River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-01-26

extending miles along the level val
ley of the Bog brook. and the party
had shortly before crossed that Stag
giSh stream. which for long stretches
resembles a still, black lagoon
On this September afternoon the
transit man. Johnson, was having an
easy time. as were the chainmen, who
lounged at rest while four or FIVE AK
men cut the line-path through the thick
underglowt The levele- and his
rodman had overtsken the transit
party, ard now. seated upon a fallen
tree. were spinning yarns with John
son as he stood behind bis instrument
The country through which the line
lay was a wild. wooded region. In the
evenings. at the scattered farmhouses
in which tie party tool, mp their quar-
tiers as the survey progressed. exciting
stories were told Of encounters with
bears. Indians. wolves and wildcats
Perhaps Ephraim Bodfish, the rear
staffmau. was rejecting upon some OF
these disquieting tales Of the forest as
he lay on the ground a quarter Of
mile in the rear Of the transit, listen
ing to the chirp Of the grasshopper and
the Rum of the wild bee. OF all the
positions connected with the surveying
party his was the most lonesome.
In a railway survey the line is indi-
Gated by stakes driven at intervals of
a hundred feet and known "a sta
tions." The instrument by which the
line is run is called the transit" aud
those stations At which il IS set mp to
give the line ahead are called points"
When the transit has been moved for
ward and set up at a fresh point il Is
the duty of the rear staffmau u hold a
staff upOn the previous point for
back sight, which insures the proper
direction of the line.
The back sight is taken twice; once
Immediately after the transit has been
set up. and again just before point IS
made ahead, preparatory to moving
the instrument forward.
Ephraim Bodfsh was a raw boy
sixteen years old. unaccustomed To
work or responsibility lie liked the
idleness of his position better than he
did its solitude
The staff. his emblem of Office. was
a slender. taTering rod ten feet in
length, painted in alternate red and
white divisions, each a foot in length.
Its appearance was as pleasingly con-
spicuOus as a BARRIERS pole.
on this occasion, a first back sight
having been taken, Ephraim planted
the staff in tie ground precisely in the
rear of the station, and threw himself
down TO rest. From where he lay he
could look down the long vista of the
pagh cut through he forest, in which
the line was marked by the white
..blazed" stakes. lie saw that the
men about the transit, quarter of
mile away, were, like himself, taking
life easily.
II was a part Of the rear staffman's
duty TO carry along the dinner basket.
Ephraim, still growing boy, and, as
usual. hungry. bethought himself of
some molaSses doughuuts and ginger
bread cakes left from the monday
meal. and reaching down among the
knives and tin plates in the basket he
fished oft large twisted doughnuL
tie was in the act of taking his sec
ond bite from the ''twister," when
sound Just behind him. like a whistle
and snort combined, caused him 10
look rounS in surprise.
Not ten feet away stood large black
bear. perfectly at ease. shifting as if To
find out what the lunch-bashet held.
Its odor seemed To strike his nostrils
agreeably, for he advanced a step.
Ephrain did not wait for better ac-
quaintance, but was on his feet and of