The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-01-20

and 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
hold them by that old snag," he order
ed. Hold them end On-no, pointing
upstream Fix 'em about ten foot
apart. That's it! George, drive cou-
pie of stakes each side of them to hold
EN-, Correct! Now. run down cou-
pie 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
q convenient bowldef. and an old stull
near shore became the third pier in a
line below the mill.
"Now, boys" commanded Orde.
'shove off some shore logs and let
them come down."
The stray logs floating down with
the current the rivermen caught and
jammed about the improvised piers.
So in 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 GER
tain extent damned back the water.
Below the imprOvised dam the water
fell almost to nothing. and above it,
swirling in eddies, grumbling fiercely,
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
river, backing up, rapidly overfiOwed
this fiat. AS the jam frightened by its
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 on the group.
'What's the matter here?" he de-
handed.
"Matter?" inquired Orde easily. "Oh
nothing much-just little JAM"
"But it's flooding my mill"
"I'm not interested"
ave lot Of grain upstairs. It'll be
ruined. You miserable. blackguard"'
Reed frantically disappeared, return
ing bearing an Anticipated pike pole,
and single handed attacked the jam.
Astonishment and delight held the
rivermen GREATNESS for moment.
Then roar of laughter drowned even
noise of the waters.
Only Orde seemed to see the other
side. With few quick leaps he had
gained the old mans side.
''You can't break this JAM" he said
kindly 'COme ashore. You'll kill
yourselfv'
"Break it, pleaded Reed. you're
running Inc. I've got all my money in
that MILL"
SWELL" 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 l shouldn't get
along together all right. Maybe we're
both a little hard headed. Let's talk
1t over"
He led the old man ashore. At the
end of ten minutes Orde cried cheer
fully:
'Wars over. boys! Break that JAM"
The crew swarmed across the log
barrier to point above the center pier.
This they attacked with their peavies.
rolling the top logs off into the current
below. In less than no time they had
torn quite hole in the top layer. The
river rushed through the opening. I'm
mediately the logs in the wings were
tumbled In from either side. At first
the men had to do all the work. but
6OOu tuc IlNCI ltSCll tuL hCu W thCAi
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 as Charles wanigaD
was drifting toward the chute the first
of Johnson's drive dOated into the
head of the pond.