Mill Whistle Stampedes Team
A local teamster suffers serious injuries after a mill whistle spooks his horses, leading to a runaway accident.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
J. Kaiser, who drives one of the teams for the Weatherwax lumber company, was loading lumber on his wagon Monday when the mill whistle blew for the noon hour. The horses became frightened at the whistle and began running away. Kaiser ran after them, got between the wheels and endeavored to stop the team. He was thrown down and the hind wheel passed over him, breaking and crushing three of his ribs. From last reports, there were no evidences of internal injuries, and his chances of recovery were good.
“The horses became frightened at the whistle and began running away. Kaiser ran after them, got between the wheels and endeavored to stop the team.”
Workplace safety in Aberdeen's early timber economy was often a grim, individual gamble. While the sounds of the modern city are different, the vulnerability of workers navigating heavy machinery remains a recurring theme in the region's labor history.
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