Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-05-10
HOGG'S EXPERIENCE.
ny JOHN FLEMING WILSON.

one OF the big timber rats leaves Astoria
ii tow for San Francisco.
Not many years ago an attempt was made
TO raft down sawn lumber in the same man
ner. II was not a success, 80 they say, finan-
cially, but it was, III some peoples eyes,
worth the expense, Tor Amos HDeg became
son OF the west
Amos Hogg was 50-odd-he talked freely
Of himseli-with the figure ard iitae, easy
etrrlage Of man who had never worn sHs-
genGers. For year he rad hetg around
the Portland wharyes, occasionally working
little, frequently Drank and always loose
81 tongue. His constant attitude was that
Of loigy patronage. lie had done most
thing-, mad seen all he cared about and
knew everything II tell ye, ne would say,
I've lived on the 0aio smart spell, and
t.lis country Is mighty poor. We reckon
ye're just about il, but ye kin learn a lot
from us tAat have run from PisGsDurg down.
NOW Sc tank that sack Of i'm e. t5ele is
a raft us no such thing. I've RATED on
the OHIO, and they'd laugh at ye. There
tLey don't tie up few million feet into
bundle like shingles. They know now to do
tnings back east"
Then several would attempt to enlighten
him on the perils Of coast8lse navigation
They used strong language, but he turned
t.eir words aside win pontsea subAmity
Rouge sc say Ye'il never see anything
so fougl. as the Ohio in Il ises4et. I've RATED
down when | tell ye it took nerve. The Pa
ciGc is a pond NJ curves, no bends, ne falls,
no perils of any sort. It's easy, dead easj
Amos talked too mGc i, and By some mail
eious scheming it was brought about that
the superintendent hunted out the Ohio
~ nd "a
coast on this raft. Its not exactly safe,
concluded the superintendent, but the tugs
will take you off ii you signal"
The old man smiled easily. "Yeee come
to the right man, I'll snake her down a.
slick as grease. It's no trick to ne Taopgn
! must tell " we've put her together
wrong"
So a strong little house was built amid
ships, and Amos Hogg was installed. Two
days afterward | watched the unwieldy
monster wallow out across the Coluinbia
river bar, aud then | left for san Fran
cisco to await its coming Twelve days
later the tugs dragged through tile gate a
disreputable bundle Of blackened lumber,
which proved to be the forward end OF the
raft. ! learned that the rest was not to
be expected
| hunted out Amos and found him in
strange state. Pride and disappointment
were mingled on his countenanee, and quite
evidently he was ready to talk
How do you feel?" / asked, presently.
Like a pipe that's been filed. but not
lit" This was profound, and waited. He
seemed disinchneA 10 proceed, and | ven
tured again, somewhat stupidiy: How
about the raft?"
lie put his thumb over the bowl Of his
pipe, as a shoemaker does over the bu-t of
his awl and responded: "Ye recolIect?
said | didn't like the way it was put to-
gether. Well, it opened out like bale of
hay when We cut the wire. calculate there
must be a wooden lid on the whole Pacific
by t3is time and the FISH feel like chickens
in coop. There was powerful sight Of
lumber in that pile.
Tel me about it. | urged, as thor n the
loss mad been wholly mine, ana | ~. cd to
know the worst.
He slouched down a little and lookedsat
me sympathetieally 81 know ye weren't
onto the keller of rafting, and I'll ,el We
so ven know next time
"W'hen we left the river the sun was
gone and new moon was shining like
street lamp. Ii was most powerful big and
dark outside, aud the lights on the raft
looked like hretles. 1t wasn't long before
things commenced to squrm. No harm
done slong as we went straight out. but
waen we turned the corner and started
down the coast it was mighty STANCE On
the Ohio I've taken RATS through in all sorts
of weather. but ! never did see such can
tankerouS ornery affair as this thing was.
Anyway, ! fried my Slice Of bacon, drank my
coffee, took a peek at the flares and then
went to sleep.
About midnight a smart lot Of water
came tarouga the roof of my sAanty and,
thinks |, it's started to rain. | snoozed off
again, but presently some more came down,
and it didn't taste like rain 1t was nasty.
| climbed out, and it was clear sky and
the raft was twitching like horses coat in
hytime. ! hadn't been out there long be
fore sonnet ting peeked over the edge Of the
raft, and. ,eeing me, came on in. 1t was
the darnd =, lot-of water ever saw in one
bunch, and when | got my wind again my
shaRty was nodding at me like ii was sick,
too. That wave had knocked it off is pins
TliS was the beginning. The wind blew
Ike factory whistle on a Saturday night,
the waves We're mountainous and your raft
just sort o sified Itself apart The sea
HuNg W2seT over lue Wlole business the way
YOU throw your coat over gate post. Them
boards hoped up under me, teetered me
over on my head, knc cked me dozen yards
and spanked me when | was down Tie big.
ger ones appended like a mule going down
a steep road, or slashed around like a snake
in a lime pit. For two days ! tell We. never
set my foot down without whatever set it
on leaving it in the air. kreckon that raft
was three blocks long, and it just cantered
all over the ocean.
As say, it was two days before those
darned tug5oat captains took me off, though
Tagged EN- every time / got both feet to-
getaer 20 stand on. They knew wi at was
going on too, for the waves picked that
at Ike woman picks goose.
"Mayfc You think | bad o good time
Young Teller, I'm done bidding with In,
Pacific I've danced once too often 10 its
tune, and my feet are tired want to raj,
somewhere where | don't get knocked of
every five minutes, and have to run to catch
it again"
ttR,ft Won said van had fouob t;roas 80,