The Merrimack River: its source and its tributaries. Embracing a history of manufactures, and of the towns along its course; their geography, topography, and products, with a description of the magnificent natural scenery about its upper waters./ By J. W. Meader.

TIE IERRI3L[ CK RIVER;
" drive," which usually commenced about the middle of April; the
annual "drive" varied from eight to fourteen millions feet. A
store was opened by the manager, from which the commissary of the
force drew all supplies. Large, warm log barns were erected to
shelter the large number of oxen used, and hay and feed were pur chased of the farmers in the nearest settlements. The logs afloat,
and the woodsmen became amphibious and took to the river. As the
logs send off, the river becomes a scene of picturesque beauty, and as
it is with humanity so it is with these logs, - they cannot all "head
the procession;" some strike a more rapid current than others, some
meet with obstructions by which their advance is retarded or sus pended, but the van moves steadily and rapidly on, and soon the
river surface is thickly dotted with logs for a distance of from thirty
to fifty miles. The force is divided into'4' gangs," or "teams," and,
under the lead of experienced river-men, proceed to the principal
falls and rapids, where the chief difficulties of the drift are generally
experienced, a small force following, as a rear-guard, to push off any
stra,gglers that may have been crowded ashore or grounded on some
unseen obstruction. " Running the falls" is a wild, exciting, and
very interesting spectacle, lasting many days. Sweeping towards
the head of the falls like a vast host in solid column, or like an
Alpine avalanche, they plunge down the roaring, boiling, seething
rapids in furious, headlong haste; the narrow gorges between the
projecting ledges are choked with them; they are thrown over and
across each other, sometimes assuming a perpendicular attitude and
falling with a tremendous crash and plash. Sometimes a single log
gets arrested by the outcropping ledge, and, being securely held, becomes a literal stumbling,-block to others, and soon a huge ",jam" is
collected and ti,lghtly held, - a thousand logs, more or less, piled up
witlhout regard to system, as though prepared for a lhuge bonfire.
Now is the time whlen the skill and daring of the "drivers "' become
conspicuous; with the agility of squirrels they cross the rapids on
thel moving mass and gain the pile which has been crowded out to
cut it adrift. Experience points out the stick which holds them fast
and prevents the whole friom moving on, and not unfrcquently, by a
vigorous push with the levers or pike-poles in the right place, or a
few strokes of the axe, the "jam" breaks loose, again falls into line,
and moves rapidly on. Each man takes to a log,, and navigates to a
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