Waterbury Democrat., 1902-02-20
THROUGH Fl
 pENSTOCK
Bv HnBERT M. TonMHN.

tween S~AA~
 a few months ago l shared my seat with quiet, well-dressed man or middle age. Some trivial circun- stance engaged us in conversation, and I learned that my fellow passen- ger was an assistant superintendent in Maine pulp mill.
 On his watch chain hung wooden charm, q dogs head, carved with such grotesque and peculiar ugliness that had difficulty in keeping my eyes away from it. Whenever he looked out of the window my glance returned to the charm. At last l could restrain my curiosity no longer, and with an apology made some comment on the strangeness of the ornament. lie took my inquisitiveness in good part, and was kind enough to tell me the story of the charm.
 sYes,' he said, tits queer-looking piece of wood. It was carved for me 20 years ago by friend who had lnack for that kind of work. It's the only thing have to remember him by, and so I think a good deal of it. But i I've another strong reason for recall ing the birch snag he whittled it from, i and it may interest you to hear 1t.
 s'When I was between 25 and 30 years old I was at work in a mill on the Kenebec river. My regular posi- tion was that of foreman of one of the departments, but as I was very handy with tools, I often did odd jobs i to accommodate the superintendent.
 s'One August morning there was trouble with the wooden grate that kept drift stuff from getting into the penstock which is, as you know, the great tube of iron or banded plank conveying the water from the mill race to the wheel. In the last high water a log had broken one of the upper spruce bars.
 ''The mill was running overtime to fill extra orders, and the company did not wish to close it for half day un- less it was absolutely necessary. So I was asked to repair the damage with
 out shutting the gate at the head&of
 the race. I looked at the break and
 saw that it would be no very difficult
 task to patch it while the water was on. provided the grate were swung back ] against the side of the conduit. So sent for my tools and went to work. ; Ut was drowsy midsummer morn : ing. Dragon flies and swallows were 5 darting over. the surface of the river and from the stubble fields on each : side came the shrill rasping sound ot ] the grass opper. In the street above group of little girls were laughing - and playing. Several hundred feet IT the river, under grove of leaning t willows. was a swimming hole, where T. half dozen boys were disporting themselves.
 sIf I had not been interrupted thre, U of four times by messengers from my :. department in the mill, I should hay, ? finished the job in less than an hour :. As it was, it was almost noon befor, the break was repaired to my satis
 faction. The hot sun beat down o1
 my head as I worked away at tn,
 grating; below, the smooth, browl
 water ran steadily into the Hume.
 ssWith my back to the race, wa Y putting few final touches on m.
 work close to the water, when some
 thing happened that for minut 1- frightened me horribly. There cam [, a sharp clutch at my sleeve.
 :, tsI whirled round in surprise. an Il saw something like a lean brown arr 'd rising from the waterl I shook it of U U and another arm rose slowly and de !. liberately and seemed to make a me lc chanical effort to grasp me, while tn ,s , first as slowly sank out of sight. . "They were the long roots of water St soaked stump that had lain fo ,i- months, perhaps years, on the river "a bottom, and had now been swept b n. the current to the head of the fun, s- It was against just such unwelcom h. visitors as this that the grate wa s-.I designed to be barrier.
 he "Now appeared a huge octopus-lik ip f body, revolving gradually in the foo, he It hung for moment at the openin of of the penstock, and then disappeare be- down the dark cavity, its roots scral CT inc against the sides and top as ae rolled over..
 m ssI snatched a boat-hook that lay 0 's- the embankment and made an effort t se fix it's steel tooth in the slimy stum T. For moment thought had succeed Vn ed. I leaned over little farther; Il v, earth crumbled under me, and fe 7i head foremost into tke race! = ..As I fell I caught with my hands : fS the lower part or the Srallng. I <, weight swung it out into the curren if which immediately whirled it to; ar " there hung, my body tailing off in1
 the penstock, dragged down by Il za clutch of the water.
 is ssMs position was a terrible one. he was holding on merely by the tips it's my fingers, which were hooked rouI
 one of the wooden bars. The currel
 lashed my body from one side of Il
 pipe to the other. If soosed my gr
 in the slightest should be swept
 death. Below me was the tlfousai
 feet of steel tube, through which an
 resistibse torrent was shooting; al 1f at it's end was the great whee1, revol = ing with the swiftness of light, al = ready to lacerafe and mangle wha y ever might be hurled against it. The penstock was perfect