The Circuit Rider 06/14/2007

At the turn of the twentieth century, the Tellico River Valley was a very rough place. (In an earlier article, I said Tellico Plains is in North Carolina; actually it's in Tennessee, but very close to the state line.) The Babcock Lumber Co. of Pittsburgh, PA, had acquired all of the timber in that area and was conducting logging operations. My grandfather and my dad both worked for Babcock. My dad was not much more than a boy and as skinny as a rail, but he was expected to pull a two-man crosscut saw like any other man.

Now, speaking from experience, I can tell you, a crosscut saw will wear you out, and that real soon. My dad was working with a much bigger and somewhat older young man. When you use a two-man saw, both men must work together. The other man, being much stronger than my dad, was "snatching" the saw, and of course, this was making it very difficult for Dad.

My grandfather, "Pa" was the foreman and my dad complained to him. Pa moved Dad out of the way, took his end of the saw, and said to the other man, "Now snatch it!" Then he almost jerked him over the log.

The young man's father saw what was happening, and attacked Pa. Being a much bigger man, he was putting a pretty severe whipping on Pa. Now, a good pocket knife was Pa's constant companion. He was able to get it out, open it with one hand, and start cutting.

After a little while, the man let up. He was bleeding very badly and the loggers kept throwing cold water on him to keep him conscious. The man survived, but Pa went on the run. He left the area, took his mother's maiden name and hid out.

After several months, he turned himself in to stand trial, and was acquitted. The verdict was "self defense," because Pa knew the man would kill him.

Some years after this, Pa surrendered to the ministry. He went to the man whom he had cut, asked forgiveness and led him to the Lord. They became good friends and remained so until one of them died. I remember, as a boy, listening to Pa tell this story, and tell me he had spent the night at this friend's house. I told him, "I would be afraid that man would get up in the night and kill me." Pa said, "Son, the Lord changed both our lives. Now we're brothers."