Mower County transcript., 1904-02-24
By STEWART
EDWARD ID
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That seventeen white pine is going
to hnderrun,'' said Dyer. 1T won't
skid over 3,000.n
ITS small stuff" agreed Radway,
..and so much the worse for us. But
the company III stand in on it, because
small stuff like that always overruns
! ON the mill cut"
The scaler nodded comprehension.
"When are you going to dry haul
that Norway across Pike lake?'
Tomorrow. She springs, but the
| book says five inches of ice will hold
team, and there's more than that.
How much are we putting in day
now"
"About 10000"
Railway fell silent.
"Thats mighty little for such a
crew. he observed at last doubtfully.
II always said you were too easy
with them. You got to drive them
more."
"Well, it's a rough country" apollo
gized Radway, trying, as was his GUS
tom, to find excuses for the other par
ty as soon as he was agreed with in
his blame. 'There's any amount o.
pot holes, and then we've had so much
snow the ground amt really froze un-
derneath. 1t gets pretty soft in some
ting up as much in this country as we
! used to down on the Muskegon."
The scaler smiled a thin smile all to
himself behind the stove. Dyer knew
perfectly we'll that the work was be-
hind, and he knew the reason. For
some time the men had been relaxing
their efforts. They had worked hon.
estly enough, but certain snap and
vim had lacked. This was because
Radway had been too easy with them.
Your true lumber jack adores of all
things in creation man whom he
feels to be stronger than himself. If
his employer is big enough to drive
the last ounce of his strength. But
once he gets the notion that his ''boss"
is afraid of or for him or his feelings
or his health, he loses interest in his
working for that man. AS you value
your authority, the love Of your men
and the completion Of your work, keep
a bluff brow and an unbending single
ness of purpose.
Thorpe had already commented oD
the feeling among the men, though.
owing to his inexperience, he was not
able to estimate it's full value. The
men were inclined to a semiapologetic
air when they spoke Of their connec-
ton with the camp. Instead of being
honored as one Of a series of jobs this
seemed to be considered as merely a
temporary halting place in which they
took no pride and from which they
looked forward in anticipation or back
in memory to better things
"Old Shearer, he's the bully boy"
said Bob Stratton. ~ remember when
he was foreman of M. & D. at Camp
o. Saw-we did hustle them saw logs
in! I should rise to remark! Out in
the woods by first streak Of day. I re-
call one mornin' she was pretty cold.
and the boys grumbled some about turn
in out. Cold says Tim, you sons of
too cold for you in the woods, but it's
blame sight too hot for you in hades.
and you're goin' to one or the other!
And he meant it too. Them was great
days! Forty million a year and not a
hitchn'
The next morning Railway trans
ferred Molly and Jenny. with little Fa.
bian Laveque and two Of the younger
men, to Pike lake. There earlier in
the season a number of pines had been
felled out on the ice. cut in logs and
left in expectation of ice thick enough
to bear the travoy 'dray." Owing to
the fact that the shores of Pine lake
were extremely precipitous it had been
impossible to travoy the logs up over
the hill.
Railway hat sounded carefully the
thickness Of the ice with an ak AL
though the weather had been sufficient
~ cold for the time of year, the snow,
as often happens, had fallen before the
temperature. Under the warm white
blanket the actual freezing had been
slight. However, there seemed to be
at least eight inches of clear ice, which
would suffice.
-Four logs had been safely hauled
The fifth was on it's journey across the
lake. Suddenly without warning and
with scarcely sound both horses sank
through the ice, which bubbled up
around them and over their backs in
Irregular rotted pieces. Little Fabian,
Laveque shouted and jumped down
from his log. Pat Mcclure and young
Aenrys came running. w. u =
The horses had broken through an
air hole about which the ice was
strong. Fabian had already seized
Molly by the bit and was holding her
head easily above water. .a. B
kitch Jenny by dat he'tv' he cried to
Pat.
Thus the two men without exertion
sustained the noses Of the team above
the surface. The position demanded
absolutely no haste, for it could have
been maintained for good half hour.
hot a. ~