The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-07-06
THE OLD PORTACER

| first met the old pOrtager some
where in France" behind the lines of
the Canadians. 1t was a cold, dark
night, and a thick fog had settled down
over everything; not Il light could be
seen from hut or house, as every win
dow was darkened from the ever bale
full eye of the Zeppelin. ] was accom-
panying the chaplain of the battalion
on a visit to a wounded soldier who
was billeted down in the village, and
We had not gone very far on our way
when the priest stopped suddenly and
caught me by the arm. l came at at
tention and we both stood there in the
darkness, peering through the fog
towards where knew group of trees
stood.
Something white was coming along
the road towards us; it seemed like a
small white cloud rising from the
ground as it advanced. 1t was an
eerie thing there in the cold darkness,
and a strange fear came over me as
thought of gas. But the chaplain, who
was more experienced than | in the
ways of gas, dispelled my fears. And
then | smiled quietly in the darkness,
as | heard low voice coming from
behind the white cloud say: There
now, hold up your heads, go easy there
and keep to the road"
The priest chuckled audibly and
whispered, It's Jim Murray and his
mules"
AS we drew nearer two mules yoked
to large transport wagon emerged
from the white cloud. The driver was
Jim Murray, known among the Canadi-
ans as the portager / could not see
him very we'll as he sat on his load
of provisions, but the priest introduced
us. Then we let the mules pass and
continued on our way.
A few days later | met the old port
ager again; he was a medium-siZed
man with iron gray hair and mus
tache, a small wrinkled brown face and
a pair of merry gray eyes that twink
led when he spoke. | liked him imme-
diately and began to chat with him.
why do they call you the portag-
err" | asked.
His eyes twinkled and then he ex.
planned that in Canada all the supplies
for the lumber camps are brought from
the nearest railway station, or depot
camp, on large sleds drawn by team
of horses. The driver of one of thes :
&c oolloA YooptoOo,
I've portrayed for over thirty years, y
he said, land I've had some pretty long
portages in my time. They've been
times when I'd leave the camp early in
the morning, before the sun was up
travel all day, only stopping long
enough to feed on the side of the road
where the snow would not be deep
and we would reach the depot camp
late in the afternoon. We would load
up there, pass the night, and then start
early in the morning on the return
| trip, arriving late in the evening al
| the lumber camp when the cookie
would be settin' the table.
The oil lamps that hung from the
rafters would be lit and the big square
wood stove that stood in the middle
of the floor would be red and trem
bling from the heat inside.
Eve made many portages in the
woods of Canada. Often they were
wet, nearly always they were cold, bu
always there as that great silence o
the forest, and the sweet breath of tn,
woods. I've travelled often for twent,
miles and have seen nothing but tn,
great tall trees on either side of thu
road, with now and then a deer glidin,
across the portage, or a rabbit hop
ping along on the snow. In the even
ing the stars would. come out in tn
dark blue far above, and often through
moon lit up the white road throug
the interlacing shadows of the trees
i've portrayed to camps where me,
worked whose sons are here; there i
a young lieutenant with us, Mr.. Gala
han, in charge of No. s Platoon,
Company, and fine young fellow h
is. | know him we'll and his father
too, for I've portrayed for his fathe
| oAACS IIIS WluISI OL lJUG. u0VG
worked for a finer man than old Da
Callahan. When the word goes roun
; that Dan Callahan is going to begi
operations for the winter, there
never any trouble about getting
crew."
why did you enlist?" asked. "Sur,
ly you have passed the age limit?"
, He looked at me quickly and hi
eyes twinkled.
My age is down in the book q
forty-four," he said and he went O
to tell me how he came to enlist.
In the fall of 1914 we began oper;
tons on the ox-bow, far away in til
northern part of New Brunswick, bl
, many of the young men that had bee
: with ds the year before were missin;
, They had exchanged the ak and re
mackinaw for rife and khaki tuni
! We were short-handed when we began
, and we became more and more shor
: handed as the winter went on. | neve
, saw the men so eager for the paper
: as they were that winter. | would b
: sitting down by the stove, after m
: days trip, when the lads would com
crowdin' in from their work, covere