BEGINNINGS OF THE RAFTING INDUSTRY 43 



rafting period. Because it was so unusual, much was 

 made of it. 



While clerk on the "Silver Wave" late in the fall of 

 1879 we had a husky crew of real raftmen which in- 

 cluded "Ole" a big Swede and Tom Cleeland an Irish- 

 man of good size and build, who was called one of the 

 best men "in the woods." 



We had to lay over night at LeCIaire on our way 

 down. All the cabin crew (captain, pilot, mate, en- 

 gineers and cooks) lived in LeCIaire, our home port, 

 and all of them had gone home for the night leaving me 

 in charge. 



Before leaving, the mate reminded me not to let the 

 deck crew have much money; so when they were free to 

 go up-town all came up together and I handed them one 

 or two dollars each and told them that was all they 

 could have - "mate's orders." All O.K. 



At 10:30 P.M. five or six of them came back for more 

 money. I tried to persuade them not to go up-town 

 again - to go down and turn in for a little sleep before 

 four o'clock but they were insistent. So I gave in grace- 

 fully, saying, "Boys, you know this is my first season 

 on this boat and I don't like to break orders, but you 

 fellows have always treated me nice, so here's a dollar 

 apiece; spend that and come back and turn in for the 

 mate will be after you at four o'clock, remember." "Oh, 

 das all right." "You been dam good fellar," said "Ole," 

 and off they went and I thought I was done with them. 



Just before midnight I heard them come on. After 

 some noisy talk back in the deck room, four of them 

 including Ole and Tom came up-stairs and into the 

 cabin and demanded more money. 



I was stirring up the fire with a big poker of three- 



