The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-08-01

driving Every dog has his day, ana
this particular one was mine.
You must know that, to get the
logs over rapids, the big numbering
companies have to build large dams
at the edge of the fall to hold back
the water, leaving narrow passage
way in the middle. through which
the water rushes like mill race.
carryin- the logs swirling and tumb-
ling ovor the rapids to the next lake.
The greatest care has to be taken in
sending the logs through this chan.
mel, and as many as fifteen to twenty
men are required to keep them from
tanning" With all our care on
this particular day "jam" occurred
A log became wedged with one or
two others right across the Chute"
as the passage is called. The result
was the same as invariably is. Hun
dreds of logs came floating slowly
but irresistibly toward the chute
with the current and found a resting
place behind each other, with the
dam as their foundation.
Hundreds more came sweeping on,
and, finding the current too strong
to allow them to rest behind their
forerunners, piled themselves In q
muddled heap on the top. The water
began to rise, and more and yet more
logs piled themselves up, till a solid
| wall of timber at least twelve feet
high stretched across the chute be-
hind the dam.
Meanwhile theriver-drivers bound
ed from log to log, risking their lives
every second In the vain attempt to
disengage the jammed logs, for IL
the jam had given way 1t would have
carried every man to almost certain
death.
"Somebody'll have to find those
jammed logs and cut them," said
the foreman, quietly, knowing full
we'll that he was asking some one to
tempt death.
"Of course" he continued, IL can't
make any of you do 1t; unless some
one offers I'll have to do It myself,
but I'm kind of heavy for the job.
There's $40 in it and drinks for the
crowd"
Six of us stepped forward stimuli
taneously.
you're all wool, boys" said the
foreman admiringly, "but I'm glad
the kid offered, cause he's the light
est of the crowd"
A thick rope was promptly tied Sc
curely round my body under the
arms, by way of a belt, two longer
ones fixed to 1t on either side, and I
was ready for work.
Sixteen of the heaviest men were
picked from the gang, and eight
climbed up on to the dam each side
of the jam. An axe was then handed
to me, and hand over hand l was let
out on ope side and drawn in on the
other till l hung suspended in mid
air half way across the current.
Tslen,. in answer to sharp order
from the foreman, the two sides ST.
multaneously commenced to pay out
rope, and began to sink lower and
lower toward the jammed logs
which creaked and rasped ominou5ly
under the strain of the water behind
them.
l cannot remember any other sen.
sation than that of suppressed excite
ment as L reached the level of the
water and finally stood ON the tremh.
ling, groaning mass of logs-a mass
that might sink from beneath my
feet at any moment. l was only six
teen, and $40 was a lot of money to
me, apart from the glory of the
: achievement.
For several seconds I stood on
those logs without moving, fascin-
ated with the delicious possibilities
Of the thing. till at last a gruff shout
from the foreman reminded me that
there was work to be done.
Carefully I crept to the edge OF
the mass of logs; then l slowly slid
from log to log down to the seething
water below. Where were the
jammed logs? That was the ques.
tion.
Above me rose the butts and tops
of innumerable logs What II they
gave way now? l should be hurled
to my death at once. Hastily put
ting the thought from me, felt be
! meath the surface of the water with
, the axe handle. Yes, there they
were, firmly wedged foot down.
Then set to with will. the water
splashing all over me. With eacf
stroke of the axe a tremor wen
> through the pile on which l stood
1t seemed as II | had been chop
ping an hour. My heart was thump
ing against my ribs with the exer
: tion, and gasped for air between
the douches of cold water tina
splashed me from head to foot. Sud
u denly, without the slightest warning
y there was report like a mufiled re
;, volver shot, stream of water sho
y into my face, hoarse cry came from
! | somewhere above, and l felt mysel
y jerked from my feet high into tn
air, sinking, rising, and again sink
ing like a bouncing ball Then, witt
= roar and a mighty splash. tn
!, whole structure of piled up logs Of
= which had been standing three sec
= onds before collapsed like hous
: of cards, and log after log wen
= sweeping and eddylng through tn
. chute and over the rapids to the lax
below. Either the jammed log ha
- broken or had chopped it through