Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-03-03
OLD RIVER BOYS.

Among the old time boys who used to
run the Wisconsin river in the sixties
and seventies, and who made Wausau
their headquarters, were the Agpew
Bros. Ed. and Barney. They were
very popular and known to everybody
in those days Besides being able men
on the river and in the woods, they
were very handy with the gloves, and
were fully as well known as the Berlin
Boxers" as they were by their own
names. Ed and Barney have not been
here for some thirty years. On Satur-
day we received personal letter from
the latter, and it contains so much of
interest to their old friends, that we
concluded to publish the same, viz:
GLENDIvE, MONT, Feb 9th, 'Os.
FRIEND THAYER
1t is with pleasure that sit down to
write you few lines TO let you know
that | am in the land of the living
While not as young as used to be, still
l am enjoying good health, with the ex-
ception of occasional twinges of rheu-
matism in my joints.
My brother, Ed, met with sad acct
dent last summer. He had some con-
tract work in Oklahoma which required
the use of explosives. By premature
explosion, he lost both of his eyes. He
now resides in Minneapolis. / have
not seen him for fifteen years but am
going to visit him the coming spring.
have not seen any of the old boys of
Wausau for years but have long wanted
to do so, and have often wished | could
make another trip down the old Wis
conse, with crowd of my former asso-
ciates, but fear if such thing were
among the possibilities, many of them
would have to be called back from the
world of shadows.
1t was in 1862 that first went to Jen-
ny Bull and helped TIC raft in fleet for
Ben Cooper at the Cooper mill Among
the crew were Dan Kline, Hank Reyes,
Jack Crimmons, Jack Meehan, Bib
Martin, Morris, my brother, Ed. and
myself There were seven RATS in all
and our market W." st. Louis. That
was my first trip out of the Wisconsin
river aud it was good one. We were
all summer making it, and | think Ed
Nichols was our pilot. He taught me
to dip an oar. 1t was hard work to
learn, but / got there just the same.
When we got down to Big Bull it looked
bad; the water was very high and | was
little 'leary' about going over, but
Ed. Nichols said: eff you do not help
to push an oar you will have to help do
the packing around the falls so !
thought would tackle it, and did,
Well, we got over in two days, but had
to raft over six cribs which were stove
up in running the falls. When we
reached Little Bull my troubles began
The animal was roaring and flashing its
tail, so to speak, thatit scared me out
of four years growth. | told Ed.
Nichols that would not go over that
hogs back for $500. He told me /
would have to carry the cook stove
around the falls and assist the cook
then, which | cheerfully agreed to do
rather than run the chances of being
swallowed up by Little Bull. i went
down to the bridge to see the first piece
go over and that capped the climax.
When the boys scrambled for the sucker
line, thought that was the last of my
brother and the rest of the boys, but in
a moment the raft and all came up
from the eddy 1t did not look so bad
to me then, so | started back and got
onto the next piece and went over all
right. j is unnecessary TO say that /
did not have 20 carry that stove. Then
on, over all the rapids, was fun for me.
After that | run the Wisconse for about
fifteen years or more. l remember 60
ing out on the same fleet with you and
your brother, about 80 years ago. That
was long bu. enjoyable trip to St.
Louis.
This is very nice little city. You
should come out and look around and
you might like it. Nick HeaIy is here
running a steam laundry and is doing
well; Ed. Berry is proprietor of the
garden hotel. My family and | reside
here. Give my regards TO all of my old
friends. Very truly yours,
BARNEY AGNEW