Middletown transcript., 1909-10-30

actual bridge building or tunnelinG iOr
che road, Archie Ksnton came TO the suF-
vsying party fresh from college.
he found the men surveying for she =.
r. 40. along the north FORK Of ehe flvef'
ana va taken on u q fodmans Thea
haQsn days Of hard work, for the SouutFy
wss wild and mountainous. The river
sound its fountain head in . residual
Glacier Of The Sierras, and twisted down
from the mountains like Q white, seeth-
ips band, winding in eddies over
Gortuous chasms, and crashing into the
canon With deep and hollow tumult.
Two miles up the canon the seFea o
fell over huge granite columns three hun
dred feet high. Then, gaining hesdway,
IL tore through the narrow goFges, tom
bling and swashing, carrying with it the
trunks of tamaracks and incense cedars
rhat the onrush Of the waters bad loosened
upon the slopes.
The railroad had sent out o party OF
sIRhs engineers to make q preliminary
survey Of the region, and Kenton bad
Joined the men at the mouth Of Bald Rock
Canon, on the western slope OF lhs great
California range. Here the yalieys and
hills were covered with groves OF auEar
and yellow pines, and vast Erowtbs OF
spruce and cottonwoods. The snow was
still lying deep upon the mountains.
Kenson was not unscqnainted wish she
wiIdness of the country. He had worked
for a month in q lumbercamP farther
down the river. As 8 ''sWamper, ne
had been the side partner Of big lOm-
bering Canadian, old Pete.
Kenton soon perceived that be had
made mistake in boasting Of bis univer'
sity training, for the lumbeFmen and
river drivers admired Drawn more than
college learning. He was often angsrsd
by the retort Of old Pete 90 his every suS-
Restiou, Did you learn that in . book :
But Ksnton only smiled and took ID oil
good BEturedly.
Pete was taken on BY che surveying
party along with Kenton, as y road
maker. Expecting response, be Whis-
pered to the party that Kenton vas
college man. But the result nonpinsed
him. When the men finished taking
their lines at the mouth Of tbs canon,
Williams, the chief engineer, selected
Kenton TO 90 with him into the canon
ahead Of the main party By several hours.
As the two man made their way slong
the left bank, guiding themselves By the
eGream that Foared unseen by their side,
they found progress Glow and labOrious'
Cor nOltrails led through the gorge, and
had to be cut Though dense gEOwtlis
haparral ana laurel. Overhead the
came together, forming q close mel
through which che midday sun Biftsd
Through . screen, piercing In gold
en- fakes the deep shadow Ofthe wood
tier an hour Of tedious climbing, Ken
on led she way ineo an open spacs clOss
o the river, where The glare OF chs eur
opened bsfoFe them again.
williams noted tbe condition OF thC
river bed and che slopes. Back agaius
che sides Of the canon rose great wall
7 Of granite, looming gray and dark hun
dreds Of feet in the sky. Ahead, tbs riveI
fell over jagged cliffs, hurFying into cas-
eades shat fell gracefully over gres
boulders, and sweeping into its course shi
taluses of rock and soil 81 the bass Of th'
slopes.
Il was q wild place, where unsee'
animals hurried away through the crack
ling undergrOWth at the sound Of stfang
voices. The mountains rose in nebulOu
pencilings against the bright sky aboTi
1he cliffs, their outlines faint tls-the blu
haze of the early summer.
Where The men stood, the river fprent
out into 4 wide crystalline pool. Thu
engineer, pointing 70 she opposite side
. turned 70 KentoB.
There's 40 iron spring oyef there, b
eaid. When she river naFFows we'll q
over.
Farther up the canon they iennd th
ground crisp With sulphuric crystals, an
dotted with clinkeF trimmed holes. Her
che stream narrowed into : sparkliu
cascade that dropped into basins Of granie
far below. A few hundred rods abCv
the fails the stream narrowed again, thl
time to fity feet, and flowed NOR
smoothly.
On she opposite side lay many dea
trunks oG sTees that had been girdIed ,
.norcupinea and left FOtting. The stump
remained, however, rising % she lsyel !
sprinRu char ,bubblad among che bon
defa.
williams unloosed lhe hundred Test
rope he carried, a1d Iassoed, after muc
srouble, one Of tbe slumps. ThFowin
the other end round tree close 10 %
bank. be drew the line tAut aeross th
river. fastening the end securely an
curling che extra rope Found tbs tre'
Then tOsulne aside bis sonbterO, b
tiebtened che tops oi his rubber boot
about hIs hips and ventursd lnsO ii
water.
The cuTrent Mas running swiftly Q
ward ths cascade below. Williams RriI
ped theIIne firmly, jerking % 10 best q
secnrity; slowly be swung hie Isga I'M
ebe stream, dragging bic body iOrWag
hene over hand or ths cope.
Kenton wasched him from the banl
The snzinser's body was swept 70 one cid
81 she gOrcs of che wateE. The EoE
nagsd gradually. drawing tighter vii
strain.
His progress became harder = !
struggled agAinsi she IoFCe Of the ssreau
Hs VA almost il lhs middle o. the rive
Suddenly be he1isated and eiuDs lFans
aaIIy to tho rope.
Then, % Ksntou watched. 3 stranG
shins happened. AsIl some sreas pow.
a.ad aainnd him b. Ghs isst and Was pnl
Iaa him down, ths snGineeF sank 6IosI
Into tie water which snEssd madly ab0S
1 e. .a.-..-.a.