Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-30
neutrality-suspicious.
B By Strength Of Arm.
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By Albert W. holman.

The reason why John Robbins.
head Of Township Ten Drive. picked
out Jules Grandgent to break the
big jam at the Giants Staircase was
that for three years in succession the
young Frenchman had done the work
successfully. Had the feat been con-
sidered an especially perilous one,
Robbins. instead of ordering for
man out on the logs, would have call
ed for volunteer: and this would
probably have meant Jules. who was
never backward in offering his
service. But there were dozen
places on the river more dangerous
than this Here skill and Judgment
rather than daring were required.
At this point the rocky river bot
tom shelved down in an eighth of
mile Of broad. shallow steps to a
deep. circular basin. Just above the
foot Of this flight of stairs the stream
was compressed to width OF hun
dred feet between perpendicular cliffs
about ha1f as high.
Right In this narrow .gnllet big
pine had stuck between two boulders.
like fish-bone in a giants throat.
The whole drive had piled up behind
It. stewing the entire flight, and ex-
tending far upstream. A man might
have walked dry-shod from the foot
Of the stairs to point half mile
above. This state of affairs could not
be allowed to continue long. The
river was falling. and there was no
time to lose.
Robbins knew the gorge of old,
and was prepared to meet It's difficult
ties. When once the jam started, the
man who broke 1t would have nc. time
to react, the foot of the prependicu-
lar BLUFFS. So 1t was the lumbermen's
custom to stretch strong rope across
the gulf from cliff-top to cliff-top, max
ing each end fast to a tree trunk
On this was placed travelling pulley
block. which was dashed to a knot
tied In the middle of the rope, and
through which another smaller rope
nan to the right bank. The end of
this line below the block was lowered,
and made fast under the arms of the
driver selected to break the jam.
When the logs began to move, the
man was Immediately hoisted up un-
til he reached the knot in the hori-
Eontal cable; then he cut the LASH
ings that bound the block to this.
and was drawn in to the bank, block
and all. This had been done success
fully many times in former years.
It took neary an hour to get the
ropes in place. Part Of the crew
worked on one bluff part on the 9TH
er, while one man labored on the jam
itself. Jules leaned against a spruce
on the right bank, waiting, ak in hand.
When all was ready. the driver be-
low was drawn up. Then down the
face of the cliff they lowered jules,
Laughing and singing gong with
light heart to his encounter with the
river.
At the foot of the blum he freed
himself from the moose in which he
had been seated. and stepped, whist.
ing, out upon the jam. his spiked
boots making his footing on the slip
perry logs as firm as If he were on a
city sidewalk. There lay the cause
Of the trouble. that big white pine
with the others wedged round 1t. If
that were once cut in two, the jam
would go to pieces.
But first his own safety must be as.
sured. Under his armpits he fasten-
ed the end Of the rope dangling from
the block high above. 1t was neces-
Bary to make one or two tests to see
that everything worked smoothly.
"All ready" he shouted. From the
right bank came the response in Rob
bins deep bass:
"Pull away, boys!"
A half-dozen Prince Edward Island.
ers surged upon the rope, and Jules
was snapped ten feet into the air.
Don't do 1t SO quick!" he shouted.
you'll break me in two. Once
again!"
This time they did better. But
no further experiments could be tried.
Robbins chafed at the delay; every
minute was precious. The French
man fell vigorously to work.
It was ten o'clock on May morn
ing. A thick river mist filled the
gorge. The men on the opposite banks
could hardly see one another al
though the stalwart, red,shirted figure
on the logs below was plainly visible
from both sides.
The quick strokes Of his az re-