Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-09-18
EARLY FIFTIES.
w. P. Quint, of Rural Tells Interesting
Experiences.


! Several of the old settlers were tell
| ing "reminiscences the other day, when
w. F. Quint, of Rural, took seat in
the circle. He is brother-in-law of
our old and respected fellow townsman,
James McCrossen. After listening a
while he told few old-time stories
about this country, which showed that
he had travelled some himself up this
way when the Indians comprised the
largest part of the inhabitants of north
ern Wisconsin. One of the stories, re-
lating to this city, was that in 1854, Mr..
Quint was residing at Stevens Point,
and one of the large numbering firms of
that city, at that time, secured his SER
vices to come up here and watch their
logs, while passing through the Wau-
sau hooms. 1t was in June, the river
was high and lumber was being run
over the falls. Arriving here before
the dinner hour, he put up at the Forest
House, conducted by Chas. A. Single.
Having an hour to share he went over
to what is now known as Clarke's
Island, and saw Big Bull Falls for the
first time. Noticing several cribs of
lumber, stacked up on large rock
at the lower part of the falls; he asked
an old gentleman passing by why our
lumbermen went out there to pile their
lumber. He was told that that was
Lumber Yard Rock" called so be-
cause of many rapids pieces striking it,
and therefore there was more or less
lumber on it all the time. The old
gentleman further said that when a
rapids piece struck the rock, (which it
was sure to do if the bow oar broke
while going over the falls,) it went to
pieces and the crew saved themselves
by hanging to the lumber as it tioated
down stream, or swan ashore, and
that some times there was loss of life.
While talking, a crew of men came
from the west side, headed by Ben.
Cooper, of Stevens Point, with whom
Mr.. Quint was well acquainted. After
exchanging greetings, Mr.. Cooper said;
"Well, | understand that you are good
deal of white water man, (which term
meant that he had been used to work
ing in very dangerous places on water)
and want you to take trip over the
falls with me this afternoon" To this
Mr.. Quint consented, and after dinner,
went up and got on to piece of lum
Der and started down the raging waters.
Everything went on lovely until the
dam was passed, the piece then grazed
one of the piers of the bridge in such
way as to break the bow oar. 1t was
then that what the old man had said
come back TO Mr.. Quint's mind very
forcibly. At the foot of the rapids,
there had been boom, about three feet
wide, run out from a long pier, the
piece would run along this and be con-
Quoted out into the middle of the chan
mel. When the raft struck the boom,
Notwithstanding it was going at great
speed, Mr.. Quint run along with the
rapids piece and out on to the boom,
and made his way safely to land.
Luckily the piece escaped Lumber
Yard Rock" and was soon safely tied
up in an eddy below. Ben Cooper
never saw Mr.. Quint after that but
what he had something to say about
the white water man." Mr.. Quint
spun off yarn after yarn about old
times at the Point and at Knowlton,
where he used to do good deal lum-
bering in an early day, and it was very
interesting. He is guest of Mr.. and
Mrs. Partridge and expects to return to
Rural on Thursday