The Log Drive 



WITH the coming of spring the river ice melts 

 and breaks up. The water begins to rise, and 

 the melting ice and snow make an angry flood 

 of the once quiet stream. It is time for the 

 "drive." 



A crew of hardy men, the "river drivers," now 

 take the places of the lumberjacks. These men 

 must drive the logs downstream for many miles 

 to the mills below. The men tumble the logs into 

 the water. In a very short time the river is full 

 of them. Several logs catch against each other 

 and stop. A driver jumps out from the shore. 

 He runs across to them, jumping from one log to 

 another. In his hand is a "peavey," a stout stick 

 six feet long, with a steel hook fastened to one 

 side, and a sharp metal spike on the end. He 

 grips the logs with this, pries apart those that 

 have caught, and soon has them floating freely 

 again. 



Many of these men do not know how to swim. 

 If they were to slip from the logs they would prob- 



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