The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-09-01
THE MAINE RIVER DRIVERS.
Long Hours and Numerous, il Not
Luxurious, Meals.

The annual coming of the river
drivers, whose tents are now pitched
near us on the banks Of the AMBER
Scroyyin, is in event anXlon>Iy await
ct thus year, not only by the nmhcr
manufacturers, but also by the lum-
hrl consumers And not by these
alone: for the lnml'rrmrn will soon
be along IN quest of new snlts OF
clothes and the luxnries of civilized
life. They are vigorous, energetic
men, leading a jolly if Il laborouS and
dangerous life. \ g|ancc at their
style of doing things may not be
without interest at this time.
Three hundred men will cover and
cut section of about three miles
square, taking off 10000 logs, which
wonl,l measure about l0,W|0,(n)0 feet,
each season. Work begins at day.
light and ends at dalk; and when
the days lcn.then, or the moon favors
long twilight 0, early morn, the
men get tho benefit in longer work
ing hours. On the river, when the
drive is started, work begins at three
o'clock in the morning and ends at
nine in the evening, the men having
five meals--brcakf;lst at three, lunch
at nine, dinner at twelve, supper at
five and tea at nine. The meal con-
sists of pork and beans, corn bread,
molasscs cake and tea or coffee.
No stint is given to a mans arro
tite. The fare, such asitis, is abund-
ant, monotonous, nutritiousan and cheap
\ cook is provided for every fifty
men. The beans are generally the
large white bush. palboiled in pots
holding about half 4 buShcl, then ten
pounds of pork is set in the middle OF
the beans in the pot, 4 quarter OF a
pint of molaS>c> poured in, and then
the pot is set in hole surrounded
with hot ashes and burning charcoal
tho tor, covered with il stone, over
which a heavy wood fire is built, ant
, he,e they stay from five to eight
hours. coming out a palatablc dish
All the baking is done in ludely built
stone ovens, which are heated before
the dough is mixed with good woo'
fire. The loavcs of biscnit or CAKE
are set upon the stones and arc cook
ed quickly and thoroughly.
\ camp Of 300 men will CON um(
daily four barrels of beans, half
barrel of pork, one barrel of flour
half a barrel of meal one quarter o
a barrel of sugar, and five GALLONS o
molasscs. The men are encamlSd II
tents, making their beds of boughS
while their extra clothing, a pair "
dark ovcralls, WOODEN shirts, and tw
nairs of wooden socks, is kept in al
old grain sack and used as PILLOW
at nj ght.
Sunday in the woods is always
day for sharpening axes, mendin
slels, repairing boots and clothes
setting out new tcnting spot handle
to the cutting in the woods, and a
the odd chores which would gro
out of the congregation of so large
body of men. All well-rcgulate
CAMPS exclude liquor. Being usual
;, fifty to one hundred miles from an
r settlement, and the men not beln
,, paid until the end of the season, thel
is little inducement for any specul;
tor to pcddle rum through the wood
: or for the men to stragylc offin scare
- of it.
The consumption of axes and hal
y dies is enormous, an Ak lasting
- month and a handle three week
! The axes a,e s]'arpcncd daily, son
- camps having regular sharpcnc'
y, while others require each man
- keep his own Ak in order. The O
y axes are never collected tor the jul
y dealers, the distance to ship the
~ being almost too great to make 1t
- - economical measure. -. Lewiston
~ (Mainc) Journal.