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About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1907)
THE MORNING ASTOHIAN. 'ASTORIA, OREGON. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1907. 7 Jb. f V . : : ' ' . 777 A....A.t4it4tM IUU lilt -- "J, y ,, ,. , , , , t ?. W The Scaler A Blazed Trail Story. By STEWART EDWARD WHITE. j Copyright, 1808, by .8. a McClure Co. ; H II 1 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 H 1 1 1 NCE Morrison ana Daiy 01 Saginaw, but then lumbering at Beeson lake, lent some mnnpv to a in an named Crothers, taking lu return a mortgage on what was known as the Crothers tract of white pine. In due time, as Crothers did not liquidate, the firm be came possessed of this tract. They hardly knew what to do with It The timber was situated some fifty miles from the railroad In a country that threw all sorts of difficulties across the logger's path and had to be hauled from nine to fifteen miles to the river. Both Morrison and Daly groaned In spirit Supplies would have to be toted In to last the entire winter, for when the snow came communica tion over fifty miles of forest road would be as good as cut off. Whom could they trust among the lesser fore men of their woods force? Whom could they spare among the greater? At this Juncture they called to them Tim Shearer, their walking boss and the greatest riverman in the 6tate. "You'll have to 'Jib' her," said Tim promptly. "Who would be hired at any price to go up in that country on a ten mile haul?" demanded Daly skeptically. "Jest one man," replied Tim, "an I know where to find him." He returned with an individual at the sight of whom the partners glanc ed toward each other in doubt and dismay. But there seemed no help for It A contract was drawn up in which the firm agreed to pay $6 a thousand, merchantable scale, for all saw logs banked at a rollway to be situated a given number of miles from the forks of Cass branch, while on his sid": James Bourke, better known as tne Bough Red, agreed to put in at least three and a half million feet." After the latter had scrawled his signature he lurched from the office, softly rub bing his hairy freckled hand where the pen had touched It "That means a crew of wild Irish men," Bald Mirison. "And ttt means they'll Just slaugh ter tba Dine." added Daly. "They'll bbtt htsrh and crooked, they'll chuck the tops. Who are we going to send to "scale for 'em? , Morrison sighed. "I hate to do it; there's only Fitz can make It go." So then they called to them another of their best men, named Fit? Patrick, and sent him away alone to protect the firm's Interests In the depths of the wilderness. The Rough Red was a big, broad faced man with eyes far apart and a bushy red beard. He wore a dingy mackinaw coat, a dingy black and white checked flannel shirt, dingy blue trousers tucked Into high socks and lumberman's rubbers. The only spot of color In his costume was the flam ing red sash of the voyageur which he passed twice around his waist When at work his little wide eyes flickered with a baleful wicked light, his huge voice bellowed through the woods In a torrent of Imprecations and com mands, his splendid muscles swelled visibly even under his loose blanket coat as he wrenched suddenly and savagely at some man's stubborn cant- hook stock. A hint of reluctance or op position brought his fist to the mark with Irresistible Impact Then he would pluck his victim from the snow and kick him to work, with a savage Jest that raised a laugh from every bodyexcepting the object of it. Tn the work was little system, but much efflcacy. The men gambled, drank, fought without a word of pro test from their leader. With an ordi nary crew such performances would have meant slight accomplishment but these wild Irishmen with their blood shot eyes, their ready Jests, their eauallv ready flsts plunged into the business of banking logs with all the abandon of a carouse and the work was done. Law In that wilderness was not saving that which the Bough Red chose to administer. Except In one Instance, penalty more severe than a hbeatlng there was none,' for the men could not equal their leader to break tag the greater and lesser laws of morality. The one Instance was that of young Barney Mallan, who, while .drunk, mishandled a horse so severely as to lame It Him the Bough Bed called to formal account " "Don't ye know that horses can!t be bad?" he demanded, singularly enough without an oath. "Come here." The man approached. With a single ,powerful blow of a starting bar the Bough Bed broke his