Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-09-06
Splitting a Snag

| suhurbanite with mosquito Jumps on
his wrists. THAT is, I'd like to so IL
8enderby wasn't one of 'em. See here,
1 dislike to knock, but did you ever
so out on fishing trip with Ben
derby?"
'No" answered the man in the CEN
.er-creased straw. Have your"
Il haven't" replied the mosquito
bitten one. and l don't intend to.
But know just about how he'd act.
II you want peace and concord and
amity and good time generally
veil, I'm not going TO knock Ben
! lerby"
II wont tell" said the man who
didn't care for appearances. But l
must say that I've always liked Ben
derby pretty well. Tell it. Don't in
sinuate"
II won't" said the man with the
Jumps. CAS- for telling, l don't care
who knows it. I've been sorry ever
since that I didn't tell Benderby what
| thought of him at the time. You
know that I've got a fireplace in the
house. You've seen it, haven't yeu?"
mo, but l heard you say you we're
going to have one built. But ELL me
about Benderby. | thought I'd please
you by inviting him. II You hadn't
introduced him TO me"
Il apologize for that Well,
fought load OF cid roofs and snags
from farmer out near us who had
/ N.ADa w, E.1l 90
me they'd be the ideal thing for the
fireplace. There's something so trim
and uninteresting about the average
stick of cordwooo. These were full
of knots and bumps that were quite
picturesque. l didn't really have to
buy them. l Just paid for the haul
ing. l thought that splitting them up
into good-sized chunks would just be
pleasant exercise for me. 1t was, too.
bought good sharp AK and maui
| and couple of iron wedges and
went at them.
! Tough? Well, say; when you want
q little work that Is really work you
| Just get lot of old roots. The first
efternoon l worked at them l was so
|
around at all the next day, and I got
my hands so bhstered and swelled
couldn't close 'em. But l toughened
up in little while and began to get
along quite nicely. My wife used to
como out and sit on the back porch
and watch me, where the chips
wouldn't strike her.
| oil y,Sf vii,
| ings and evenings when l had little
spare time. you know, and by the end
end of month or six weeks l had
pile that it would have done you heart
| good to see-all split up but one stump
at the time Benderby butted in.
hadn't been able to finish it up the
night before. Crosby and Smith were
over that evening and / was telling
them What l had been doing and we
all went out to look at the pile, the
whole bunch of us. Smith remarked
that I'd left this one root and l said
I'd whack that up right away. So
| shed my coat, turned the old snag
over and went at it. I put in the
wedges first and swung the old maui
on to them and blamed if they didn't
bounce ont one after another. The
| grain had run across. | tried another
| place and struck another twist and
Jared my arm clear up to the shout
der blade. That made me mad and
went at 1t hard, but couldn't make
the wedges stick and l knew l was
up against a proposition that might
take little time. The crowd moved
away, one by one, and sat on the stoop.
II took the ak and scaled the out
side away to get an idea Of the way
the grain ran and tried it again. That
time I got tho wedge In, but it stayed
in and didn't split l put the ether
in lower down and that drsve pref.
! ty nigh W to the head and didn't
start a crack either Then I sweat
around there for half an hour trying
TO get the wedges out and the folks
guying me all the time. l had to cut
those wedges out at last
81 guess that I had been working
| for an hour or so, l was drippins
with perspiration and was pretty near
| ly played out when Benderby strolled
up, big and fat and cool and cheer
1
! full. He watched me for moment
aud then he said I wasn't going at
1t right Take the ak and just bust
her open." he said.
Il smiled, banded him the ak and
| Joined the group on the porch.
needed some compensation and
thanked my stars which had delivered
| MIN into my hands He swung the
ak aloft, brought it down with E
grunt and-busted the snag wide open
1T was a fluke-a pure accident.
mind you. As fat as he is I am ten
times as muscular. know more
about splitting wood in minute than
| be could learn in ten years and I had
already split up about 80 of the roots
but if you had heard him brag and
blow and belittle what I'd done and
we'll l haven't words for him, that's
ALL"
/