When peace was declared, this business was
wellnigh ruined, and the soldier must begin life again as a poor man.
For many months he struggled, but made little head-way against adverse
fortune. The mill turned out lumber fast enough, but there was no
demand for it, or those who wanted it were too poor to pay its price.
At length the Major decided upon a bold venture. The Caspar mill was
but a short distance from the Mississippi. Far away down the great
river were cities where money was plenty, and where lumber and farm
products were in demand. There were not half enough steamboats on the
river, and freights were high; but the vast waterway with its ceaseless
current was free to all. Why should not he do as others had done and
were constantly doing--raft his goods to a market? It would take time,
of course; but a few months of the autumn and winter could be spared as
well as not, and so it was finally decided that the venture should be
undertaken.
It was not to be a timber raft only. Major Caspar did not care to
attempt the navigating of a huge affair, such as his entire stock of
sawed material would have made, nor could he afford the expense of a
large crew. Then, too, while ready money was scarce in his
neighborhood, the prairie wheat crop of that season was unusually good.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25