The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-12-06

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ats o. sorry task,' he said to Temple.
the county line must be crossed. On
this he was laying a temporary track
as fast as it was extended in order
that his earth cars might be pushed
over it with their loads OF filling ma
terial.
Duncan's first look at the progress
OF the work convinced him that it
could not be completed within the time
allowed unless a much larger working
force could be secured.
lie instantly telegraphed to Hallam:
Must have more men Immediately. If
you can send 200 at once, there is a bare
possibility of success, provided weather
conditions do not grow worse, but with
out that many men failure is inevitable
Why not send all your miners here?
Hallam in his habitual way acted
promptly and with vigor. Leaving
Stafford to hire all the men who could
be secured in Cairo, he himself hur-
ried to the mines and by promising
double wages induced most of the men
there to go for the time being into the
work of railroad construction. Within
two or three days the total force at
Duncan's command numbered some
what more than 200 men.
1--WE ought to have fifty or a hundred
more," he said, particularly as the
miners are new to this sort of work,
but as we can't get them we must do
our best with the force we have"
After consultation with Temple he
divided the force into three shifts and
kept the work going night and day
without cessation. For time the
rapid progress made gave Duncan con-
hdence in his ultimate success. In
that confidence Temple shared, but
with a reservation.
I'm afraid we're in for a freshet,"
he said. ''The rivers are all rising,
and the rain is almost continuous now.
All this region except a hill here and
there lies lower than the flood levels
of the Ohio river on one side and the
Mississippi on the other. If the rise
continues we shall have both rivers on
us within a few days."
rs there any way in which to meet
that dif1iculty?' asked Duncan anx
iously.
Yes, possibly" Temple responded
slowly and hesitatingly. 1--WE might
build crib across the space still to be
filled in and make it serve the purpose
or a cofferdam in some degree. By
doing that we can keep the work going
even If the overflow from the rivers
comes upon US. But the building OF
the crib will take time, and we've no
time to waste. you know
Yes, | know that. Still, if it be-
comes necessary we must build it. III
tell you this evening what is to be
done"
For convenience and quickness of
communication Duncan had strung a
telegraph wire from tree to tree
through the woods to the point where
the work was in progress. He instant
~ telegraphed Hallam, saying:
Find out and telegraph flood prospect.
How long before the rise in rivers will
GROWN us out here? Everything depends
that
The answer came back within half
an hour: Hallam telegraphed:
Have already made Geographic inquiries
at all points on all the rivers Reports
very dlscouraging. Probability is you'll
be Hooded within three days. I'll be with
you tomorrow.
The space to be cribbed, so that the
work of filling might go on in spite of
hoods, was comparatively small, but
the task Of cribbing it, even in the rud-
est fashion, occupied nearly the whole
working force during three precious
DAYS and nights. Worse still, in order
TO hurry it Temple made the mistake
Oh working the men overtime. AS an
1nducement Hallam promised to in
crease the double wage per hour,
when the men were already receiving,
TO triple wages on condition that they
should work in two instead of three
SHIFTS AS the work was exhausting in
IT'S nature and must be done under a
deluge of bone chilling rain, this over
tasklng OF the men quickly showed it.
self IN their loss of energy and cour-
age Some of them threw up the en-
ployment and made their vav home
ward. All Of them were suffering and
discouraged. But at the end of the
three days the rude crib was so far
finished that even should the foods