tibia. "Try th' lameness yerself,"' said the Bough Bed grimly. On Thanksgiving day the entire place went on a prolonged drunk. The Rough Red distinguished himself by rolling the round stove through the door into the snow, ue was Daoiy turned in accomplishing this delicate Jest; but minded the smart no more .than he did the admiring cheers of his maudlin but emulative mates. Fit Patrick extingaimied a dozen little Area that the coals had started, shifted the Intoxicated Mallan's leg out of the danger of some one's falling on it, and departed from that roaring hell hole ito the fringe of the solemn forest And this brings us to Fits Patrick. , Patrick was a tall, slow man with a face built square. The lines of his brows, his mouth and his jaw ran straight across; those of Ida tem ples, cheek and nose straight up and down. Ills eye was very quiet and Ma speech rare. When ho did talk it was with deliberation. For days some times he would ejaculate nothing but monosyllables, looking steadily on the things about him. He had walked In ahead of the tote team late one evening In the autumn after the Bough Red and his devils had been at work a fortnight The camp consisted quite simply of three build ings, which might have been Identi fied as a cook camp, a sleeping camp answered Fl rrttrl tones. "I hnve," briefly. "lo have forgot to scale one stick." "No." ' "There Is a stick still not murked." 1 "I culled it." "Why?" , "It was not sawed straight." Fits Patrick threw urn iuaa,imf nut j . - proudly, answering hi nan r.t nirv 1 an accomplished swors-min. T! He saw a round stove In the' center, a littered and dirty floor, bunks filled j J chafed frichtfully. but In a way his np. M he hud expected. hands were tied. He could do nothing W0TO waiting tn ominous silence, without the report, and It was too far Methodically, deliberately, he rtUli' out to Bend for another scaler, even If work n,cn, when the Invt ie:v Daly would have given him on. mnrit had been" made and the t;t'e Finally In looking over a akldwax he niul ou CKWed with i snap of Ami!!1 noticed that one log had not been Blue the Rough Red stepped forward, penciled across the end. That meant .,ye nv. finished with this '. . it not heen scaled, and that In way?" asked the foreman tn soft turn meant that he, the Rough Red, would not bo paid for his labor in cut ting and banking it At once he began to bellow through the woods: "Iley, Fits ra trick 1 Come here, you blank, blanked, blank of a blnnkl Come herer- . Thi sMiler swunc leisurely down the camp, u wwimuii , ------- . - . , - .. lth and a stable.1 Fit Patrick entered the travoy iruu - sleeping camp, stood his slender seal- level eyes. . lnir rule in the corner and peered about 1 "Well?" said he. htm thmnffh ffiA Anair nf 11 fitncrie l&mD. 1 "Why ain't that log markea r ttn accomt uiiu - " " , .... ........ I ., ..!,,.. "I CUlleu lu ' KOIiKU l u Mlllit'U m: "Ain't it sound and good? Is there a awwj 8;,k0 0f himself. One nfter mark on it? A streak of punk or rot? another tlic men dropped t'.iolr eye Ain't It good timber? What th blank's amj Bt(HMl still ut ease. The scaler th' matter with It? You tried to do me turned away, his heel cu tight a rot; out of that you blank skunk!" bo stumbled; lnstnt;tl;,' t'.io pack w A log Is culled or thrown out when cn mili for the power of his e;.o was for any reason It will not mako good tken. Umber. ; I Mad with OK? tlicy kicked nr.il licit "I'll tell you, Jimmy Bourke," replied om tore at Fits Patrick's huddle 1 Fitz ratrick calmly, "th stick Is sound form long after const tousne. had hft and good or was before your murderln . it Then an owl hooted f a:. V:.') crew got hold of it but Jf ye'll take a nhadow of the weed, nr r. fi'tT 1 1 v. It J squint at the butt of It ye'll see that J SWCpt by. or a fox lt:v'.;ed. or raite your gang has sawed her on a six other little th!i; happened, k that inh innt Thev've wasted a good foot j ia blind uurenso;.!: iwik- tliey tX of th' lo. I spoke of that afore, an' Fitz Patrick retained his v.'.tu lu T t iriv ve wnrnln' that I cull every ; pain and bo knew Lo v;u 8t.ll oa earth. w hi or little, nunk or sound, that i-Evcry movement c "Bi -o . . I 1 nin't sawed souaro and true across tn g0me agency jbutt" "Th' loir Is sound an good, an ye'll ! scale It or I'll know th' reason why!" "I will not" replied Fitz Patrick. The following day he culled a log In another and distant skldway whose butt showed a slant of a good six Inches. The day following he culled another of the same sort on still an other skldway. He examined It close ly, then sought the Rough Red. "It Is useless, Jimmy Bourke," said he, "to be hauling of that same poor log from skldway to skldway. You eMft hor tn wprv travov trail lu , ...v. , . Knt tf win ia vo lit-1 n' I'll tnke ve ta cr.mp. for It s fnlr Ul ViVUlCLB VfcWVW, v ..... 