The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-05-09
A Lumberman's Camp.

Three hundred Beu Will cover and
cu. section Of aboat three miles
square, taking If over Go.00O logs.
which would measure about l0O0 go
feet each .eas,n. Work begins al Hay
light and ends a. dark, and when the
day lep.,hen. or the moon fayors =
loager twilight or earlier morn. the
men ct the benefit in longer working
holrs on the river. when the drive is
-tarieC:. work begins at three O'Clock in
the morning aad ends ~ Iine in the
evening the raen having five meals
breakfast 1T SIX. lunch A. bite. dinner
at t~else. supper al five. and tea a,
ni.c. The meals Consi.. of pork and
beans, corn br' 81, molasses cake aud
ten or coffee.
No stint Is given IN = mans appetite.
fhe fare, such as IL Is. is abundant, mo :
notonous. nutritious aud cheap. A cook
is provided for every 80 men. The
beans are generally the large white
bush. parboi!ed in pots holding half a
bdshel: then ten pounds of pork is set
IN the middle Of the beans in the pot
quarter OF piut Of molasses poured
III. aud then the pot Is set In hole sur
rounded by hot ashes aud burning char
coal. the top covered with stone. over
hich heavy woo,i fire is built; and
here they stay from five 10 eigh, hours
coming out 3 most l,al table dish. All
the baking is done in rudely quilt stons
ovens, which are heated before the
dough is mixed, with good wood fire.
The Ioaves of biscuit or cake are set up
on the hot stones ani cooked q, ickly y
and thoroughly.
A camp Of 300 men will consume
daily four barrels of beans. one-half .
barrel of pork, one barrel OF Hour. hall
barrel of meal. one quarter of barrel
Of sugar. and five gallon of inolasses.
The men are encamped In tents. making
their beds OF boughs; while their extra
ciothing-a pair of duck overalls. wool
en- shirt. and two pairs pf wooden socks
is kept in All old grain sack, and used
as pillow at night
The Sabbath in the wood. i, always
= day for sharpening axes. mending
sled, repairing boots and clothes, setting
out rev tentiDg spot handler tn the
cutting ia the woods. and nj the odd
chores which grow ont Of the cobgrega-
tlon oi ~ large body of men. All
well regulated camps exclude liquor.
The work being usually located 2OO
miles from any settlement, aud the iuen
not being paid until the end of the sea
son, there is little iuducement for any
specuIa;or 10 pcddle rum through the
4 g. 4. s
search Of II
The consumption OF aAes and handles
Is enormous. an axe lasting "a month
and a handle bout three weeks The
axes are sharrened daily. some camps
having regular sharpeners. while others
require each man To keep his axe in
order The old axes are new r collected
for the junk dealer. the distance to ship
them being almost too great To make 1t
an economical measure. Woodmer
generally consider spruce harder on
axes than either birch or pine. The
gum which runs ont Of the spruce tree
Is often found hard enough 10 chip the
edge Of the axe when striking through
il The s'yte If axes differ with ma
tionalitics. Canadian chopper prefer
ring broad square blade. with the
,ish, more in the blade than el.e
where. :he handle being -hor. airi
ihsck 4 down east lo9ger. one from
Maine. select, u long. harrow head. the
l. ,dc IN crescent shape aud the Eeav-
lest PAR; IN the tip of thc head above
tttc r}t
New York cutters :, itci IL broad
CTesttu; shape tlade, the whole head
rather short and the weight balanced
evenly above aud below the eye. tha,
il. " whcrv tie hand.e yoe, through \
western beckwoudsman s.iccts long
ia l. the corners only rounded off. aud
the eye holding the weight q: the ave.
Itc American chopper, ~ rule. select, /,
a long, straight handle. The ditf, renee
ia handling i that dovt-easter takes
ho!a with both hands o! the extreme
end. and throw, his blows easily and
gracefully, with a long sweep over the
left shunltirr \ Csnuck chops from
directly over his head. with the right
hand we'll down on the handle 10 serve
In Jerking tha blade out Il the stick
\ Wcstcrner catches hold Of the end
If his handle. the bands about three
inches apart. aud delivers bis blows
rather direct from over the left shoulder
II fact. an expert IN the woods eau
tell the nationality or state man
has been reared ia bv seeing him
h,t one blow with al axe. Il Is. how
ever an interesting fact IL know ,ha, a
Yankee chonper. with his fsvorite axe
aad swinging blow. can. bodily strength
beiug equal. 10 9th more work iu
,he same time aud IL less iatigued.
THIS in a very large degree will account
f}r the greater percentage ot Maine
men who Will he found each year IN
the woods Of New Englant aud New
York 49, Nfies'. Iiutrat@l Hc,kiu.
TAX about bananas Tie corn
crop of the United States las year
ana united 10 ! ,295 GOO 600 bushcl. Al