The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-11

tudt 0ta w luIGENlOu6 W NubCEs IL
supporting wall finished. the water 'ooul
be turned off and the inner facing of squat
, stone laid IN mortar be made.
> This was early June. by the Fourth {
July tho dam could and should be finished
What was the matter with n grand celebr,
tion TO dedicate the mill dam on that day
The faith of Alice and John was equal t
his. The small brothers were pressed int
service and set al the novel play of build
ing che series or small dams above the giei
Each consisted of q clay- plastered wall wit
an opening in the middle large enough I
dered. When desired those openings coul,
be Immediately closed by placing board
across them. the boards being held in posi-
ton by heavy STONE
While the Hixon youngsters were build
ing their dams, Ed and John occupied thei
spare time in selecting stones of regula
shape, procuring lime and sand for mortar
and building the supporting wall in tn
cleft. BY jun Is all tho preparations wer'
finished. Nothing at all remained to b
done to create Il mill site except making til
inner facing of the wall.
On June IL the young Hixons repaired
early to the Whispering Rocks. There hat
been a thunder storm during the night AM
the brook roared with full banks. But El
had determined to finish the dam that day
and one after another the ten small dams
up above were closed by the younger boys
The moment the brook ceased to truckle
through the glen Ed and John hurrjedll
began tn. inner facing, while Alice looked
~neryously on. Literally bedaubed with
mortar, the square stones had risen as high
as their waists. when Ed felt something
cold about his ankles. Looking down. ht
saw that the brook had returned to its bed.
In q few moments the brook rose almost to
the height of the facing. the moist mortar
dissolved before 1t. and the water was soon
sureing mefrily through the chinks and
crannies between the rocks.
1--WE didn't have enough small DAMS"
said the chief engineer.
Probably" said John; land next time
we'll do it after Il spell OF dry weather in
stead of after a rain Storm"
Il don't believe you can keep the water
out long enough to give the mortar a nance
to dry" said Alice, ~dolefully.
1t was some time before Ed spoke. Then
he said: "We'Ie going to have II mill site.
Well build dams thick between here ard
the top of the mountain. Then Wen hire
all the force pumps in Gainesville and in
vite all the small boys for ton miles around
to come here on a picnic. You never saw n
boy who didn't like to squirt water. Well
have all the dams shut off and relays of
boys at each dam squirting the water out
of it,"
YES" said John. I'VE probably can get
fifteen pumps and about sixty boys. Bob
and Jim can invite their Sunday school.
Well wait for a spell of dry weather and
we can carry the thing through. We can
keep the water out all the afternoon GER
tain. and that will be time enough for the
mortar to dry"
1T takes mortar a long time to dry
said Ed. Your scheme is a good one, but,
all the same. l am going to find out if there
isn't some Kind of mortar or cement that will
harden under water. There must be or
they couldn't build breakwaters and bridge
piers. i am going to Gainesville to-mor-
row to see a mason about it-perhaps l
shall hire one to come and build the WALL"
The masons of Cartersville wereA all en-
gagged upon work that would occupy them
for several weeks, but one promised his
services for the I'd of July, and he instructed
Ed to procure somehy draulio cement-ce-
ment mat hardens under water and a cart
load of bricks. He gave him some instruc-
concerning the way the supporting
wall of large stones should be built, but
said that the inner facing should be of
brick, as it would be impossible to build it
of the rough hewn stones they had used.
AS Ell drove homeward he noticed on
trees and fences some large posters an
nouncing that Abel Johnson would have q
feed and grist mill on Morris Brook in
complete running order by the 1st of Sep
johnson must be forestalled. If his grist
mill were finished FIRST he could keep the
Hixons out of business by temporarily
making his prices so low that they could
not compete. If the Hixon mill were An
ished first and their trade established he
would not attempt this. The Hixon bust
ness would come from the farmers west of
the mountain, as Johnson's mill would be
three miles farther away from them. Thu
farmers east of the mountain would be as
likely to go to Gainesville as to johnson.
Yes, If the Hixon dam could be finished be-
fnra. Hob JyaNn had 0nf hJa fo5rlr vnInr -n-
he would probably abandon it. johnson
was a long sighted man.
Ed was having a number of flume hoops
made at a roadside smithy at the foot of
the mountain. The inquisitive blacksmith
had wormed his secret from him, promising
of course. to keep it.
II have been thinking" said the black
smith, as he put the hoops in Eds wagon.
that if your mill should be built, perhaps
your father would give me a piece of land
to put my shop on near this mill. One bus
mess helps another. While the farmers
were at the mill | could be shoeine their
horses, and when they came to have their
horses Shot they would bring grist to the
mill"
IA good idea" said Ed. .'First-rate. /
know father will give you an ncre if you
want it. | wonder if you brother-in-law
the other side of the mountain wouldn't
come up with his stor e."
N doubt" said the blacksmith, heart
lily. "We'l have a village up there vet.
expect we can get a chu CHI and school
house and then all we'll want is a railroad"
AS Ed drove on be was full of visions of
a village on Welsh mountain. He was too
sensible to believe that a settlement Of any
size would gather about the mill, but he be-
licved 1T quite possible to have a store,
smlthv, mill and perhaps n creamery, all
aiding each other by the trade they would
bring to their common locality.