The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-05-04
ll'ro,n tho Portland Adyerii-cr
LIFE IN A LOGGING SWAMP,

ll'rom tho Portland Advertiser
LIFE IN A LOGGING SWAMP,
we have just returned, (shys person IN
the employ Of Colonel O., Ia letter
Ia n friend Ia this city, dated Bangor, Jan.
oh, is50l from Woods Tour Of 200 miles.
II n fine doing Ia the woods lliS winter
visited twelve of our camps. la each, we
have fourteen men nnd five yoke oXoli. The
uou ara Cue, healthy lnu4iag falluHA'
The business oflnFginR Il the first stop IN
tho numbering iruhr, mud hns always been
very important branch of the industry Of
Maine Some Of our readers know all about
u. Others may have visited Ihc camps aud
hnye come idea OF HAT Kind ofliic, but many,
W. hnvr no doubt, know bui little about IL,
Those who have no experimental knuwl.
edge ut life IN the woods nrc very apt 10
look upon " az drcnry nnd uncomfortable
litl the inmates ~. the enttt, will tell you
very different story. suppose W. look la
upon them Hnd see for ourselves. Come,
Ihcu reader with ~, whoever you may be.
'tiryOu are lady We have no objection, Tor
ynu will- the -mnre enjoy the -new- -AiA Ia of
house keeping. We shall wilncsS,l aud ride
With us to the camp! We will not 40 'aWny
down cast for u lady would hardly tliiuk II
worth while tu go En far, (Hs Sam Weller
SnyS about mnirimony) to learn so liule So
We will lake you 10 some camp nearer home.
We may tind IL somewhat difficult however,
to tiud, short ofn long ride, genuine old
fashioned logging camps for the 'clcarlurs
aud settlements have 80 encrphchcd upon
the furcsis, that logging las sahly dcprceiut-
ed lu thlt paTt of ilu StHtr. Modern iuVcn.
lions aud ilNurics, such NJ boarded camps
with floors, cooking stoves, brcad'ns IN bread,
q e., baked ~ lomo lay the good wilc aud
the habit OF running ulu of the woods almost
every Saturday night 10 sEE the wife nud
KISS The huhics. .wn.h up mud shave, put on
cltnu shirt, hnyc made rud layoc of the poe
try and romance of old fashioned ioggiug.-
lf you please, my good lady,. We viii take
you To no such poor apology for camp ~
thui.
Here is the logging roud II rauunt br
mistaken, for, while in the mnin road we
have iuund iiuir footing aud HrAvr truvcll-
ing very 1nliguing to a horse. the logging
rUUd is very smooth aud hnrd Yondcr Is
the rwoho curling up from the camp Now
hear The rcYrrbcrnliug sounds of tie strokes
of The ny, nud the fall giant of the lofcst tot
ters aud lulls> Now we have arrived near
the cnmn. A sentinel deg announces our
approach. II ho is n litllc dog, lac gives fret
a slight yclp, then NJ we draw near, such
succession of yopiug aud barking as might
hc alarming tn thieves md robbers but need
not alarm Us. No wc approach still ucnrcr,
this picket Eunrd -Mill- -dMc through -snmc
i,"'e, iilfn llie camp, his heels Nichliug In
tie air hs II he Ind turned II somerset Then
hc Win tufn sound, slowly aud but partially
euergc from his hole and continue his yelp-
ing. We rhnll hnvc hard work 10 TICuy
him, unless we leave the premises or his
master comes. to quiet him. He has not in.
tclllgcucc enough TO determine With certain
", whether we nTe friends or enemies, nor
self ruiiutitr enough tn wait rairrir' sii-et ".
our movements aud conduct himself towards
us ina civil and proper manner But ii the
dog is large and dintciigenrnnimnl,w we shall
hrar one or Two loud, hass.toncd'how- vows,
as we first come in sight But whruhe sees
who we are, AT leasi ms soon ms he discovers
that one ~ lady, hc nssumes an mir, first of
dighifed ciyilityand then ofroriliul welcome
as if lac was heartily gInd to see little
company land lady too! 10 rclleyc ttr.ti4ts
notony Of his life i'm the woods. lr ushcrs
ny into the camp not with flourish Of rum
peis like that which preihcod The fccoptionl
at castles ~ ancient dnNs, but with a fdWtSh
Of tail quite as appropriate and far moro sig
tificntrt ef true cordially, There is n
vast difference IN characters of dogs us well
as men.
TIT. camp is ittt,le of logs, SO aayeLed and
w lllt tItN NH w DIlllR l'pH Nlbrt
together the whole length. A little mortar
and moss have closed up nll the remaining
creviccs, aud good bank of rnrth around
the bottoms, completes the work and makes |
all snug md comfortable. The fire is in the |
centre otcamp. As il now is the middle OF /.
the afternoon, the fro is not burning very
lherc>s capital chance for q
EJeuud plenty of coais to start t,--Rnd when
1t is once started It has uoihing To do but
burn. IL is not lt'tierd or confihed by thel
rules of chimnies or stove funncia. Tue |
smoke goes straight up to the skies nbove,
through spnciods aperture, without my |
rfpkr,l wrudngs. The draft is not always
tho besF hut wiki the MD 0i' a~irw hOnrds or
clnphourds, stuck round the edges of the wide
aprrtune, tIiid0rrd iolernllr. No man
eau endure n smoky house nud n scoldling
wi.xno nlluson TO you n'adaiu,) both al tho
-.Vie time. lIHi lille smoke IA the cnJnp,
where there Is no wunian la mnkc fuss ~
bout il, 10 not much minded. On one por.
tiun Of the coal7 md cWher7 IS a large kctI