Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-12-17

By CLYDE FORD.

One may travel far without seeing
more charming stretch Of river scener,
than can be found along our northern
boundary between Lake Superior AM
Lake Huron. The picturesquenes
really begins at the rapids of St. Mary
river, which have been called the So,
since the times Of the French occupa
ton. Old Fort Brady, with Its drill
ground facing the river and some oil
dilapidated cabins Of the half-breeds
and their forsaken burying ground ar
the only reminders Of the modern
prosperous town Of the olden tint
when Jesuit priests said mass in thu
mission chapel, and the hardy voy
ageurs traded on the river.
Two or three miles below the 500 tue
river divides around Sugar island; ons
arm making bend to the east, and tie
other continuing nearly straight down
for some miles through Hay lake. Tic
two branches unite at the Neebish.
Up to within year or so the longer and
more crooked channel on the east side
has been the only navigable one; but
years Of dredging and blasting and
scraping have opened the more direct
course, and now vessels usually pass by
the new channel.
One cold May day strange fotilla
might have been seen leaving the 500.
1t was the tug Tam O'Shanter, NOV
ing Dredge No. 4 and her two dump
ing scows down below Little rapids in
the new channel, where some dredging
was to begin. Such scenes were COM
mon enough to people on the river. and
no one thought Of looking twice at the
unwieldy procession, unless to remark
casually that "the Tammany was hevln
o pretty easy time Of it chased down
stream by them big tows."
Along in the middle Of the summer
the Tam 0'Shanter was transferred to
q dredge at Nine Mile point, and an
other tug, the W. H. Maxwell, took her
place with No. 4. The new tug did not
bring q very agreeable crew to the
river gods on Grams dredge. The new
captain was ON old man who minded his
business and regarded his pilot house
as his castle. The engineer was a
slow, phlegmatic German, whose long
and, to the tongue Of the river, un-
pronouncable name, Jacob Zinzendorf,
was speedily changed into "Jakey."
This was firstly, for unitarian reasons,
and secondly, because the commune Of
the river lost every mans identity in
the vagueness of a nickname as soon
as possible. There never was any reg
ular fireman on the w. II. Maxwell.
"The old man." as the men called the
captain, but not on account of his age,
was too irascible to live with, and
Jakey too taciturn. The latter's most
extended effort at conversation never
exceeded this one phrase with whi,h he
used to admonish his nondescrfpt fire.
man: "Say, poy, Wy you no foire up?
Does you thinks I no need hot wasscr
any more?"
From some reason or other Jakey was
regarded as man without spirit, per-
sonificaton Of German simplicity. He
never talked with anybody but himself,
and the men reasoned that his inner ma
fure must actually be in need Of invigor-
ntion and excitement, ard so they pro-
ceeded to league together for Jakey's
mutual good. Jakey himself never said
whether he liked this mutual benefit as
ISOLATION or not, ut any rate not till
some time after this.
Meals ON No. were served in y good
sized room in the rear of the dredge.
The washroom was down below by the
hide of the boiler, and as soon as noon
or six o'clock came, the men made a pre-
cipitate rush for the wash trough.
Sometimes the tug was out to the dump
ing grounds with a scow, and got back
a few minutes late. As soon as Jakey
appeared In the Mushroom he was hus-
tied about, and was usually the last one
to get to the wash trough. OF course he |
found the water soapy and greasy, but
he said nothing-at least nothing audi
bly,. No sooner would he bend over and |
begin washing, too fastidiously, the |
men thought, than some fellow would |
throw piece Of soap and hit him in the |
ear, or crowd him along under the big |
spout and turn the faucet on him. But |
Jakey evidently regarded all this as a
manifestation Of some evil spirit Of
chance, for he said nothing-not till |
later. The benighted understanding Of
the river did not know anything about
the German speculative mind, and the
great comfort 1t derives from abstruse
and silent meditation. So Jakey's 81
lence passed for meekness.
However, II was at mealtime that
Jakey's philosophy was put to the test.
1t needed only wink to give Jakey's
coffee, which came travelling from hand
TO hand along the side of the table, a