Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-14


men gather in the camp for their last
evening smoke. There is no thought of
sleep for there will be no turn in from
me cook at O'Clock. tonight. The gray
haired veteran of the camp vics with the
man completing his first winter in the
merry making. Perhaps "A man more
J than usually tired with the exart;o, ~,
the last day will crawl into "A secluded
peFth Tor little sleep and may go undis-
turped for while. His snorcs soon he
i'E MIN or perhaps it is murmer of
'i'ic iS nc moves uneasiy on his hard
49, AZ any rate if ii is heard it il
''""Sh ana Win suDuucd racket one of
nc sihaIlef men is suddenly seized and
thrown bodily onto his sleeping compan-
ION. or perhaps an ice cold bunk chain
Is quietly brought in from outside and
gently laid upon the sleepers face or at
MS pare feet. Sometimes il is a sudden
outpurst in imitation of an Indian war
dance that would make stranger think
thitt he had struCk 4 mad house in the
heart OF the forest. There arc no neigh
DORIS To be disturbed and the wild animals
must flec in fright from the place where
such hideous sounds issue and whore in
me past IL mas been so peaceful that they
might steal the scraps from the cooks
window undiSturbcd
me sleeper thus aroused declares that
II ne IS not going to be allowed 10 sIcon
40 orc else shall and Il royal SCRAP en-
sues between him and the innocent vic
tith 81 thc throw. randimonitlm rcirns
Inc oId ruhbcTs, boots and moccasins
winch nave served as ''sneaks'' through
me winter ily thick and fast
of!E the big hanging lamp is cxempt
ana as !onS as that is safe it matters MOI
wa" Is hit. The gray haired boss ha1
scored resembling smack on tho check
OF the eldest man III the camp by mean,
Of rubber thrown from a convention,
point OF vantage ana as agile as Il snuir-
rel has sought refuge in one Of the dark
est hunks before his victim pcrcatvcs VIII,
MT him. re makes a shrcwd eupss anl
quietly lodging behind the stove watchc.
'he suspected bunk. The remainder of
nc crew pause to watch thu result Tn
old boss aroused by ,,e sudden stiffness
crawls cautiously forward to the front
OF the berth on all fours 10 investigate.
The olq man behind the stove takes care
fuI ann at his unsISpcctng victim and
hits HIM full in tho face with a socrv
moccaStn. The old boss ut,crs a terrified !
yell and scramblcs back to the rear of
his berth. \ perfect shower Of missiles |
follows and the men hold their aching !
sides while the tears Of much laughter
run down their checks
)" i goes for hours Rough horse pla,
ana poyish fcolishness reign supreme. \
man series tin pan from the hand OF |
me cook who has pokcd his head in to |
get a bit Of the sport ana marches |
around the stove in inimitablc imitation |
Of a Salvation Army captain while a par,
OF the crew falls in behind him 4 round |
or two and the march changes to an In
dian war dance. Nothing is too foolish In
make sport for the last night in camp. 4,
length somewhere near midnight the crew
is tired out ana settles down for a wink
IF sleep before breakfast. No one uct.
an hour Of undisturbed rest. some OF the
younger men do not sleep at all and play
their pranks an night long
Long before dawn the last turn
out. beans, beans: all aboard Tor
home Of the cook is heard ana the
men never pile out more readily. |
breakfast is made a short meal and !
as fast as a man finishes the cook
seiZes his tin plate and cup and throws !
them into the water. for all the dishes /
must be clean and dry by the time the
last team is ready to start. The boss
is out in the yard among the first.
hastily gulping his last mouthful of
beans. The crew is serious enough
now ana the fooling of the previous
night is laid aside. Team after team
pulls up before the door Of the camp
to get its share of the load. The
horses are as frisky as colts They
realize that there is no heavy load for
them to drag to the landing today
but the easy happy march home With
its attending week or two of rest in
the home stable. once turn their
heads toward home and they are as
uneasy as a fish out of water. They
are even more anxious than their
drivers to get away and dance and
prance until the patience of the men is
we'll nigh exhausted. At length the
last thing is loaded and the boss gives
the word to move. There is scram-
bic for first place. Some of the teams
are already on the way and the must
cal tinklc of their bells can be family
heard coming back through the trees
in the gray. cold dawn. The long
SlEiHs ~ On lDt move ana the merry
shouts and laughter of the men is
mingled with the crunch of the sleds
and neghs of the horses. The long
cold. hard winter is over and every
face is now turned towards home. The
last team is held a bit While the boss
gees through the camp and hovel to
see that nothing has been forgotten
The camp door is closed and the home
Of the winter left desolate and de
serted.
There is trouble enough on the road |
a careless driver has got his Sled out |
of the road and his whole team in a
tangle and is waiting for the others !
to come up and get him untangled. |
He is Strengthened out and set on his |
way again with many friendly poke !
at his carclessness. The first town |
that crew strikes for the day knows |
that something has happened right !
eff quick. 1t is only second to cir |
Gus in the little hamlet on the edge of |
the forest. The men soon own the |
town and every one turns out to see !
their proprietors. The team that has !
the best hauling record for the winter |
seeks the first place where blue rib |