The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-09-12
IN A MYSTIC LOCK

The power had been smut oil IN the
meantime and we were drifting gently
toward the new lock in the Cradock dam.
As three heads of lock tenders finally
appeared in response to the whistling,
the method in Bakers musical madness
began to be clear. The tide at that
hour was little higher below than above
the dam. Slowly they swung the upper
gate open and we slid into the enclosed
space.
| love locks They are to sentimental
lie, if one has trace OF poetry in ones
being The passage through by means
perpetually interesting of mechanical
processes may we'll symbolic the pass
ing of a soul from one to another of the
planes of existence. On the yelling
flood one climbs to niger, sightier levels.
Thus too, without sense Of trouble Or
personal discomfort, one traces sparkling
rivers to their sources, surmounts forest
| clad mountain ranges. Of such sort
even may be the sick chamber whose
portals open upon sWeeter, purer life
beyond.
"Grab hold of that rope, mister,
quick Don't you know nothing? You'll
knock that boat all to pieces if you
don't look out.
Surveying swirllng waters | came TO.
| The Atlantic ocean seemed to be surging
in at the lower gate. Baker and | both
grabbed the rope that was stretched
alongside the lock and bore with equa-
nimity the comments Of the little muck
ers who had gathered, as they always
gather, to watch boat go through.
They were far enough from US to be out
of danger.
Baker denies that forty-fve minutes
were lost at the boatclub half a mile be-
| low the lock where he renewed his bat
| teries. Ten minutes he insists would
cover our delay. But Baker VIGOROUSLY
lacks sense of time. A mutual friend
| (how one loves to use that word with a
contemptuous face turned toward Cam
BRIDGE speaks of watching Baker re-
move his pajama coat at seven o'clock in
the morning and exactly one hour later
draw on his undershirt; in the meantime
he had done nothing except converse
gently and ,entertainingly after his won't.
He probably spent this particular three
quarters of an hour talking to the boat
house steward. He certainly did not get
water blisters holding to the float against
the efforts of brisk south wind to drive
the boat upon the marsh across the river.
SUGGESTION FOR A NEW STEERING GEAR.
Not that those forty-five minutes were
altogether wasted. In them, while Baker
was monkeying with his batteries and
talking technical trivialities, it was my
fortunate experience to revolutionize the
entirs science of navigation, devising an
invention certain to be of very great USE
fulness to everybody who goes down to
the sea in ships and motor boats. Long
before Baker had brought his new pas
senger down the wharf my plans were
already formulated to apply for a patent
and to organize q Maine corporation.
The nature of the invention need only be
suggested here. for the possible benefit
of some needy and deserving inventor.
Enough that it concerned the art OF
steering boat by means Of rudder at
tached to movable upright operated on
ball-bearing grooves in q semi-circle
around the stem. Such q steering gear
would surely make boat go about
quickly, and millions for its successful
inventor. Yet il did not in the least in.
terest either Baker or the young man
whom, a. has not yet been explained, he
had agreed to take to the Winter Hill