The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1905-02-10

headwaters OF the Ossawlnamakee.
During the four years in which the
Morrison IL DAILY company shared the
stream with Thorpe the two firms
lived In complete amity and under
standing. Northrop had played his
cards skillfully. The older capitalists
had withdrawn suit. Afterward they
kept scrupulously within their rights
Snd saw to it that no more careless
openings were left for Thorpe's
| shrewdness.
And as the younger man on his side
never attempted to overstep his own
rights the interests OF the rival firms
rarely FLASHED. AS to the few disputes
that did arise Thorpe found Mr.. Daily
singularly anxious to please. In III"
desire was no friendliness, however.
Thorpe was watchful for trea".g--
and could hardly believe the a.
finished when at the end of the four;l
year the NJ. 81 d. transferred its o"-
erations to another stream few miles
east
"They're altogether too COMPOUNDED
anxious TO help US on that freight,
Wallace" said Thorpe, wrinkling his
brow uneasily. Il don't like it. 1t
isn't natural"
Thorpes Camp One was celebrated
in three states. Thorpe had set out to
gather around him a band of good
woodsmen. Except on pinch he
would employ no others.
u don't care if l get in only 1000
feet this winter, and if q boy does
that" he answered Shearers eXpostu-
latlons, its got to be Il good boy"
The result of his policy began to show
even in the second year. Men were a
little proud to say that they had put in
a winter ut "Thorpe's One" Those who
had worked there during the first year
were loyalty enthusiastic. AS they were
authorities others perforce had to ac-
cept the dictum. There grew a desire
among the better class to see what
"Thorpe's One" might be like. In the
autumn Harry had more applicants
than he knew what TO do with. Eight
cen Of the old men returned. He took
them all, but when it came TO distribu-
ton three found themselves assigned
TO one or the other of the new camps.
And quietly the rumor gained that
these three had shown the least willing
spirit during the previous winter.
Tim Shearer was foreman Of Camp
One, Scotty Parsons was drafted from
the veterans 10 take charge Of Two,
Thorpe engaged two men known to
Tim 10 boss Three and Four, but in Sc
lecting the push for Five he sought
out John Roadway and induced him to
accept the commission.
You can do it, John" said he, land l
know it. l want you TO try, and if you
don't make her 90 I'll call it nobodys
fault but my own"
The result proved his sagacity. Rad
way was one Of the best foremen in the
outfit. He got more out of his men, he
rose better to emergencies, and he ac-
complished more with the same re-
sources than any of the others except
ing Tim Shearer. AS long as the work
was done for some one else he was ca
pable and efficient. Only when he was
called upon to demand on his own ac-
count did the paralyZing shyness affect
him.
But the one feature that did more to
attract the very best element among
woodsmen was Camp One. Old woods
men will still tell you about it, with a
longing reminiscent glimmer in the
corners of their eyes as they recall its
glories and the men who worked in it.
To have put in" a winter in Camp
One was the mark of q master and the
ambition OF every raw recruit to the
forest.
But Camp One was q privilege. A.
man entered it only after having
proved himself; he remained in it only
as long as his efficiency deserved the
honor. It's members were invariably
recruited from one of the other four
camps, never from applicants who had
not been in Thorpe's employ.
SO Shearer was foreman of q picked
crew. Probably no finer body of men
was ever gathered at one camp. Some
of them had the reputation of being
the hardest citizens in three states;
others were mild as turtledoves. They
were all pioneers. They had the indie
pendence, the unabashed eye the in
subordination even, of the man who
has drawn his intellectual and moral
nourishment at the breast of a wild
nature. They were afraid of nothing
alive. From no one, were he chore boy
or president. would they take n single
word. with the exception always of
Tim Shearcr and Thorpe.
And they were loyal. 1t was a point
of honor with them to stay until the
last dog was hung" He who deserted
i'm the hour of need was not only rem
egade. but fool. for he thus earned a
magnificent licking if ever he ran up
against member of the Fighting
Forty" A band Of soldiers were they,
ready to attempt anything their COM
mander ordered, and, II must be con-
fessed, they were also somewhat on
the order of n band of pirates. Mar
quette thought so each spring after the