There once prevailed a superstition among timbermen in the Big Sandy
country which dated back to the Indian.
The mountain men knew and loved their own Big Sandy River. They rode
their rafts fearlessly, leaping daringly from log to log to make fast a
dog chain, even jumping from one slippery, water-soaked raft to another
to capture with spike pole or grappling hook a log that had broken
loose. They had not the slightest fear when a raft buckled or broke away
from the rest and was swept by swift current to midstream. There were
quick and ready hands to the task. Loggers of the Big Sandy kept a cool
head and worked with swift decisive movements. But, once their rafts
reached the mouth of Big Sandy, there were some in the crew who could
neither be persuaded nor bullied to ride the raft on through to the
Ohio. Strong-muscled men have been known to quit their post, leap into
the turbulent water before the raft swept forward into the forbidding
Ohio. They remembered the warning of witch women, "Don't ride the raft
into the Big Waters! Leap off!" So the superstitious often leaped,
taking his life in his hands and often losing it.