The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-05-08
Experiences in the Upper Somerset
Waters

The following communication from
Frank ]. Hill of Sentinel Butte, n. d.
will be read with interest by former
acquaintance and relatives in this
county. An article, read in recent
issue of the Reporter on Brassua
Lake, prompted Mr.. Hill to send us
the communication.
II have often thought sometime l
would pen a few lines, and send you
as | greatly enjoy reading of those
who contribute their experiences in
short items, of the sons of the old
Pine Tree State, who have moved
and adopted other states as home.
But who can forget the old home long
ing, when brought to think of the old
home. As | have been absent a long
time, sine 1873. we'll remember
the spring of 1872 when | was one of
a crew of men who went on the river
drive in the northern woods above
Moosehead Lake. 1t was in April
and back in the woods there was
lot of snow. We took the stage at
Bingham to The Forks, then changed
to a sled as far as Parlin Pond, then
walked the rest of the way to Bras
sua Lake, packing our outfit. Part
of the crew stayed and built camp
along the bank of Tom Fletcher
stream and some of us tramped over
to Tom Haggan stream to drive the
logs from that point to Moosehead
Lake. After getting those logs to
the lake, we came back to Brassua
Lake and began rafting across by
enclosing loose logs by what is called
boom, a cabin made OF logs
on a platform in front with a cap
stan in the center, by means OF cap
stan bars for the men to wind around
and draw the heavy cable that had
heavy anchor at the farther end.
After filling our headwork boom with
loose logs, the boom was closed and
all hands started down the lake. We
often had some exciting experiences,
such as a high wind suddenly rising
and believe me, we sure made time.
Sometimes we ran on gull rock and
the boom would break. The high wind
drove the logs high on misery sands
and also jammed the outlet of the
lake, Moose River. We often had
5000, 900 feet in a single raft. The
rule was, work when the wind was
favorable or calm. Sometimes we
worked forty-eight to seventy hours
without sleep. unless one could get
wink, while winding on one OF those
capstan bars. Often while working
on the darkest of dark night man
would mistep and fall into the water.
Then he would swim around, find the
Il 4, hut
the work as though nothing had hap
pened. And many times in those
dark nights when they were so sleepy
and tired, they would delegate one OF
their number to mount ~ high seat at
the end of the cabin house gable and
sing woods songs for the entertain
ment of those who were winding
those capstan bars. Some got that
sleepy they would browse of, while
walking around but every round they
had to cross over that cable they
would trip on the rope and wake up
Sometimes those nights seemingly
were twenty-four hours long. / Of
ten think of the hardships and priya-
lions of those early days and the
many changes since to lessen the Ia
Dor of driving the logs down the Ken
nebec and its tributaries.
81 left the state of Maine in April
1873 on The Forks stage for Show
hogan. There was nearly four feet
of snow. At Skowhegan, I bought
a ticket for San Francisco, Cal, over
the N. p. r. r. On the trip 1872
miles west of Omaha, ] encountered
one of the worst billiards. Twas ever