The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-05
Making Shingles In, tho Dismal swamp.
AS We plunged deeper into the swamp

AS We plunged deeper into the swamp
tho trees increased In size. Here and
there black pool OF water lay gleam-
Ing sullenly, hiding, as it were among
thick growth OF rank ferns and veno-
mous-looklng howors Vine-covered
Expresses rose high alott, the inevitable
streamers Of gray moss hanging notion
essly pendent. The noise Of the shin
gle-cutters sounded ever more clearly,
like tho rapping Of a gigantic wood
pecker-"tap, tap, tap; tap, tap, tap"
AS they chopped out the shingles, the
sound of the invisible workmen and an
occasional burst of laughter echoing
mysteriously in the gloomy and other
wise unbroken solitude; and so we
came upon the shingle centre. The
wOrkmen had just excavated log, the
butt or root part within few inches OF
the surface Of the ground, tho stom at
the farther end some two or three feet
below. AT about twenty feet distant
from the butt young man was busy
saving through tho log. His cheeks
were hollow, his features angular, a
general cadaverOus look betokening
chills and fever. Tho saw and a han
die only at ono end, like the instru-
mont used for cutting ice. The sharp
end struck deeply. into the ground at
every movement, but was not dulled,
because Of the entire freedom from the
grit of the soil, composed as it is of de-
cayed bark and vegetation. We watch
ed with interest, taking sketch in the
mean time, until the log was sawed
through. 1t now made section about
twenty feet long, and comparatively
easy to handle. The gang, composed
Of half dozen hands, now set to work
to raise 1t from its resting-place, with
long levers of stout saplings, the pro-
cess accompanied by many grunts and
oaths. 1t was picturesque sight-the
men in their red and blue shirts strain
ing and Juggling at the giant log that
lay In its long grave-like cavity. At
length 1t starts at one end with a suck
ing noise as it leaves its oozy bed, rises
gradually to the surface, and finally
rolled bodily out of its excavation to the
fresh air, where it lies like some newly
disinterred antedeluvian monster, huge.
black, and Shiny.
"A purity good log," says one of the
men, as he draws the sleeve Of his red
shirt across his sweatbeaded brow.
When the log Is thus finally raised it
is sawed into sections each about two
feet in length; these are then split
down to the requisite thickness for
shingles. The logs are first discovered
by means of sharp iron stake which is
thrust into the ground wherever a
slight mound-liko elevation betokens
the probable presence oflog or logs be-
meath. If the point of the stake strikes
the hard surface of wood instead of
sinking easily In the morass, the soil is
cleared away, and a square foot of the
stump is exposed. The practiced eye
OF the shingle man can tell at once
whether the log is useful, the requi-
sitos for use being straight grain
throughout, with no kno;s, soundness
and no decay. If a sound, good log, it
is then uncovered, sawed through, and
then raised. When the log was COM
pletely raised. our guide resumed his
work, splitting the sawed sections up
into shingles. Taking seat on one of
the dryest of the fallen logs, he took
large "chunk" uprig hit between his
knees, He used broad knife-b blade,
with long wooden handle, which he
placed on the log, driving it into it with
heavy hardwood mallet such as Is
used by sculptors and stone-carvers.
At little distance from him a shaggy
looking fellow with red shirt and patch
ed trousers was sitting at sshingle
horse, shaving the split slabs of wood
smooth and tapering. Beside him lay
a pile of clean and crisp-looking shay
ings, emitting that odor peculiar to
seasoned cypress. The horse used is
the ordinary cooper's horse, and needs
no special description. From this
point the shingles are carried to the
roadside, to be handy for transporta-
tion.