Fig. 1. Section of sidewalk
There were a number of rocks to be removed from the trench, one of them near the river bank weighing over a ton. These were left to be removed later. Their father, on coming out, was glad to see them all at work; he showed Fred and Nick how to prepare the edges of the trench by putting planks along them, as shown in [Fig. 1]. The boards, about twelve inches wide, and from twelve to sixteen feet long, had been taken from the old barn.
After breakfast Fred worked along with his man, and got the trench well cleaned out, except for a few of the larger rocks. The smaller bowlders were wheeled down to the river and rolled over the bank to the water's edge. Near one side of the walk grew a large tree, whose main root ran under the proposed path. Mr. Gregg had noticed this in the morning and had told Fred to see that the root was cut off close to the line on both sides and pulled out altogether. "If it isn't cut off, it will grow larger, lift up the cement flags, and perhaps break them." Fred saw the force of this, so had the root cut off and taken out. The operation would not kill the tree, though it might do it some injury.
Now came the process of taking out the big stones, and a lever, ten or twelve feet long, was brought from the barn, in the shape of a red cedar pole, five or six inches in diameter at the larger end. Nick took an axe and chopped the big end a little flat on two sides, so that it could be shoved under the stone. A flat plank was next laid behind the stone on the ground, on which a fulcrum was to be placed, in order to get what is termed by workmen a "purchase." On the side of the stone next to the river, three planks taken from the floor of the barn were laid down flat at the bottom of the trench. Three other planks were laid on the top of the first layer, thus making a bed in the trench, two planks in thickness, on which the big stone was to be rolled. A fulcrum, consisting of an old fence post, was laid upon the plank, and forced up as close to the stone as possible. Everything was now ready for lifting the bowlder out of the bed, where it had lain perhaps for thousands of years.
As had been arranged, the work at this stage was suspended, and other work gone on with, until Mr. Gregg made his appearance. Upon his arrival all hands went to the stone, Jessie included. Having approved what had been done, the father suggested that rollers be placed between the two thicknesses of plank to increase the ease of moving the stone to the river when it was started. Fred and Nick went to the barn, and among a big pile of old planks, boards, and timber found eight or ten old fence posts, six or eight inches in diameter, and long enough to make two rollers, each three feet long, when cut in two. These were quickly stripped of bark by George and Jessie, while Nick and Fred, with axe and hatchet, soon had a number of them round enough to serve as rollers. The father then directed that the ends nearest the river, of the top layer of planks, be raised up, and one of the rollers placed between the two layers of plank near the stone, while the ends of planks nearest the stone should be left resting on the bottom ones. Another roller was placed nearer the river end of the planks, and all was made, as shown at [Fig. 2]—where fulcrum, lever, stone, planks, and rollers may be seen.
Fig. 2. Raising rock with lever
All was now ready; the lever was adjusted in place under the stone and on the fulcrum. Mr. Gregg, Nick, and the children were gathered about the lever, each one pushing down, and the stone began to move, as the top end of the lever came down, much to the delight of Jessie and George, who kept shouting, "There she goes! Up she goes!" Finally the great stone turned over on the plank, and was moved to near the centre. Now came the labour of getting the monster down to the bank. This was made easier by raising the ends of the upper planks under the stone and inserting another roller, five or six feet from the end. The planks holding the stone were now resting on rollers, as seen in [Fig. 3], and it was found easy to move, but in order to get it to the bank of the river the "runway," or lower planks, had to be laid down that distance; this would take too many planks, so it was decided to lay only a second length on the ground, and then when the load had travelled to this length, the plank behind the stone should be carried forward and laid down again. This was continued until the load was slid into the water. Mr. Gregg called the children and told them to push against the stone, and they all were filled with wonder to see this great stone move along so easily on the rollers.