fences removed and Abner's brought into
their places, but Josiah's confeld Was
thickly stresn with treetops from the
great quantity Of timber that Abner had
cut on his farm during the winter.
After the water had subsided, Josiah
was looking about his cornfield one
morning. Tree tops, logs, big chips, long
sections Of bark, fence rails, all covered
with slime and mud, were reposing on
his newly sprouted corn. Many days Of
hard labor would be needed to cut and
pile up all this drift-wood, which would
not burn for weeks.
Much Of his corn, which had beenithe
finest in the neighborhood, would be
ruined. And by the removal Of Abner's
fence much Of Josiah's corn would be
tramplea into the ground.
No wonder Josiah was out of sorts.
Ifhe had been left TO himself all might
have been well, and I should have mad
no story to write. But as Josiah was
gloomily viewing his flooded property,
Abner came across the field.
'Mornin', 81"
81 grunted.
Things look kind O. bad, don't they,
Sig"
81 said nothing.
How soon kin come an get my
rails?p
Don't know as yen get EN- at all, .
said Josiah.
4 thought them was mine over yon-
der" Abner pointed to mass Of rails
and cornstalks which were undeniably
his.
@Ain't them yourn, too, then, an them
an theln? ?" Josiah pointed eloquently
TO the mud-coated logs and treetops.
~Bleeve they air, Si most of 'eu."
@Wal, when We take the last one Of 'em
of O my corn we1l talk about lettin' you
take them rails, too
Abner was astonished.
q don't mind helpin' ye clear of that
mess 81, efye ask it. But ia like to- come
in to-morrer or mex day an git my rails.
81 forbid We setiin' foot on my land
agin p shouted Josiah. IF I've got ter
do all yer Iog-rolIin' fer We, an do in my
own oornfeld to boot, III just keep tie
good along with the trash"
"I'll sue you, them said Abner an
grily.
sue an be hanged III sue ye for
damage fer lettin' yer trash in here, an
fer ruinin' my corn. if We come in after
yer rails"
Abner did not bring suit as he had
threatened, for he saw that the expense
would outweigh the profits. He made
new rails and rebuilt tie fences.
Josia rebuilt his own fences from the
rails brought down from Abner's farm,
together with those which remained of
his own. For weeks his oornfeld was in
a fog of smoke from the Shiny log-heaps,
and in the autumn his crop was far be-
low the average.
During all this time Josiah and Abner
stunned each other. Their wives and
children were not allowed to exchange
visits
One night of the following spring salt
Greek rose to height many feet above
any point it had ever reached in the
history of the valley. There had been a
week Of rainy weather, so that the tur-
bnlent streams was much swollen, and
on this particular night there was a tre-
mendous rainstorm.
AS the Dane River was swollen great
ly, there was no adequate outlet for the
turbid food which swirled and rushed
down the Salt Lick valley. Consequent
ly the current of the lane was not only
stopped. hut turned back, so that rsone
hOurs the river actually flowed up stream.
Then the brswling little stream. like
person Of passionate impulse, calmed
down almost as quickly as it had risen.
The light of morning strange
state Of affairs to Josiah. Except the
very small area ofhigh ground about the
house, his entire fartn had been flooded.
Eyerthing that would float Was carried
away and stranded on Abner's farm.
Here was netribution indeed