1 t, 1 drunk tl;ey nrv oy uuw. oun-, uu tole ye they'll kill ye!" "But they didn't." muttered Fits Pat rick, with a gleam of humor, "Sure 'twas not their fault-nor yore with Why ain't that log marUdT' horrible straw and worse blan kets jumbled here and there, old and dirty clothes drying fetidly. He saw an unkempt row of hard faced men along the deacon seat reckless In bearing, with the light of the dare devil in their eyes. "Where is the boss?" asked Fitz Pat rick steadily. The Rough Red lurched his huge form toward the Intruder. T am your scaler," explained the latter. "Where is the office?" "You kin have the bunk beyand," In dicated the Rough Red surlily. "You have no office, then?" "What's good enough fer th' men Is good enough fer a boss, and what's good enough fer th boss Is good fer any blank blanked scaler." "It Is not good enough for this one," replied Fitz Patrick calmly. "I have no notion of sleepln' and workln' in no such noise an' dirt I need an of- I tie good. I'll cull It wherever I nnu i it, and never will ye get th' scale of that log." i The Rough Red raised his hand, then dropped it again, whirled away with n curse, whirled back with another and spat out: By , Fitz Tatrlck, ye go too far! Ye've hounded me and harried me through th' woods all th' year! By 'tis a good stick, an ye shall scale It!" j. "Yo an' yore old fellows Is robbers alike!" cried one of the men. I - Fitz Patrick turned on bis heel and 1 resumed his work. The men ceased theirs and began to talk. That night was Christmas eve. Aft er supper the Rough Red went direct- I ly from the cook camp to the men's camp. Fitz Patrick, sitting lonely in the little office, heard the sounds of debauch rising steadily like mysterious ! storm winds in distant pines, no ' shrugged his shoulders and tallied bis day's scaling and turned into his bunk wearily, for of holidays there are none in the woods save Sunday. About rt hi": r.Muti. md outi'iile liir.iivM. I.I...CUM added torture. Alter a lo::;; t!:r.e ho knew It was the ro-ik. who was llrmly but kindly kneading h'. i:::ib: and knuckling h'.x hair. Tin- i:::'.-.t proved to be lu a maze of v,-o::,!u'U cut over his patient's tenacity f l!f.'. "I watched .ve." I: ::r:r :;;:re l snth Ingly. "I did not '.;m? Interfere. Hut I Uem to yo' 'a swu na 1 vxU. See! Here's a lire thf.t 1 built for ye and some tea. Take i little. And no hones broke! 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Not rick rouged from hla by aimless a log do I scale for ye, Jimmy Bourke, ' 'derlnCTi Btrnck a ngDt and saw the cooK looking uncertainly toward him through blood clotted lashes. The mnn .... . 1 u.. V . urn a nnrtlv (lrimif. nuniy uuiu uui give me a fit place to tally till yeze in." And so it came about, though the struggle lasted three days. The Rough M-Mened. Red stormed restlessly between tne . gtfl pleaded tne man. "I woods and the camp, delivering tre- ,. M oa j won.t even make a noise. I'm skeered. "Course you can stay," delivering tre mendous broadsides of oaths and threats. Fitz Patrick sat absolutely imperturbable on the deacon seat look ing straight In front of him, his legs stretched comfortably aslant, one hand supporting the elbow of the other, which in turn held his short brier pipe. The cook, a thin faced, sly man, secretly admired him. ' Luke out for th' Rough Red; he'll do ye!" he would whisper hoarsely when he nassed the silent scaler. But In the three days the Rough Red , put his men to work on a little cabin. ; Fitz Patrick at once took his scaling rule from the corner and set out into the forest 1 His business was. by measuring the diameter of each log, to ascertain and tabulate the number of board feet put In by the contractor. On the basis 01 his single report James Bourke would Fitz replied the scaler. "Come here." i He washed the man's forehead and hound un the cut with surgeon's plas- : ter from the van. The man fell silent, ; looking at him in wonderment for such i kindness. j Four hours later dimly through the ' mist of his broken sleep Fitz Patrick i heard the crew depart for the woods 'in the early dawn. On the crest of 1 . . . . - AlianAOQ some nigner waves 01 cvuii were borne to him drunken shouts, maudlin blasphemies. After a time he arose and demanded breakfast ' The cook, pale and nervous, served