The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-10-06
A Lllmberman's Life... Rafting Logs In
the Streams OF Pennsylvania,

A Llimberman's Life... Rafting Logs ii
the Streams Of Pennsylvania.
The Williamsport correspondent a
the Philadelphia Times writes: The pos
OF danger is on the jams, and there tht
most skillful men are sent. Pitfall.
Will open in the midst of solid mass
OF timber, and then close in moment
after having dragged man down be-
yond all help; a log will move few
inches slowly and unnoticed, and then
with movement like an arrow. strike
luckless man, crushing the life out ot
MN In an instant. On every side dan.
/ gers are lurking, and he is fortunate
lnat passes a spring without injury.
ihere IS something attractive In the
LOOKS OF log jam, and if the fascina.
ton that danger has were taken from
It still men would rather work there
than on the shore. The long, narrow
sea of white timber, creaking and
writhing with the action OF the current:
the water roaring and foaming as it es-
capes from Its prison under the logs,
and the logs themselves nodded into
fantastic shapes by the terrible pressure
behind them, all have an attraction for
men who are impressed by strength or
plcturesqueness. After jam is formed
the Jam-breakers are sent on it, and the
Doss may be seen directing the work
| and examining to see what holds it.
sometimes it is one log, and again it
| VIII be several knotted together In such
| way as to almost battle the most ex-
perlenced, but generally one or two
"hoeds'' will start it. The floods are
made by the large floating dams, and
Will raise the water several feet, lifting
Jam up into the air as if it were a toy.
boat. If a specially large flood is need
ed, two and sometimes three are used
at time, the flood gates of the lower
dam being opened Just as the. water
from the dam above reaches it. In this
way an immense .splash'' is obtained
mat only the most refractory jams can
successfully combat : :
There are few grander sights to be
seen anywhere than the moving of a
large log jam. The grand strength
with which they move, tearing out The
largest trees and forcing everything be-
fore them, and the fierce motion OF the
logs, like the crazy shuttles OF some
giant machine, and the perfection of
force, compel enthusiasm from the most
phlegmatlc spectator. The wild hur-
rahs OF the men on the logs add to the
excitement, and an observer is auitel
sure to find himself running along by
the side of the moving mass cheering
as Il he had won a battle. The mon
who are at work scarcely realize the
danger, they are so carried away with
the excitement, and they may be seen
jumping from one log to another and
cheering as if perfectly safe on solid
ground, instead of on q dangerous sea
OF moving logs that are continually
rising and falling and dodging this way
and that, driven by the food Of water
furnished by the floating dams, The
skill shown by experienced ffoafers Id
riding logs is wonderful, and7it- seems
impossible for human dexterity to reach
such perfection. A jam will sometimes
form where precipitous rocks make it
impossible for the men to escape on
either side, and they must ride the logs
for several rods. In such places the
water is always swift, sometimes form
ing rapids, anfwatching the logs Jump
ing, tumbling. rolling along with
deafening roar, one wonders how men
can live among them for an instant.
Behind the jam breakers come the
sackers with their teams, drawing the |
logs that jams have forced far out on !
the banks and rolling in those on
the shore. $ Bringing up the rearn
is the technical term given this work |
by the lumbermen, and it is no more |
desirable than occupying the same |
position in the army. It is terribly cold |
work, too, wading in the snow water. /
ice freezing on the levers and on the |
clothing wherever exposed to the air.
and makes the spectators shiver to see |
them. But the hardy lumbermen don't
mind it. They expect it and their
strength is equal to the demand.
At meal-time they all come with
orodigious appetites for their rations,
hat, are as hot as they can be eaten.
Hot biscuits, potatoes, eggs. meat, tea,
;offee and everything else, solid and I
liquid, ere smoking like the steam
rom q locomotive, while generous I
1raughts from the cup that inebriates
ldd their fuel to the general fire. No
old victuals are current in log-fioating
ime- All the chill required is found /
n the iee-water, and something has to
'e taken to eounteract its influences.
The nights are spent in camps where
he roaring fires, burning all night, par
ially to dry the wet clothes that must
,e put on in the morning. Coming into
he room where the clothes. are hung
.reat cloud of steam is seen that rises
o the ceiling, where it condenses, and
'ither falls down in drops or evaporates
m the warm boards, and the clothes
re all smoking as if engaged in q con-.
est. When the river is reached the i
ife changes. There are few Jams to
'reak, less wading, and more riding in
'oats, and all the work is easier and
ess dangerous. If the logs stop on
ock that is out in the middle of the
iver, boatman carries some men there
vho may roll them off and get into the
'oat again without danger and without
.etting wet. There are logs along the
hore to be rolled in, but the water is
lot as swift as In the rms and in fba