The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-09-18

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1AE u this paper nave
UA not enjoyed the
1@-S/Z;4lA delights of coast
I }M '|ZSSA ing. But what
I%1zEnyA would they say
~ MKAN to slide down q
II NsN@iS hill more than
tSM lg3Ml fifty miles long?
4 >aNnb' Twice q month,
during the summer spent at some
sawmills away up in the Sierra
Nevada Mountains, I used to
enjoy such ride. 1t was like sliding
down a spiders web, for the hill was
neither more nor less than a fume,
down which the lumber was shot
from the mountains to the railroad in
the Sacramento valley, about six
thousand feet below, and ffty.four
miles long, from the mills to the lum-
ber-yards CT the company which owned
the whole plant.
shall never forget my first ride. I
was telegraph operator, bookkeeper and
kind of superintendent at the mills
of the Chico division of the company,
with my headquarters at the Belmont
Mill. One day I was ordered, by
telegraph, to come down the fume
that afternoon, as soon as the men
got through shipping the lumber, tc
meet the manager, who wished to con-
suit about some large order we were
putting out. 1t was my duty to obey,
and T nrepared TO do 80.
The Sfume is a V-shaped trough,
nearly two feet deep, which is set
npon timbers and trestle' work, and
extending along the sides of the
canon, through which Little Child
Greek find Its way from the high
Sierras to the Sacramento valley.
The boat, as it is called, is simply
q V-shaped box, twelve feet long,
open at the front and closed at the
rear end. Three strips of board are
nailed across, about four inches from
the top. Boards are laid on these
strips, and the boatman, or coaster,
takes his seat on these boards, near
the front end of the box.
Iknew nothing of the real dangers
of the trip, or I should not have
started on such journey without an
experienced hand to accompany me,
but after that run I thought I had
enough experience to warrant subse-
quent ventures on my own RESPONSE
bility.
About three O'Clock in the after
noon I went down to the mill-yard
and found everything ready for my
departure. My boat was lying across
she top of the hume, and half a dozen
lumber-s shippers were waiting to
launch it and start me off on my long
slide. I had seen others start on
similar trips, and therefore did not
betray my greenness to the men as l
stepped on board the craft, after it
had been placed in the fume. The
grade at the starting-point was easy,
aud as the feed.gates were partly
closed, there was not much water
running in the Hume; so I started
slowly when the men let 60 of the
boat. The foreman of the mill, who
was directing the men, walked along
by my side for few yards, just long
enough to give me this warning:
"Look out, sir, before you start
down the big grade. We've been
shipping some big timbers this after
noon, and they are apt to Jump the
fume, or to get jammed. Ask the
tender at the top of the big grade if
they have gone by all right. Now I'll
go and let in some more water.
He turned and left me and in few
minutes 1 felt the rear end of my boat
rise, and it shot forward at decidedly
more rapid rate.
About half mile farther down ]
passed the lower mill. where anothe;
feeder gave still larger volume OF
water. Then the steepness of the
grade began to increase, and I knew
I was coming to the head of what was
called the "Cape Horn grade" was
fairly in the canon now, and the fume
could be seen for nearly half a mile
ahead, strung along the side of the
perpendicular cliffs which lowered
above it, on the right, fully hundred
feet.
On the left, or outer side of the
hume, was chasm two or three hun.
dred feet deep, at the bottom of. which
the creek went tumbling and roaring
among the rocks and boulders. The
grade grew sleeper and sleeper; there
was no stopping now till the foot of ii
was reached. Any obstruction in the
fume meant an upset and horrible
death on the rocks below.
Faster and faster the boat few along,
and almost before I had time to won
der whether the fume was clear be-
yond the bend, we dashed around the
corner, the box rubbing and grinding
against the outside edge of the flume,
the stern riding high in the air and
hanging for out over the canon.
A hasty glance ahead reassured me.
Tile fume was clear throughout the