This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: Kellyw4jc Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.michigan.counties.muskegon/1865.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I've not come across this name before but admittedly the resources to find your Sidney Kessler are either limited or well-hidden. I did find this bit of an accounting of the experience of a log jam: In this quote, a driver remembers his flirt with death when attacking a logjam. Eight of us chaps got down on the face to start the jam logs, but as none of us had on spiked boots it war skittish work. I member as well as though it war yesterday, how we stood heavin' on the log jam, with a young Niagara falls a pirin' over us, an log after log a jumpin' down on top of us. It war a dare devil thing to do, but we woz jes crazy with excitement, an would have storm the mouth o'hell, if we had been told. Every man 'cept me war a good river driver, so that it didn't take long to heave out the log jam. "Here she comes boys, watch out", shouted Charlie. Down it came, kinder slow at first, but fast enough to keep us a jumpin' from log ter log, to get ashore. But we war too late, an with a roar an a rush, the whole shootin' gallery woz upon us. When a man's under water, with a thousand saw logs a rollin' over him, seconds are like ages. How log I war down I don't rightly know, but I war fully conscious of the close call I war havin'. All this time- how long or short I can't tell- I war tumbled about in every direction, now striking my head agin a log, now being bumped by one. Part of the time a scrapin' agin the bottom of the river, an agin a comin' up to the surface, in the boiling mad waters. How I didn't drowned, I'll never tell ye, for I don't know, but finally I found myself in a sort o eddy, a floatin' quietly among a lot o' logs, to one which I war clinging frantically, tell I fully recovered my presence of mind and made for shore. Presently I heard a shout lower down. I wos yet too weak to walk, or even stand, but raisin' myself on my elbow, I saw six lads a comin' towards me bearin suthin' on a litter made of cedar boughs. It wasn't long afore they reached me, an they halted long enough to let me see the dead body of poor Charlie. "Is he dead boys," I asked. "I should say he was Jack", said Larry Cox, "every bone in him's broke." >From Tom Powers personal collection of Michigan quotes. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.