New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1910-02-02

"Hev ye? First off ye begin to tear
down my dam, and then when the
river begins a-roarin' and a-ragin.
through then you tamper with my inn
pEovements furthermore, a-lowerin' the
gate and otherwise a-modifyin' my
structure"
Orde stepped forward. Immediately
Reed wheeled. his thumb on the ham
mer
Gall right, old spirit Of TO- 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
''Per-fect-ly correct, son." he drawl-
ed, "but We'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 damages?" insist
ed Newmark.
legal damages!' scoffed Orde. 'sLe-
gal damages! Why, we count legal
penses, like potatoes
Orde walked to the edge Of the dam
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
'em. 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.
etr
{ 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 off some shore logs and let
them come down." "
The stray logs floating down with
the current the rivermen caught and
damned 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 fercely,
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 oyerfoWed
this fat. 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"
give a lot Of grain upstairs. It'll be
ruined. You miserable blackguardv'
Reed frantically disappeared, return
ing bearing an antiquated pike pole,
and single handed attacked the jam.
Astonishment and delight held the
rivermen GREATNESS for a 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 itv' pleaded Reed you're
running me. I've got all my money in
that mill.'
"Wel," 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 I shouldn't get
along together all right. Maybe we're
both little hard headed Let's talk
it over"
He led the old man ashore At the
end of ten minutes Orde cried cheer
fully:
''War's over, boys! Break that jamr'
The crew swarmed across the log
barrier to point above the center pier.