The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-08-14
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4 THE RIVER-DRIVER.
-1IsIsE-
Y Told by T. j. Davis and Set Down
by Ralph Stock. J
a n A a a a
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ers, l imagine, have any knowledg,
of what is, perhaps, the hardest ant
most hazardous occupation on eartl
-"river-driving.
Mr.. T. J. Davis, who now resides
In the Northwest Territories of Can
ada, knows, perhaps, as much as an,
man living of the dangers and fas
cinations of this trade, which should
more properly be called log-driving.
Born as he was on the shores OF
one of those vast inland seas that sc
belle their insignificant title OF
"lakes," and that, Joined by rivers
form chain across Eastern Canada
he early acquired a love of the water
only known to those that have to de-
pend upon it for living.
Gigantic floating islands of logs,
sometimes half mile in length, lay
moored to the shore almost at the
door of his home, awaiting the
floating village of "river-drivers" to
steer them to the mills, where they
are sawn into timber. Here is the
story of Mr.. Davis evolution as a
driver, told to me by himself
1t is life that seems to get hold
of one after year or two. You are
generally wet through for twelve
hours out of the twenty-four; ten of
you sleep in twelve by fifteen foot
shanty, you live on fried everything,
"black strap" treacle, and stewed
tr
at 3; you are everiastingly cursed
and never praised by the foreman,
your life is in danger more or less
all day long, and you never get more
than $35 month for work that is
worth 500. Then why stick at
it?" you say, and all can answer is,
Just give it fair trial for a year
and then you'll know
AS children we used to run out
across the booms of logs, which is
good deal harder to do than you
might suppose. One of us, perhaps,
would fall through, but such an acci-
dent never c~oused any comment
from our companions. They would
rush on heedlessly, hopping from
log to log like lot of monkeys, and
leaving the unfortunate one to sink
a couple of feet below the surface of
the water, bob up, hit his head
against an unresisting log, and gen.
orally scratch and bruise himself
thoroughly before Gc:ambling like a
half drowned kitten to the surface
;r
not to mind duckino, and also to
shift for ourselves when we did get
one.
y Fave you ever tried to stand up.
right on a log perhaps a foot acrc-s
the butt, out in an open lake, keep
Ing your balance to every roll and
dip of the log' Well, If you hal you
would realize better TIE marvellous
balance of the man who not only has
to do this, but also maneuvre other
logs down the current with a long
pike pole, chain booms together with
numbed fingers, and, in fact, do the
SwhQls CT his days work while b.l.
ancing on a twirling. twisting, half
submerged tree trunk.
, At the age Of tlii teen had get
out and earn my own living. Time
were hard, and every cne who has a
sound pair cf arms tnd\lGSs has to
werk for ~ right to occupy the
earth down on those Eastern lake
shores,
v One morning along came an "alli-
gator boat" to wing a floating colony
OF river-drivers to work the boom of
logs that lay moored out in the lake.
Here was my chance. My brothers
and sisters haC been packed off to
school, and was left to chop wood.
Why should I chop wood for love
when could drive logs for S35 a
month? l was off across that boom
OF logs like jack rabbit, and soon
found myself surrounded by a good
natured ring of grizzled faces.
"How's chances of job?" asked,
with as much dignity as l could as
sumo.
A roar of laughter fioated over the
lake and echoed through the naples
~oi up ehC bdhhS, uuJ IL uluu dDdSD
me in the least.
"You all think you're awful
smart" / remarked, scathingly, "but |
Ill stand on a log with any one of |
you for the job. If I'm put off I'll
go back home and sit down, but if
you can't put me off l want work at
$12 month for a start"
There was a twinkle in the fore
mans eye as he said, Done! Jack, |
try him a twirl."
The next minute l found myself |
standing on one end of a small pine |
log. and my adversary, a hulklng
driver" with spikes half an inch in
length on the bottom of his boots.
on the other.
Slowly at first the log began to
turn in the water, in answer to the
pressure of my adversary's spikes. |
then quicker and quicker, till it fair
ly spun round, with my naked feet
pattering oway on the hard ba.k
like woodpecker's bill. Then, sud |
denly, my WHY foe would stop 1t al |
most dead, and l had to wave my |
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