The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-05-20

Olu squire ldTm Ill Mdiley dt q ulS-
tance of less than half mile, lived
our nearest neighbors, the Edwardses.
Thomas Edwards was a genial, kindly
farmer, always ready to assist every
one about him. He would put off his
own work, even necessary work, at
any time to help us.
1t was much the same with his
wife, Aunt Anna" as we called her,
a rosy, CHEEKY soul, who in one way
or another was constantly doing
grandmother and our girls a good
turn. And as for Kate and Tom,
the children, they were well-nigh as
near and dear to us as members of
our own family. We attended school
together, and nearly all our play
days and good times were shared
with them.
But although they worked hard,
were economical, and appeared to
plan pretty well, the Edwardses did
not get on well in the world. There
was mortgage on their farm which
constantly worried them all. Every
year they planned zealously to lift
that mortgage, but for more than
twenty years never succeeded in pay
ing more than the interest money,
and about every second year they
missed doing that on time.
Young as they were at the time of
which | am now writing, Kate and
Tom appeared to be quite as much
disturbed about that mortgage as
their parents. About twice a year
Mr.. Edwards was accustomed to call
and talk over his affairs with the old
squire, in whose judgment he placed
much confidence. And Kate, who
was her fathers favorite, usually
came with him.
One of the plans for raising money
during the season of 1868, was for
them to do less farming and embark
In numbering up on Wild Brook, in
what we knew as the great woods, 4"
about forty-five miles to the north
of the farm. Throughout the ensu-
ing fall and winter they gave all
their energies to this scheme.
AS result, they got nearly seven
hundred thousand feet of spruce and
pine lumber into Wild Brook, to be
hoated down to the Androscoggin
River, and so on, to mill and market,
with the spring freshet.
But here, as in many other things,
Ill fortune followed them. There was
less snow than usual that winter, and
less water in the brook. They got
their entire drive" of lumber hung
UP in bad JAM" at a tortuous,
ledgy place in the channel of the
stream, and failed to get it out.
There it remained al the following
summer. A vast mass of logs, piled
helter-skelter, was jammed among
rocks in the bed of the now nearly
dry brook.
At Edwards solicitation, the old
squire, who had much experience in
such matters. went up to view the
situation, and advised his neighbor
to blast out the obstructing rocks
and logs with gunpowder, and to do
1t during September, while the water
was low.
A keg of powder was secured ac-
cordingly, and six river-men were en-
gagged to assist in the operations.
With the powder and crew, our hard
working neighbor and his son re-
paired to the scene of their unsuccess-
full venture, and set to work. The
task, however, proved difficult. They
fired four or five blasts, and, in fact,
used up all their powder, without ac-
complishing much. And after they
had been up there nearly a week,
Tom came home in haste one night
to procure more powder-three kegs
more, at least. Gunpowder was very
dear at that time; and in carrying
forward his numbering operations the
season before, Mr.. Edwards had
strained his credit somewhat. At
the village hardware store, where
Tom went to get the powder the next
day, the storekeeper asked for cash
in payment.
In consequence of this demand,
Tom came home without the powder.
Meanwhile he had somewhere been
exposed to the mumps, and that night
fell i'll of the disease, so very i'll, in
deed, that Aunt Anna was not a little
alarmed. He had taken cold, per-
haps.
And there were Mr.. Edwards and
his crew of men up at Wild Brook,
lying idle, waiting for the powder.
Nor could he be reached by letter or
telegraph, and so apprised of the
cause of the delay. Moreover-as
we surmised later-the family was
too proud to apply to us for loan,
or even to let us know that credit
had been refused them.
By noon the next day Toms con-
dition had become so serious that
Aunt Anna was obliged to send Kate