The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-07-07

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business of trapping. Thorpe rarely
found time to visit him, but he often
gl1ded into the office, smoked pipeful
Of the white mans tobacco in friendly
fashion by the stove and glided out
ngain without having spoken a dozen
words.
Wallace made one visit before the
big SHOWS came, and was charmed He
ate with gusto of the "salt horse"
baked beans, stewed prunes, mince pie
and cakes. He tramped around gayly
in his moccasins or on the fancy snow
shoes he promptly purchased Of Injun
Charley. There was nothing new to
report in regard to financial matters.
The loan had been negotiated easily on
the basis Of mortgage guaranteed by
Carpenters personal signature. Moth
ing had been heard from Morrison &
DAILY.
BY the end Of the winter some 4,OOO,-
700 feet Of logs were piled in the bed or
upon the banks of the stream TO un-
derstand what that means you must
Imagine pile of solid timber mile in
length. This tremendous mass lay d.
sectly in the course Of the stream.
When the winter broke up it had to be
separated and f1oated piecemeal down
the current. The process is an interest
ing and dangerous one and one of
great delicacy. It requires for it's sue
cessful completion picked men of skill
and demands as toll it's yearly quota of
cripples and dead. While on the drive
men work fourteen hours a day up to
their waists in water filed with float
ing ice.
On the Ossawinamalee, as has been
stated, three dams had been erected to
simplify the process of driving When
the logs were in right distribution the
gates were raised, and the proper head
of water f1oated them down.
Now, the river being navigable,
Thorpe was possessed of certain rights
on it. Technically he was entitled to q
normal head of water whenever he
needed it. Or 4 special head, according
to agreement with the parties owning
the dam. Early in the drive he found
that Morrison & DAILY intended to cause
him trouble. It began in a narroWs of
the river between high, rocky banks.
Thorpe's drive was floating though
close packed The siAation was tic
klish. Men with spiked boots ran here
and there from one bobbing log to an
other, pushing with their peaveys, hur-
rying one log, retarding another, work
ing like beavers to keep the whole mass
straight. The entire surface Of the wa
ter was practically covered with the
floating timbers.
In moment, as though by magic,
the loose wooden carpet ground togeth-
er. A log in advance appended, another
thrust under it. The whole mass ground
together, stopped and began rapidly to
pile up. The men escaped to the shore
in marvellous manner of their own.
Tim Shearer found that the gate at
the dam above had been closed. The
man in charge had simply obeyed or
ders. He supposed M. & D. wished to
back up the water for their own logs.
Tim INDUCED in some picturesque
language.
you amt got no right to close off
more'n enough to leave US tn natral
flow unless by agreement" he conclud-
ed, and opened the gates.
Then it was a question of breaking
the jam. This had to be done by pull
ing out or chopping through certain
"key" logs which locked the whole
mass. Men stood under the face of i'm
mlnent ruin-over them frowning
sheer wall Of bristling logs, behind
which pressed the weight of the rising
waters hacked and tugged calmly
until the mass began to STIR Then
they escaped. A moment later, with
roar, the jam vomited down on the
spot where they had stood 1t was
dangerous work Just one half day
later it had to be done again and for
the same reason.
This time Thorpe went back with
Shearer. No one was at the dam, but
the gates were closed. The two opened
them again.
That very evening man rode up on
horseback inquiring for Mr.. Thorpe.
I'm he," said the young fellow.
The man thereupon dismounted and
served paper. It proved to be an in
junction issued by Judge Sherman en-
joining IhOrpe against interfering with
the property of Morrison g. Daly-to
wit, certain dams erected at designated
points on the Ossawinamakee There
had not elapsed sufficient time since
the commission of the cffense for the
other firm to secure the issuance of
this interesting document. so it was at
once evident that the whole affair had
been prearranged. After serving the
injunction the official rode away.
"Of all the consummate gall" ex-
ploded Thorpe. Crying to enjoin me
from touching a dam when they're re-
fusing me the natural flow. They
must have bribed the fool judge Why,
his injunction isn't worth the powder
to blow it up
''Then you're all right, amt yep in
quired Tim
It'll be the middle of summer before
we get a hearing in court" said he.