SALMON-HATCHING ESTABLISHMENT, M'CLOUD RIVER, CAL. 439 



were daunted at nothing, and through their courage and resolution these 

 and all other obstacles were overcome. The space to be bridged over 

 was one hundred and five feet, or, with the corral-extension, one hundred 

 and fifty feet. The line was made across the river at nearly right 

 angles with the current. The water was from four to eight feet deep 

 and running with tremendous force. The river-bed was of loose, detached 

 rocks, varying from a pound to half a ton in weight. We began 

 the work by felling logs in the woods, cutting them into twelve- 

 feet lengths, and hewing off the ends square. Three of these 

 lengths were then laid together horizontally and in the form of a 

 triangle, and the ends firmly pinned together with wooden pins. 

 Another similar triangle was then made and rested on the first, then 

 another, and so on till the structure reached the required height 

 to support the bridge at a suitable distance above the surface of 

 the water. When this was finished, the men waded out with it, with 

 great labor, to its place in the river, wjth one angle up stream, of course, 

 and fastened it there with cables till it was banked up with rocks, and 

 the hollow space inside was also filled with rocks. When it was done, 

 we had a solid stone pier, resting on the bottom of the river, which the 

 current was unable to move. Another similar pier was then built and 

 placed, and then another and another, at suitable intervals, till the other 

 side was reached. The tops of the piers were then connected with logs, 

 hewed square, and pinned to the piers with strong, wooden pins. This 

 completed the bridge. When it is remembered that we had neither 

 horses nor derricks, but relied entirely on our physical strength to do all 

 the work, it will be seen that it was no trifling undertaking. JS"othing 

 was yet accomplished, however, in arresting the passage of the salmon, 

 as the space below the bridge was, of course, except at the piers, en- 

 tirely open to them. It, therefore, now remained to dam the rapid and 

 powerful current, so that the salmon could not pass. After some delib- 

 eration, it was decided to make this dam of- poles, about two inches in 

 diameter, placed perpendicularly in the river, with the upper ends rest- 

 ing on the side of the bridge, and the lower ends against the bottom of 

 the river. To facilitate the work of placing the poles, we concluded to 

 make a regular fence of them, laying poles side by side, about one inch 

 and a half apart, and inserting both ends of each pole into a strong 

 cross-piece of hewed timber, running at right angles with the poles. 

 This having been decided on, the next thing was to get the poles. We 

 required a thousand. The nearest that could be found iu any quantity 

 were iu a forest four miles off, over a rough mountain-trail. I imme- 

 diately fitted out an expedition, with axes, blankets, and provisions for 

 four days. The thermometer was ranging at that time between 100° 

 and 110° in the shade. In the sun, it was hot enough to cook eggs. This 

 made the work of lumbering rather severe ; but at the end of the four 

 days the expedition returned, having procured several hundred poles. 



These they packed on their shoulders to the nearest point on the stage- 

 road, whence they were brought to camp by the mule-teams returning 



