Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-02-07

ii IL
was sitting at the fire of the lumber
camp listening to the boys swap lies
Rs they broiled and ate choice bits of
the tenderloin from my deer-the rel
les of which hung from a sugar pine
limb in the edge Of the wavering fire.
light. The converse ton turned on the
subject of drinking. "They's a special
Providence watches over drunk meni"
said grizzled old logger.
The sentiment seemed to meet with
approval.
Il has in mind one special case" con-
tinued the old fellow, IAN that is Bill
heeney. This yere was so long ago
you fellers don't come in none on them
lretrospections, but l 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 big camp down
on Mill river them days. We was log
| gin away up on Gopher mountain, and
had little narrowgauge railroad
| runnin' back to the lumber camp, with
| dinky engine an string o. fat 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 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 L says, this yere chute
is half a 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 bottoml
"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 a big section of the
works.
"This yere Bill Keeney 1 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 SEEM 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
It'll the troubles over.
"Once't or twice't Bill takes too big
a drink, an forgets that the red flags
tup. l recalls two different times when
several thousand feet o. solid timber
lwhizZes past his head so close it KIN ocks
his hat off; but that there special Prov
idence is on duty reg'lar, an Bill don't
tget killed none.
But one day they's something hap
pens that rifles Bill all up, an leads to
them excitin' episodes L contemplates
relatin' to you when L starts out to
lround up this yere tale. 1t happens
this way: Bill had just got in four
gallon jug that mornin', an he was
ldevotin' himself to it most assiduous.
Didn't have much time TO spare for
'tendin' to the chute he was that busy
with his jug. We're late that day, an
we're firm down the timber at great
rate.
"Durin' a lull in them festivities, an
while Bill is back of his shack assam
Iplin' of his jug, Bills ole razorback
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 grupts 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.
Now, it's just at this interestin'
moment that the biggsst log of the
whole bunch arrives. 1t hits that ole
sow, goin' at a rate of speed that would
make a streak o. lightnin' look like
the efforts of sick lightn bug win
i'm away out in the marsh. They amt
no sow left then. but Bill Keeney hap
pens to reel out of his shack at that
sad moment, and he hears the squeal
goin' By on its way to glory.
Nov, Bill loves that sow, an he
takes on powerful over her obsequies.
He goes back to his shack, loads up to
the limit, an then heads for the top
o the bluff, where we're workin' away
as innocent as sheep. That special
Providence helps him up that hill, an
past the precipices, an when he arrives
in our midst he is in a fghtin' rage He
mentions that he means to clean out
the camp; an seem that he carries his
ak, an judgin' by the mean glitter in
his eye we deem he means about what
he says.
''Now, it happens that I'm the near
est to him, bein' just on the other side
of log we're in the act of startin'
gently down the chute toward the long
slide. Bill starts over the log at me,
swingin' his ak, an cussin' plentiful
an copious. 1 yells at him to go back,
but he thinks I'm scared of him, an h e
comes on. When he's on top O. that
log, it sudden hits the incline, an away
they both go together, Bill goin' down
headfOremost, a-stickin' to the log
like big black lizard.
well, we're mighty busy that day,
an the boss lows it ain't no use wastin'
the afternoon goin' down to gather up
the remains He considers e.,b :