River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-01-22
Bi11's Special
Providence ~
By l.. OTUS REESE.


ten miles from my camp; and L
was sitting at the fire of the lumber
camp listening to the boys swap lies
as they broiled and ate choice bits of
the tenderIoin from my deer-the rel
les Of which hung from sugar pine
limb in the edge Of the wayering fire
light. The converse ton turned on the
subject Of drinking. "They's a special
Providence watches over drunk men,!
said a grizzlcd old logger.
The sentiment seemed to meet with
approval.
Il has in mind one special case" con-
tinued the old fellow, "an' that is Bill
Keeney. This yere was so long ago
YOU fellers don't come in none on them
retros pections, but / remembers it as
well as though it happened yesterday.
Bill shore had a special Providence
watchin' over him an he kept it busy
day an night!
Il was Workin' in a big camp down
on Mill river them days. We was log
gin away up on Gopher mountain, and
had a little narrOw-gauge railroad
Tunnin' back to the lumber camp, with
a dinky engine an string O fiat cars
Wed get out a trainlOad Of logs, load
'em aboard the train, an run 'em down
to the top Of the bluff above Mill river.
There we had a big board chute half
a mile long, which went as near
straight down as it was possible to
slide log an have it keep in the
trough. As J says, this yere chute
is half mile long; but we turns log
loose in it an in exactly 13 seconds
the big stick plunges into the deep
water Of Mill creek at the bottom!
"Of course they's a lot o. friction
from first to last; so consequent we
has TO keep the bottom an sides Of
the chute CREASED all the time. Even
with that the boards takes fire occa-
sional an burns up big section of the
works
"This we're Bill Keeney | mentions is
employed at the bottom Of the chute.
It's his business to watch that no ten
derfeet don't come rompin' around
there seein' the sights an a-gettin'
mixed up with them flynn saw logs
none. He also attends to greasin' the
chute an clearin' away the splinters
when a log hits the bottom wrong,
jams acrost the chute an flies to
pieces. Bill watches the top. When
we takes down the red flag, Bill works
in the chute after putin up his own
red flag. When we puts up our signal
Bill gets in the clear an stays there
till the troubles over.
"Once't or twice't Bill takes too big
drink, an forgets that the red flags
up. ] recalls two different times when
several thousand feet o. solid timber
whizzes past his head so close it knocks
his hat off; but that there special Prov
| idence is on duty regular, an Bill don't
| get killed none.
But one day they's something hap
pens that rifles Bill all up, an leads to
them excitin' episodes | contemplates
r2latin' to you when / starts out to
round up this yere tale. 1t happens
this way: Bill had just got in a four
gallon Jug that mornin', an he was
devotin' himself to it most assiduOus
Didn't have much time to spare for
'tendin' to the chute he was that busy
Win Ills JUS We AC 10 'S Ch'' "''J , 81
we're firm down the timber at great
rate.
."Durin' lull in them festivities, an
while Bill is back Of his shack a-sam'
plin' of his jug, Bills ole razorbacl
SOW gets into the chute an starts in
to eat up all the grease. If they'S
anything she's plumb loco on it's ran
cid grease. She grunts with joy, an
absorbs that grease with a thankful
prayer. She's the only hog in all that
country, an she figures she has the
grease market cornered.