The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-12-16
az drornes svay before The gusts g

wheels revolved slowly, the impulse was
not sufficient to drive the boat forward
Time after time we poled the era.
back into the channel and brought ii
into position for the wind to act upon
it, kut always with the same result-to
the unspeakable amusement of the on
lockers.
Burnside seemed unable 10 realize
that the boat was a complete failure.
TIE begged us to go on trying to make
the machine operate, until we lost pa
thence and called him an idiot. Then his
face became the picture of despair. and
when finally we got ashore from the un-
wieldy craft. he disappeared from sight
in the bushes; and later, when we
shouted to him, he was not to be found.
We supposed he had gone home. but
learned on the next day tia, e had not
been there. For five days no one saw
him. His parents were greatly alarmed.
Some thought that be had drowned him
self, and search was promptly organ
lied.
r On the sixth day he was found in a
hay barn in a meadow, two miles from
the lake. He would never say how he
had passed the time. So far as could be
learned. he had eaten nothing in all that
time except berries and choke-cherries.
Herman and would have nothing to
say to him. We thought he had behaved
in a very foolish manner.
Herman was the exact opposite of
Burnside in temperament. He was a
practical sort of boy. not quick as a stu
dent. but what he learned once was his
sure possession forever Strong COM
mon sense was his dominant trait of
character. Some sharp stimulus was
usually required to rouse him and set
him to thinking.
The failure of the windmill boat and
the ridicule that followed it appeared
to furnish the needed stimulus.
Our homes were on farms less than
half mile apart, and it happened that
during the following week we were
obli~ed. to assist in threshing the crop
of grain
NV father owned threshing machine
which was moved from one barn to an
other. 1t was small machine. operated
by horse. and one evening that week,
as we were measuring the oats threshed
during the day. Herman remarked that
our wood-boat might be run by that
horsepower" if we could only con-
tr:ve to connect the gear to the shaft
and paddle-wheels which Burnside had
made for his windmill. This impressed
ne at once as practicable plan. We
concluded to try it.
But a difficulty arose. We had no
horse to furnish the power, and knew of
10 one from whom we could borrow one.
To hire horse would reduce the profits
from the sale of the wood altogether too
much. Herman proved equal to the
emergency.
An uncle Of his, farmer living near
us, had turned out in back pasture an
old "odd ox"-a heavy, bony, strong
animal, such as farmers sometimes call
a "stag" or "pout." Herman went to
his Uncle John and asked for the use of
the bullock.
"You may take him if you will feed
him." was the answer.
There were little grassy plats along
the lake shore. We obtained long rope
and hitched the animal out to grass
near our wook-camp, shifting him daily
from place to place.
My father consented to allow me the
use OF the horse-po~ er of our threshing
machine. and by means of two cog
wheels from, the gear of a broken NOW
ing machine. we connected the Gags"
shaft with the paddle wheels.
The continuance worked well. bevond
expectations; for when Old Star was
driven up on the lags and compelled to
walk, the paddle wheels revolved and
the boat moved steadily forward. We
found. too. that it could be steered with
out much difficulty.
The idea of "pout boat" amused
everybody immensely. Scores of people
came to see it at the wood-lot, and when
we took our first load of stove-wood
down the lake to the village, a laughing
crowd collected to cheer and cGlaff us.
NO doubt it was an odd rig. Herman
steered; I drove Old Star with a stick.
for he was lazy brute, and the paddle
"heels threw up water tremendously.
When the weather was calm. about an
hour and 20 minutes was needed to run
the boat from our wood-camp. at the
Squire Frost lot, to the lower end of the
lake, where we landed our wood. Our
usual load was about half a cord.
When the weather was fair, we made
the trip daily in the morning. and de-
l:vered the stovewood to purchasers in
the village by means of wheelbarrow
Generally we reached the academy in
time to be present at the opening ex-
erclse at nine o'clock Our recitations
were at II o'clock in the forenoon. and
at two or three o'clock in the after
noon. We found considerable time for
study during the day, and could study
a little while making the trip on the
lake, and much at our camp at the wood
lot during the evening.
The work we did. preparing the wood
gave us beneficial exercise. We had
keen appetites and enjoyed our camp
life famously. Burnside came back to
us after the first week and was with
us during most of the fall. He proved
not a very trustworthy partner, how
ever. IN the following January he gave
up study at the academy and went to
learn the trade of tinsmith in the vii
lage.
He did not remain there long, and DUR
ing the next five years I think that he
learned, or started to learn. at least
four different trades All his life, even
TO this day, he has been trying to in
rent something or other, but has never