Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-05-11
I'LL FLOATING LOGS.
By Major Hamilton

DJ may
t., ,nndred miles below Vickspurg
,s, lbs a little hamlet upon the
lD'ts shore of the Mississippi River,
s,orD as Rufftown.
'1 r,s method of spelling the name is
r,rce aforethought; for when the set
Ir,Dt was first christened, the RATS
- and steamboat hands meant
m5"
Mpwn consisted of a long wood
u where steamers occasionally
M for fuel, -halfIdoZen slab ''ho-
,;'vhere all the Accommodations"
,ghad were sold by the quart from
ID: two stores, score of shrunken
l1qs, and away back, almost to the
ef a lOg schoOl-house.
Twas the teacher in tlat log school
b1p at a salary of seven dollars a
Mouth and board; the latter, in New
hghnd style, boarding round"
think l earned my wages. That
I nav be as it may. Certain it was that
Wien spring came and the term closed,
lie trustee could have been no better
! pleased to pay and discharge me than
Twas at being discharged. Had he
trgOtten to pay me, l should have dis
charged myself. l was disguised with
RUftOwn, and had determined to voy-,
age to New Orleans. Consequently the
dose of my engagement pleased me
better than it's continuance.
School finished" as the boys had
On Saturday. On Monday I had
found a place as raftsman upon a
great raft, bound for the end of the
8yer. From teaching the young idea
bow to shoot l had changed to teach
Ing logs how to f1oat-from a lands
man had become a sailor.
The crew were one and all strangers
70 NE, tough and brawny lumbermen
from the up-country. l was probably
The only green hand aboard.
For few days all went well. l
could push an oar and boil potatoes,
50 that | was able to fill the duties of
aeerSman or cook; but | was young
and foolish enough to think that my
bOOk,knOWledge, slight though it was,
placed me above the other men upon
lie raft, and / probably showed it.
This engendered strife.
At first, the scorn which grew in my
companions breasts showed itself in
looks and sneering words; but, as the
Jays and nights passed, and 1 smoked
uy pipe apart from the others, and did
not Join them in their songs and
uanceS after the sun went down, a
M0Fe open and hostile spirit betrayed
!Sell' and suddenly l was aroused
lVm my dream of superiority by the
'e'ufn OF a blow for some scornful
NoFd which | had cast at one of the
ai'smen, defended myself as best l
.u'sn.' and rather fiatter myself now,
as l LOOK back, that l gave as many
I No Knocks as l received; but the bad
' p.Ooo was out, and my life becamed
Wretched
WI time l held my own with my
rfpo"ehtS, but when the number of
Prosecutors grew, as it shortly did,
'Hviuue every man on board, from
t ,%l down, l felt that prudence was
-. oeI'er part of valor, and l simply
, ~ TO avoid intercourse or trouble
Of any kind.
D. 1He teachers kinder techy, ell ?" said
~. sA Nicholson to his companion, as
rt :: eyed me where l sat, at the rear
E,5 1e great raft, smoking alone. He's
r- -uet 'echy an heightened. Won't
! S, a 10 10 one now. What he wants
~, Sno'her good t'rashing."
,., ,@' continued Nicholson, she
NJ saS more lickin' to make him know
r ~ mace. He's like a dog-the more
-, n, LUX EN- the more
lie comparison was too much for
ri Vulck as flash, l seized block
t,n WOO hurled it at the speaker, and
,r. NV nm TO the floor of the raft. His
s.n p"ulon assisted him to rise and
h. va away; hut that night l slept with
sr;s1 1"nd within my bosom upon my
q, The climax had come; Nichol-
s,,s would kill me now, if l was not
h. 1Von' the next day, the friend of
IA eNeiny spoke to me after dinner,
lin 'al'ed me one side. l followed
d. 'vu Knocked lack down yester-
" he said.
~ AUoW it, l replied.
TT wants satisfaction
sesr Ien let him get it," said 1, turning
hi 10. said the man, don't be a
ssr,. he $ mad clear through. Eff We
tf Isht him, he'll strike We in the
lros lie must fight!''
sa Suecsed a moment. What this man
vas doubtless true. Nicholson