The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-08-14
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HI RIVER-DRIVER. \
-aISN&-
Told b. T. j. Davis and Set Down (
by Ralph Stock. J
$500

OQe QedTS a great uedl vi Tue udu'
gers of sports such as mountain
climbing and big game shooting, and
of trades such as that of the steeple.
jack, but very few Wide World read
.ers, I imagine, have any knowledge
of what is, perhaps, the hardest and
most hazardous occupation on earth
-"river-driving."
Mr.. T. J. Davis, who now resides
in the Northwest Territories of Can
ada, knows, perhaps, as much as any
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 SO
belle their insignificant title of
lakes" and that, Joined by rivers,
form a chain across Eastern Canada,
he early acquired a love of the water
only known to those that have to de-
pend upon it for a living.
Gigantic floating islands of logs,
sometimes half a mile in length, lay
.moored to the shore almost at the
door Of his home, awaiting the
floating village of "river-driyers" 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 a life that seems to get hold
of one after a year or two. You are
generally wet through for twelve
hours out of the twenty-tour; ten of
you sleep in a twelve by fifteen foot
2-shanty, you live on fried everything,
-1black strap" treacle, and stewed
tea; you go to bed at 10 and get up
at 8; you are everlastingly 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 a month for work that is
worth 500. Then why stick at
it," you say, and all I can answer is,
HJust give it a fair trial for a year
and then you'll know"
AS children we used to run out
across the booms of logs, which is a
good deal harder to do than you
might suppose. One Of US, perhaps,
would fall through, but such an acct
dent never aroused any comment
? from our companions. They would
rush on heedlessly, hopping from
log to log like a 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 3crambling like a
half drowned kitten to the surface
once more. That is how we learned
not to mind a ducking, and also to
shift for ourselves when we did get
one.
Have you ever tried to stand up
right on a log perhaps a foot across
the butt, out in an open lake, keep
ing your balance to every roll and
dip Of the log? Well, if you had you
would realize better the 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
whole Of his days work while bal
ancing on a twirling, twisting, half
submerged tree trunk.
At the age Of thirteen I had to get
out and earn my own living. Times
were hard, and every one who has a
sound pair CT arms and legs has to
work for TIA right to occupy the
earth down on those Eastern lake
shores.
One morning along came an ALI
gator boat" towing a floating colony
of r~iver-drivers to work the boom of
logs that lay moored out in the lake.
Here was my chance. My brothers
and sisters haG. been packed off to
school, and I was left to chop wood.
Why should I chop wood for love
when I could drive logs for s35 a
month? I was off across that boom
of logs like a jack rabbit, and soon
1ouuu mySClL S~ullOuuuSu Wy d SOOu
natured ring of grizzled faces.
whats the matter with the kidd"
asked the foreman, a gigantic, beard
ed man in long leather boots, as he
surveyed me from head to foot.
SLOWS chances of a job?" 1 asked,
with as much dignity as I could as
sumo.
A roar of laughter foated over the
lake and echoed through the naples
far up the banks, but it didn't abash
me in the least.
,"You all think you're awful
smart" I remarked, scathingly. but
I'll stand on a log with any one OF
YOU for the job. If I'm put off III
go back home and sit down, but il
you can't put me off I want work at
SIP a month for a start"
There was a twinkle in the fore
mans eye as he said, Done! Jack,
try him a Twill"
The next minute 1 found myself
standing on one end of a small pine
log. and my adversary, a hulkins
@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 a~dversary's spikes,
then quicker and quicker, till it fair
ly spun round, with my naked feet
pattering away On the hard ba.k
like a woodpecker's bill. Then, sud.
denly, my willy foe would stop it al
most dead, and I had to wave my
arms like a windmill to keep ny bal
ance, but I kept it.
All the time shouts lore going III