Mm. The man was excited, Irresolute, 'eager to speak. Finally he dropped down on the bench opposite Fitz Pat rick and began: "Fitz," said he, "don't go in the woods today. The men is fair wua wia h nnld for the season's work. Inevita- bly he at once became James Bourke s ; drlak and gj, Red is be- natnral enemy, ana m gMe hi'geif. Las' night I heenl tnem. in the crew, with the possible exception iTbey &re goln, to Bkld tne butt iog of the cook. Benin, and they swear that If you cull Suppose you log a knoll which 1 your they wlll km yon eye tells yon most grow at least hair a patrlck 8wailowed his coffee In mUllon; suppose yon work conscien- snence , Ia gllence ar08e and slip- tJoosly for twelve daya; suppose your oq hte macklnaw Wanket coat In average baa always been between' 40,- JJeQce fae blg chwood tab- 000 and 60,000 a day. And then sup- hlg ket and plcked nte pu. mm A a-uSI f AM mTn pose the scalers sneew cn!'uu able scaler's rule from the corner. only a little over tne wu,uwj n uv would yoo think of It? Would yon not' be inclined to suspect tnai xne scaiw had cheated yon In favor of hla master-that you had been compelled by false figures to wort a aay or o nothing? "Where are ye goln'T' asaea uj cook anxiously. "I'm goln' to do the work they pay ma tn An." answered Fitz Patrick. . He took his way down the trail, his fare set straight before him, the smoke , V,! Kraath otonmlniT behind. ThO Fitz Patrick scaled honestly, for ne Bkldway he scaled with care, lay- was a just mau, uui jn- nig ne aat ncross tne iace ui b.u ODtimlsm of estimate never nave ap- enterinir the fiirures on his many tmvTimftted. and they did not in tms tahiptu nf hech. marking the case. The Rough Bed grumbled, ac- Hmhpr. Rwlftiv wlth his blue crayon, cased, swore, threatened. Fitz Patrick The woods were empty- No ring of smoked steadily and said nothing. . t of driver, no fall The two men early came to a ciasn broke tne sllence. Fitz over the methods of cutting, ine patrlc-k comprehended. He knew that Roneh Red and his crew cut any where, . gkldwav the men 'were everywhere, anyhow. The easiest way tnered waiting to see what he would wua theirs. Small timber they skipped, nthlrpA onenlT at last In that laree timber they sawed high, tops ' h t,,Itv whjcn had been tnatur- they left rather than trirri them into aU wlnter IIe kneW( besides, that logs. Fitz Patrick would not have the of tnem were partiy drunk and own:" nours later as It seemed they moved slowly in the direction of camp. The cold had stiffened Fltt Patrick's cuts nd bruises. Every step shot a red wave of torture through his brain. They came in sight of camp. It was silent Both knew that the men had drunk themselves Into a stupor. "I'd like f kill th' whole layout as she sleeps," snarled the cook, shaking his fist. "So would I," replied Fltx Patrick. Then as they looked a thin wreath of smoke curled from under the open doorway and spread lazily In the frosty air. Another followed, another, still another. The cabin was afire. They've kicked over the stove again," said Fitz Patrick, seating him- self on a stump. ' UU eyes tlazed with wrath and bitterness. "What yo' goln' to do?" asked the cook. "Sit here," replied Fitz Patrick grim ly. The cook started forward. "Stopr shouted the scaler , fiercely. "If you move a step I'll break your backl" The cook stared at him through sau- Tti, thpv'd be burnt alive!" be ob- iwtod wlldlv. - . . .1 . , "Thev oufibt to be," snaneu mo bvui- er. "It ain't their fault I'm here to help1 them. 'Tls their own deed that I'm now lyln' beyant there in th' for- nut tinnhln tn h(ln mVSelf. VO yOU Un fon,ii I'm vet out there in tn wnnrts!" "Ah, wlrra, wlrra!" walled the cook, . it 1 1.. Th nsuir Inilaf" wringing ni uuuun, " vw TTe hecran to weep. Fitz Patrick stured straignt in ironi nf him for a moment. Then he strucK hla forehead and with wonderful agll lty, considering the injuries ho naa uui ust received, tore aown ine nm iu iuo direction of the smoldering cabin. The oonk followed him joyfully. Togetner thev nut out the fire. The men snored ..... 11.. iita hAflt. tinaisturDea Dy bh ujo tumult - v.' 'Tls th. soft heart ye have, arier alL Fitz." said the cook deligntruny as the two washed their bands in prepara tion for a lunch. "Ye couia not near If see th' lads burn." Fitz Patrick glowered at mm lor an Instant from beneath his square brows, "Thev can kq to bell for all 01 me. h answered Anally, "out my peopw want these logs put In this winter, an there's nobody else to put them in. 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