The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-05-14
The Story of q Forest F;rd
BY RAYMOND s sPEA RS

: - tnIough forty feet az roch
mere the dam OF log cribbing ~ 'V ,.s
20 me height OF thirty feet Mn .Al'
+ paiiast OF broken stone. WIN was Wan
+ ol 'he boys who helped 10 tn'ii +.
? ana up 10 the night before III =
+ helped 10 get out stone for ~ We
aatlon OF a house Cardin was ~ ..4 'il
: beside the lake. ~ ullc
ne IRE reached the fiat m tto
, or the ridge and came to.s., '.o
brook In jumps. The mon 'As
l"ster man ever with their t.,,-..'
pans. Old Ike Frazier glanced H., nv
stream and saw VIII leaning ~ NJ
hoe-handle doing nothing. ais
Iii there!" yelled the man -
10 work. ''"". Gei
lou tell the men they v,,,
looking OUT" VIII cried bact IL v7
.nlns II happen pretty quick" Wth
tnat ne dropped his hoe ana we,.
cunning up the sidehill twarl tis
nonie at the top. Mrs. Borson v.s
Just ping the last OF her lef1.,s
on me wagon when she saw Win c.,.
ing toward her. He unhitcbed ~.
morse from the wagon. and h,I Ky
harness scattered on the pronnl 4"
iofe MS mother could contrnl 49,
enough TO cry: a
Ihose thingsll be burned b.,,,
what are you taking the hors. for
we've" ''l-
Then she sank to the eronra al,
cried. while Wills younger hro.b.'.-
and sisters joined in.
III dld not stop TO saw anythfr-
out leaped 10 the back of ma h...
and away he went up the ROAD - ~
ama2ement OF those who were tal...
thel' goods from the houses. pn, ho
was soon in the woods above f,a IL.
utment and out Of sight OF every ora
tie was headed for the dam Ia
had thought 10 open the little siniee
az the bottom Of IT, which would ai4
70 the volume Of the water ia tbe
stream-raise II a foot, PERHAPS.
He reached the dam. and pryInr 4.
me gate. opened the way a stras~
OF water two feet square Shot f-or,
the bottom Of the dam ana var,
sloshing down among the rocks
hat waterll help lot" ~
thought. Then he heard the ro9- 4.
me fire down the brook ana SAW
huge dull, brick-colored fash as 4 lir
hemlock went up in flame Tbe
amount Of water gushing from ihs
gate Of the dam seemed sg19,,.r
small and useless. Ii would uo, Nh
the brook bed.
VIII sprang TO his feet.
In a little shanty a hundred wards
away were the quarrying tools usei
IN getting out stone for the Ca-Ao
house. To this VIII ran with All MS
speed.
With an old AK that was behind Tie
shanty he broke down the door m.
side he picked up a fun twelye.ronnl
Dox Of dynamite. and bored a hole fhs
size or his finger into one side Then
TO the dam.
He climbed down the ladder IN The
bottom of the dam. and fixing the fnse
10 the cap. ran IL into the hole h. haA
bored TIL II was well among the saw.
lust and sticks Of dynamite ne cut
he fuse TO two minutes length ana
carried the box back among the big
Key logs that held the dam. He was
soon ready. He damned the box On.
Ter water among the beams where
! would stick. A match started the
use going. and then Will climbed the
adder and ran for safety.
In a few moments the explosion
'ame. VIII heard the beams in The
'orge tumbling as the dam gave way.
ana the water behind was freed
away IL went, washing and pounding
Iown the narrow ravine. toward tho
CIV bottom on which the fire was
turning
The hrefghters heard the explosion
nd paused. wondering. to listen The
ext instant the roar Of the water
anne TO their ears. and the trembl0
aused by logs and boulders rolling
nth the food was felt. Then every
ian understood what was done. for
hey had been log-drivers all their
YES. and knew the signs OF ZOOS.
ned sluice-gate or of broken DAM
they climbed the steep bank 70.
ard the buildings. 10 be above the
iodine. yelling warnings that were
ali cheers.
In a few moments the water was
Glow the mouth OF the gorge. and
len IL rushed over the low west bank
the brook and spread out on Tho
ide fat where the fire was raging
or a minute clouds of steam and
lie wave. and then the brushhcaps
ON edge 10 edge OF the valley bottom
ere covered and the fire drowned
The fires left in the trees above
e high water mark and the flames
Ick on the ridge still thrust and
lTed. but were unable to cross the
Ide. wet hood-belt. The settlement
ID the big woods" beyond were
we'd.
Sol Cardin reached the settlement
the following day, and heard the
Dry Of the fire. In response 10 an
er from VIII. he replied:
No. my boy. you needn't pay for
2 dam by working or anything else.
. in debt 10 you for saving my tim
r above the settlement instead.
len he added. in a quiet way char
teristic Of him, 1T seems a pity
wit like yours doesn't get its fun
with. Companion.
Ant Road Builders.