Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-09-15
PoTsDAM Sept >, 1854,
You viii see that my first chapter
is some like as where


"The Adventure Of ihe bear an5 flde
J. suag, but breat. ortn che mIdls.n
BIZ, something or other lranspircd to
- break" me off, and will write IN
der the more legitimate date of
Potsdam | had nice time in the
woods and shall long remember II,
as a time, OF rare enjoyment Well
would ii be if all city and Town den
lzeus bad as healthy a recreation Of
lorcd them as spending a week or
two each summer VA the " South
Woods where YOU can eat vcnisnn
aud trout, leave your haggard and
care worn town, live, and grow fat,
10 say nothing of being sorely tor
menled with black flies, guals aud
mosquitoes.
But | was telling YOU abnu, the
numbering business: Gangs of men
are sent into the woods in the fall,
who stay all winter, cutting logs and
drawing them to the banks of the
rver. They have a man cook, a
boss, and know about as much OF
the eastern war, the Japan eXpedi
lion, and other similar items. rs we
may suppose the llotienlois do. The
" boss where stopped happened
to be a tall down caster who
told me he had been fourteen years
IN the woods. aud lhirti-tNo months
al one lime, wlthoat gong out or
seeing the face of a--woman. Bat
he's a good fellow, and a capital
hand, aud Is lord over "a whole town
ship of land, aud more loo, aud III
warrant as happy as you. or !. In
the Spring all bands prepare to 90
with the drive down the river
That Is, they start HE logs IN their
down stream journey, Of the break
ing ice did not do thai) and follow
CA with their Jatfca,ir. and all nee
essary implements, 10 keep the logs
IN The river, and when lhcy lodge, to
dlslodge them. Each company has
mark which is stamped on the ends
of lis logs. so that, although they do
not usually drive their logs together,
they can be separated when they get
mixed, etc. This is very hard bus
iness-to drive logs-and requires
good hoalnen, aud those who can
ride Il single log if necessary, have
steady head aud strong arns. The
logs arrive at their destination, al The
mills, usually early ia June. These
mills are great curiosIles and you
would be greatly surprised could YOU
have placed IN q row the hall-doZen
saw-ullls of town IN Vermont,
with each their one saw, side by
side, with the half dozen of this town,
each mill from fifty to one hundred
and fifty saws, ia gangs There
are gangs that slab the log, and
gangs tina, saw Up a whole log. and
] believe two, al IA time. There are
Two, ten, or dozen saws in each
gong ; and sometimes ia each, mill
shlngle and lathe mills. EXTRA
There are nine OF these mills on
this river, erected, and in foil ope-
ration, day and night, ana Zone or
two of them) in process Of erec-
ton. The lumber is principally
shipped on the Northern Railroad,
TO Boston and New York, to sup
ply the great and increasing demand.
We are here yet in the infancy
of the business yet, it has assum-
ed a great importance to the whole
community, aud especially to Pots
dam.
But enough of the numbering
business Il must say something
about the woods, in another strain
than the consideration of the num-
Der of thousand feet of pine boards
that can be cut from the acre.
did not go into the woods to hunt,
nor fish, but little from curiosity,
and much for the healthful exer-
else. wished to bring healthier
glow to my cheek and roam through
the forest wild, drinking from its
fountains of beauty
Well was | repaid.
Father, thy haad
Hath reared these venerable columns thou
Didst weave this yerdant ioaf Thou dis look dawa
Upon the naiad earth, aud forthwith nse
An these fat ranks Of trees. They, ia thy sua,
Buddsd aud shook their green leaves IN thy bssezs