766 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



before the days of telephones, had been 

 "hung" upon a jam at the foot, while 

 a messenger was on his way above, fill- 

 ing the whole length with a tangled 

 mass, and before it could be picked 

 apart a good week had slipped by, to- 

 gether with the best of the spring water, 

 and the bleaching logs had to be "hung 

 up" to await the return of another 

 year. 



A few, only, of the men were chosen 

 to "rear" this difficult part, while the 

 rest went below. This was a fine place 

 to watch the more expert and adven- 

 turous. A quick and, for the moment, 

 exciting incident occurred before us 

 which was the means of saving one 

 unlucky man's life, but otherwise unno- 

 ticed by the principals. A driver was 

 out alone in some particularly rapid 

 water upon a "center" putting down a 

 charge of dynamite tied to a long pole. 

 He had lighted the fuse, about a foot 

 long, and estimated to give him time to 

 retreat, and had jammed the sputtering 



stick to its full length beneath the tan- 

 gle and turned to run for the shore, 

 when, by some mischance, his foot 

 slipped and he sprawled full length 

 upon the quivering timbers. We ex- 

 pected each moment to see him go sky- 

 ward above the heavy charge, when, 

 like a flash, a short Irishman, named 

 Crowley, made a desperate leap to the 

 jam, caught him as he ran by the collar, 

 jerking him to his feet, and together 

 they barely reached the shore when off 

 went the charge, throwing up great 

 junks to the tree tops and raising a per- 

 fect geyser of water. The jam lifted 

 as if alive and rushed pell mell down- 

 stream, while unconcernedly, as if 

 nothing happened, the two men turned 

 to the woods and sought a crossing 

 below. If thanks were ever extended, 

 it was probably in the settlements later, 

 when the little Irishman himself, 

 strapped, might live for days or weeks 

 on the good-will of his comrades, for 

 Jack is commonly altogether free- 



2 ~-' - C- ^ 



LOGS ARRIVING AT A SAWMILL AFTER THE RIVER TRIP. 



