The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-03-06
The Brave Decd of a Logger.

The Brave Decd of Logger.
Speaking of life in the great LUMBER
and logging camps of the Northwest
recently, gentleman who is familiar
with such scenes related the following
to representative of the Mississippi
Valley Lumberman:1
"The GOODNESS and bravery as well as
the self-sacrifice of the logger in times
of actual danger, is more than worthy
of comment. think that the stuff
that many of the newspapers print
about the boys that work in the woods
and on the drives, does a great inJus-
tice to them. Why, after reading
some of the newspaper descriptions OF
the lumber jacks, one WouldE think
they were all set of buns and toughs.
But the fact is, that, although when
they come down to civilization IN the
spring, after their work is over, they
sometimes lose control of themselves,
yet, during the long winter months
while at work they are brave and true
to one another, and, will do anything
to save the life of fellow logger. 4''F
II remember, one spring on the
Black River, when there was a log Jam
at HemlOck dam that extended back
up the river some six miles, as far as
Mead's Island. Down at the dam the
logs were mixed up in awful shape, and
the pressure on the logs was something
terrific. We started in to break the
jam, and hard it was. Only few of
the oldest and bravest river-men dared
venture out to the work, for the
chances were against all escaping alive.
The boys worked away at the logs with
a will, however, and finally started
them going down. 1t was terrible;
seething mass of water and logs toss
ing end over end.
ain running back to the land, one of
the men who was working on the jam,
named Charlie Cummings, got caught
between two Of the logs as they ground
against one another, and was held with
a death-like grip. Fortunately, there
was something between the logs that
kept their full force from pressing
against the fellow, else he would have
been crushed like an egg-shell.
Running ashore and just ahead of
him was his partner, Oliver Baird.
Reaching the shore he looked around
for Cummings, and, seeing his predica
ment, didn't stop an instant, but
made his way back from log to log, in
the face of almost certain death, to
help Cummings out. There was not
one chance in a hundred that he
would come back alive, but that didn't
deter him. One or two other men
started to help Baird, but the boss
held them back, saying that one man
would be as good as a hundred, and
there was no use in risking more lives.
eve watched Baird with breathless
interest as he picked his way along
with logs whirling and seething around
him, until, at last, he reached Cum
mings. Even then, he could have
done nothing had it not been for the
Providence that continued to preserve
both of their lives. No human force
could have pushed apart the logs that
held Cummings; but, just an instant
after Baird reached him, the logs part
ed of their own accord, yielding to
some unseen force and, taking advan-
tage of the opportunity, Baird seized
Cummings, threw him over his back
and hurried with him to the shore.
where he arrived in safety. This was
deed of heroism that I never seen
surpassed, yet it was but Oliver Baird,
the logger, that did it,"