The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-09-05
A CHANNEL STORY.
BY CLYDE FORD.

than can be found along our northern
boundary between Lake Superior and
Lake Huron. The pieturesqueness
really begins at the rapids OF St. Mary.s
river. which have been called the 500
since the times of the French occupa-
ton. Old Fort Brady, with its driil
ground facing the river and some old
dilapidated cabins of the half-oreeds,
and their forsaken burying ground are
the only reminders of the modern,
prosperous town of the olden time
when Jesuit priests said mass N the
mission chapel, and the hardy Yoy-
ageurs traded on the river.
Two or three miles below the 500 tue
river divides around Sugar island; one
arm making bend to the east. and tie
other continuing nearly straight down
for some miles through Hay lake. The
two branches unite at the Neebish.
Up TO within a year OF so the longer and
more crooked channel on the east side
has been the only nayigable 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 a strange fiotilla
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 10 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 hevin
a pretty easy time of it chased down
stream by them big lows"
Along in the middle of the summer
the Tam 0'Shanter was transferred TO
a dredge at Nine Mile point. and AZ
other tug. the W II. Maxwell. took her
place with No. 4. The new tug did not
bring a very agreeable crew to the
river gods on Grams dredge. The new
captain was an 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. I'M
pronouncable name, Jacob Zinzendorf,
was speedily changed into "Jakey."
This was firstly, for utilitarian reasons,
and secondly, because the commune of
the river lost every mans identity in
the vagueness of nickname as soon
as possible. There never was any reg
ular fireman on the ". II. Maxwell.
1.-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 which he
uSed to admonish his nondescript fire
man: Say, pOy, w you no foire up?
Does you thinks I no need hot wasser
any mOre?"
From some reason or other Jakey was
regarded as a man without spirit, per-
sonification of German simplicity He
never talked with anybody but himself,
and the men reasoned that his inner ma
-ure must actually be in need of inyigor-
oeeded to league together for Jakey's
mutual good. Jakey himself never said
whether he liked this mutual benefit as
sociation or not. at any rate not till
some time after this.
Meals on No. 4 were served in n good
sized room in the rear of the dredge.
The washroom was down below by the
side 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 ting was ont to the dump
ing grounds with a scow, and got back
Il few minutes late. As soon as Jakev
appeared in the washroom he was hus-
tied about, and was usually the last one
10 get to the wash trough. Of course he
round the water soapy and greasy. but
he said nothing-at least nothing audi
bly,. No sooner would he bend over and
begin washing. too fastidiouslv, 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 it derives from abstruse
and silent meditation. So Jakey's 81.
ienee passed for meekness.
However. it was at mealtime that
Jakey's philosophy was put to the test
II needed only wink to give Jakev's
coffee, which came travelling from hand
10 hand along the side of the table. a
salty flavor. When pudding was served
pork gravy was usually passed to him
Is sauce for it, but not word said
dakey. He helped himself to what he
could reach, and met all designs upon
him with this remark: "Povs. w win
you forever shoke?"
Jakey took great pride in his engine
which he was always repairing. and oil.
ing and rubbing He used to hum some
/ Herman song TO himself as he worked
some song that carried him hack Ia a
I little village in the Rheingau. where his
mother lived; but how could the dredga
men know that his eyes grew misty a,
1ecollections Of home, OF that the
strange words Of his song had a mourn.
iul strain in them? So his martvrdom
vent on Wrenches began to disappear
from the engine-room, and his tobacco
never lasted long.
Late one afternoon The W. II. Maxwell
was dispatched 70 the 500 for some 70.
4 pairs In place Of the regular fireman