IN THE BEGINNING 



we went over in the little steamboat, one man 

 remaining in her with the engineer, to manage 

 the tow line. One man looked after the barrels, 

 another after the pipe, and three men went up the 

 hill to ease the pipe down when we were ready, 

 while I stood on the shore with a megaphone and 

 gave the word of command. The tow line from 

 the boat was fastened to the pipe, an oil barrel 

 tied a little farther up to act as a buoy, and at a 

 word the engine started and the pipe moved 

 easily down the hill. Every few lengths another 

 barrel was fastened to the pipe and the whole 

 moved out into the lake without a hitch. When 

 the end of the first section reached the shore, 

 the boat stopped and the second section was 

 quickly fastened to it with a union joint. Again 

 we started, and the two sections seemed to move 

 as easily as the first alone had done, and so the 

 others followed, and the end of the pipe was 

 safely landed on the island. The floating barrels 

 looked like the corks of a colossal fish-net, quite 

 crooked at first, but a little steady pulling by a 

 couple of stout men soon straightened it out. A 

 few extra lengths were screwed to the island end 

 to allow for the depth of water, and then we cut 

 loose the barrels, one after another, and the pipe 



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