Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-02-01
NUMBER S.

i
gate and otherwise a-modifyin' my
structure"
Orde stepped forward. Immediately
Reed wheeled. his thumb on the ham,
mer.
Gall right. old spirit Of '76," replied
Orde "Don't shoot: I'll come down"
He walked back to the waiting row.
Surely" spoke up Newmark. what
ever the status Of the damage suits,
you have the legal right to run your
logs"
orde rolled quizzical eye in his di,
rection.
Perfectly correct, son." he drawl-
ed, "but ~ae're engaged in the happy
occupation of getting out logs. BY the
time the law was all adjusted and a
head of steam up the water d be down.
In this game you get out logs first and
think about law afterward."
How about legal damagesT" insist
ed Newmark.
Legal damages!' scoffed Orde. lie
gal damages! Why, we count legal
damages as part Of our regular ex.
penses. like potatoes"
Orde walked to the edge OF the dam
ynd stood looking down current. Then
he turned to the grimly silent river
men.
Boys" he commanded briefly, "get
your peavies and come along"
He led the way past the mill to the
shadows below.
Bring down two logs fairly big and
bold them by that old snag. hc or'"r'
ed. Hold them end on-nO. polr'ir.
upstream. Fix EN- about ten foot
apart. That's 1t! George, drive cou-
ole of stakes each side Of them to hold
'em. Correct! Now. run down cou-
ple dozen more and pile them across
those two. side on to the stream. OF
course. Roll 'em up. That's the tick
et!'
Orde next braced more logs against
a convenient bowlder. and an old stull
near shore became the third pier In a
line below the mill.
"Now, boys" commanded Orde.
"shove of some shore logs and let
them come down."
The stray logs floating down with
the current the. rivermen caught and
TANNED about the improvised piers.
So 10 ten seconds after the shore
logs began drifting the jam formed.
low and broad. The weight of the
topmost logs sunk those beneath to
the bed Of the stream. This to II GER
| tain extent damned back the water
Below the imprOvised dam the wafer
fell almost to nothing. and above 1t.
swirling in eddies. grumbling iicrceiS.
bubbling. gurgling. searching busily
for an opening. the river turned back
on itself.
Nothing can stand that pressure"
breathed Newmark. fascinated.
"The bigger the pressure the tighter
she locks" replied Orde. lighting his
pipe.
In order to take full advantage OF
the water power developed by his dam
old man Reed had built his mill nearly
at level with the stream. Now the
river. backing up. rapidly overnowed
this fat. AS the jam frightened by It's
own weight the water fairly jumped
from the lowest floor Of the mill TO
the one above.
In less than five minutes the old
man descended OH the group.
whats the matter here" he de-
manded.
"Matter?" inquired Orde easily. "Oh.
nothing much-just little JAM"
But It's flooding my mill"
"T'm not Interested"
"Pve a lot of grain upstairs. It'll be
ruined. You miserable blackg,lard.'
Reed frantically disappeared. return
Ing bearing an antiluated pike pole.
and single handed attacked the jam.
Astonishment and delight held the
rivermen breafheSs for u moment
Then a roar OF laughter drowned even
noise OF the waters
Only Orde seemed to see the other
side. With a few quick leaps he had
gained the old mans side.
You can't break this JAM" he said
kindly. "Come ashore. You'll kill
YOURSELF"
Break It" pleaded Reed You're
running me I've got all my money In
that mill"
"Well." said Orde. we've got lot
OF money In our logs too. Come" tax
Ing Reed gently by the arm. there's
no reason you and ! shouldn't get
along together all right. Maybe we're
both a little hard headed. Let's talk
II over"
He led the old man ashore. At-t5e
end Of ten minutes Orde cried cheer.
fully:
WARS over. boys! Break that Jamw
The crew swarmed across the log
barrier to a point above the center pier.
This they attacked with their peaves.
rolling the top logs of into the current
below. In less than no time they had
torn quite q hole In the top layer. The
river rushed through the opening I'm.
mediateIy the logs In the wings were
tumbled IN from either side. Al first
the men had to do all the work. hut
soon the river itself turned to their
assistance
The going Of the jam drained the
water from the lower floors Of the
mill. The upper stories and the grain
were still safe.
BY evening the sluice gate had been
roughly provided with pole guides
down which to slide to the bed OF the
river. The following morning saw the
work going on as methodically as ever.
BY the end Of the second day the pond
was clear. and rs Charles wanigan
was drifting toward the chute the first
Of Johnson's drive aoated into the
head Of the pond.