e reason that the wet
sawdust blanketed the flames and resulted in a profusion of smoke that
blew back upon the mill to the annoyance of the employees, for many
years The Laird had caused this accumulated sawdust to be hauled to
the edge of the bight on the north side of the town, and there dumped
in a low, marshy spot which formerly had bred millions of mosquitoes.

Subsequently, in the process of grading the streets of Port Agnew and
excavating cellars, waste dirt had been dumped with the sawdust, and,
occasionally, when high winter tides swept over the spot, sand, small
stones, sea-shells, and kelp were added to the mixture. And as if this
were not sufficient, the citizens of Port Agnew contributed from time
to time old barrels and bottles, yard-sweepings, tin cans, and
superannuated stoves and kitchen utensils.

Slowly this dump crept out on the beach, and in order to prevent the
continuous attrition of the surf upon the outer edge of it from
befouling the white-sand bathing-beach farther up the Bight of Tyee,
The Laird had driven a double row of fir piling parallel with and
beyond the line of breakers. This piling, driven as close together as
possible and reenforced with two-inch planking between, formed a
bulkhead with the flanks curving in to the beach, thus insuring
practically a water-tight pen some two acres in extent; and, with the
passage of years, this became about two-thirds filled with the waste
from the town. Had The Laird ever decided to lay claim to the Sawdust
Pile, there would have been none in Port Agnew to contest his title;
since he did not claim it, the Sawdust Pile became a sort of No Man's
Land.

After The Laird erected his factory and began to salvage his waste,
the slab fire went out forever for lack of fuel, and the modicum of
waste from the mill and factory, together with the sawdust, was
utilized for fuel in an electric-light plant that furnished light,
heat, and power to the town. Consequently, sawdust no longer
mercifully covered the trash on the Sawdust Pile as fast as this trash
arrived, and, one day, Hector McKaye, observing this, decided that it
was an unsightly spot and not quite worthy of his town of Port Agnew.
So he constructed a barge somewhat upon the principle of a patent
dump-wagon, moored it to the river-bank, created a garbage monopoly in
Port Agnew, and sold it for five thousand dollars to a pair of
ambitious Italians. With the proceeds of this garbage deal, The Laird