“The Only Man”: Skill and Bravado on the River-Drive

Abstract

Handling logs on Maine's swift-flowing rivers demanded great skill and dexterity and it was a source of pride for those who could do it well. Not surprisingly, stories about river driving have become an important part of Maine's heritage. Not the least of these stories involve the “only man” to accomplish some particularly dangerous or difficult feat of prowess and bravery. These tales were bound up with the coming-of-age process along the banks of the Penobscot and Kennebec rivers, and the accomplishments they relate signaled a person’s acceptance into the select ranks of legendary loggers— if they didn't go too far in testing their mettle against the fates. Edward D. “Sandy” Ives is professor emeritus at the University of Maine and former director of the Maine Folklife Center. His publications, concentrating on the oral traditions of Maine and the Maritime Provinces, Include Larry Gorman: The Man Who Made the Songs; Lawrence Doyle: The Farmer-Poet of Prince Edward Island; Joe Scott: The Woodsman Songmaker; and George Magoon and the Down East Game War.