The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-01-12

1t has always seemed to me hat
Uncle Jarve's "water-dragon" was the
most useful, practical and efficient
fre-fghter which I have ever seen,
especially for mills, factories, cream
cries and so forth, where there is
water, steam or any other power. 1t
could be used, however, at farms,
stores or residences-at any place, In
deed, where a small power Is in
stalled.
It was one of Uncle Jarve's odd
eontrivances when he was at Grand
father Adams, lording it over my
brother Policy" and myself. He first
rugged one up at the old paper-pulp
mill in the woods, where we were
turning bowels and manufacturing
shovel-handles from ash.
Uncle Jarve had not been at the
mill for some time, but n afternoon
about the middle of August, when
our team came back from the railway
station, 10! there he sat beside the
driver; and he had in the back of the
wagon two empty oil-barrels, and a
lot of wire and other iron gear.
"Now look out" Policy said to me,
under his breath. BE on your guard,
or he will stick us for something or
other. Don't pay him another cent
of money"
Uncle Jarve, however, appeared to
be in one OF his absorbed, thought
full, inventive moods. He said hardly
a word to us, but went walking about
and round the mill, whistling low to
himself all the rest of the afternoon.
At last he took supper with us and
stayed overnight, still without saying
q word as to what he had come for or
why he had brought the oil-barrels.
But the next day he got to work;
in fact, he had, as it now appeared,
been making his preparations and
getting his ironwork done for a week
OF two.
He rolled one of the heavy barrels
into the mill, and during all the rest
of the forenoon he was rigging a kind
Of drum on the main shaft Of the
mill, for winding his coil of wire.
In the afternoon we saw him wind
ing the wire round the outside Of the
oil-barrel. He wound it very tightly
and made both ends fast at the
chimes.
That was about all he did that day;
but the next day he brought in his
iron gear, bored a hole in each head
Of the barrel, and then passed a rod
through the holes and through the
barrel, so that the ends, which had
been cut for a screw thread, project
ed about two inches outside each
head.
Next he put a circular iron plate
on each head, having a hole in the
centre for the end of the rod to come
through; and then, applying a washer
and a nut, he screwed them tight
down on both heads. This, Of course,
was to secure the barrel-heads against
internal pressure.
He had thus made his barrel IRON
clad, so to speak, and very strong.
It was water-tight and nearly, if not
wholly, air-tight.
After that he whistled and walked
round for a while, and sang a song
or two In his rasping, unmusical
voice; but in the afternoon he be-
came silently busy again, attached a
crank to the spare end of the main
shaft, so as to convert circular motion
to backward and forward motion, and
then connected to that a small but
strong pump, set horizontally, with q
pipe from it down to the water under
the mill.
Now what do you suppose he is up
to?" Policy asked me.
That was more than I could guess;
we went about business and pre-
tended to take no notice.
Uncle Jarve whistled most Of the
next day, but got to work toward
night, set his barrel on end at the
back Of the mill, and secured it in
place with a collar and braces. He
then connected his pump to the bung-
uOAC VI ZIG UdAiSl Will q UtI vi llOu
pipe-and went home.
After he had gone, Policy and l
looked it all over, but could make
nothing out Of it.
Il guess he's crazy-at last" Policy
said.
But the next day Uncle Jarve came
back. He had walked all the way up
to the mill; and he brought, coiled
over his head and shoulders, about
forty feet Of hose, which he had
wound with wire. The hose had a
nozzle on it at one end, and at the
other a valve and screw connection.
He was whistling happily to him
self; and he now proceeded to bore
a hole in the top head of the barrel
and to connect his hose. He also
screwed a little air-cock into the TOP
head.
After that he tested it all, then sat
and looked it over, and walked round
the mill for as much as an hour. By
that time it was noon, and he came IN
70 dinner with the rest of US. Just as
we were getting up from the table,
Policy said, Uncle Jarve, I'd like to
know what you are making out there
If you know yourself
Uncle Jarve regarded him a mo-
ment thoughtfully.
Chuck said he, Il concluded
you'd be asking that question Just