The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-11-15
~. =. 2.
THEY RAN HE RAPIDS.
what the Indian COuld Do the Pc
nObscot Men Must Try.

What the Indian Could Do the Pc
nObscot Men Must Try.
An instance of the degged pluck Of
the PenObscot men is given in a true
story of the Maine woods told in the
Atlantic Monthly by Fannie Hardy
Eckstorm.
Fourteen logmen were running the
Penobscot river, with back breaking
work Juggling their heavy boats over
the carries" So at length they came
TO the SOwadnehunk falls and rapids,
dog tired in the heat Of a fierce noon
day sun. There was no help for it.
The path was there because men could
not run the fall and live. Twelve
Of the men accordingly, with CALLED
shoulders and much language, picked
up two Of the boats and lugged them
over. Then they lay down in the shade
to wait until summoned by the other
two men to come back and lug the
third boat.
But the boss OF that boat was the
famous Big Sebattis, 2GO pounds Of res
olute Indian. too lazy to like Juggling
boats where they might perhaps float.
His bowman was a worthy mate For
glory and for ease they ran the falls
and rapids. just escaping as if by a
miracle. At the bottom they hurriedly
splashed out some Of the water they
had shipped and grayely waited for the
others, who came scrambling along to
look at them.
The best part Of that story is to come.
Thus Miss EckstOrm tells it:
"Then the men all looked again at
the boat that had been over Sowadne-
hunk, and they al trooped back to the
carry end without saying much-two
full batteau crews and Sebattis and his
bowman. They did not talk. No man
would have gained anything new by
exchanging thoughts with his neighbor
and when they came to the two
boats drying in the sun they looked
one another in the eyes again. It was
a fOregone conclusion. Without a word
they put their CALLED shoulders under
the gunwales, lifted the heavy batteaus
to their places and started back across
that carry, forty rods to the end they
had just come from.
what for? It was that in his own
esteem a PenObscot man will not stand
second to any other man. They would
not have it said that Sebattis Mitchell
was the only man Of them who had
tried to run Sowadnehunk falls.
$50 they put off again, six men to
a boat, full crews, and in the stern Of
one stood Joe Attien, who was Tho
reau's guide, and in the bow Steve
Stanislaus, his cousin. That sets the
date-that it was back in 1S70-for il
became the occasion for another and a
sadder tale.
"And they pushed out with their two
boats and ran the falls.
"But the luck that bore Sebattis safe
" through was not theirs. Both boats
were swamped, battered on the rocks
into kindling wood. Twelve men were
thrown into the water and pounded
and swashed about among logs and
rocks Some by swimming, some by
the aid Of Sebattis and his boat, eleven
Of them got ashore, "a little damp, as
no doubt the least eXaggerative Of them
were willing to admit The unlucky
twelfth man they picked up later, quite
undeniably drowned And the boats
were irretrievably smashed. Indeed,
that was the part Of the tale that ran
kled with Sebattis when he used to tell
it.
Berry much she blame It us chat
is, himselO that time John Loss CAL
ways to the Indian mind John Ross,
the head contractor Of the drive. was
the power that commanded wind. logs
and weather. She don care so much
cause drowned it man, cause she can
get blenty Of men, but does e'er boats
she talk bout berry hard >"