Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-04-09
HOW LOGS GO TO MILL.

are mdle VI save logs, ana tnaJ logs
sre trunks Of trees. Few, however,
know with what hardship and difficulty
the trees are felled, trimmed and car
ried from the woods where they grow
to the mills where they are made into
boards.
In the far West and in the wilds of
Maine are acres upon acres, and miles
upon miles, of evergreen forests. One
wooded tract in Maine is so vast that it
takes an army of choppers twenty years
to Cit it over BY the time it is done
new growth has sprung up, and an in
termediate one is large enough to cut;
so the chopping goes on year after
year. The first or primeval growth Is
pine. That is most valuable. After
the pine are cut, spruce and hemlock
spring up and grow.
Most of the men who live in the vicin-
ity of the lake region work in the
woods in the winter They camp in
tents and log huts near the tracts where
they are telling trees. All day long,
day after day, week after week, they
chop down such trees as are large
enough TO cat, hop off the branches and
haul the logs to the en4arest water. This
work is done in winter because the logs
are more easily managed over snow
and ice. All brooks large enough to
carry them, all rivers, ponds and lakes
are pressed into service and made to
convey the pohdsreus freight towards
civilization. All along The shores and
in the woods are busy scenes-men,
oxen and horses. hard at work, the
smoke from the logging camps curling
among thG trees.
Every log has the Initial or mark of
the owner chopped deep into the wood
TO identify it. Then, when the ice
breaks up, the logs are sent down the
brooks to the rivers and through the
rivers to the lakes, The logging camps
are disbanded, the loggers return to
their homes, and the heriver-driverS alone
are left to begin their duties.
The river-drivers are the men who
travel with the logs from the beginning
of their Journey till they are surrender.
ed to the saw mills. Edch wears shoes
the soles of which are thickiy studded
with iron brads an inch long; and each
carries along pole calleda "pick pole, "
which has a strong sharp-pointed iron
spike in the end. This they dtive into
the wood, and it supports and steadies
them as they spring from log to log.
Theft first duty is TO collect "the
drive The logs which form "the
drive" are packed together and held IN
place by chain of guard-logs which
stretches entirely around the drive,
forming what is called "the boom y
The guard-logs are chained together al
the ends about two feet apart. The
guard is always much larger than the
boom of logs, SO that the Shape of the
boom tfiay be changed for wide or mar
row waters.
And the head of each boom is raf
which supports two large wndlasses
each of which works an anchor. Or
this head-raft about thirty river-driver,
take up their position to direct the
course of the boom. T I.r-
To change its position or. shape, tet
of the drivers spring into u boat ol
bateau; one takes a paddle at the bow
eight take oars; and one, at the stern
holds the anchor. They row with qucl
strokes toward the spot where thu
anchor is to be dropped, the cable al
the time running from the windlass.
'Let gor' shouts the foreman.
Splash! goes the anchor overheard
The boat then darts back to the head
works. Out spring the men to he'll
turn the windlass to wind the cable in
} They sing as they work, and the wind
lass creaEs monotonon5 accompani
ment as ''Meet me by moonlight o
the popular "Away over yonder,
comes floating over the rippling water
. Meanwhile another bateau has bee
out with another anchor; and as bot
J windlasses turn, the boom swing
toward the anchorage, and thus is S
much further on its way.
Though the men sing as they wOrf
and make the best of their mishar
. with jests and laughter, they ofte
. carry homesick hearts In cold an
stormy weather their hardships al
: great, an involuntary bath in the ie
water being an event of frequent o,
currence. 7Alp their work demands
r constant supply of strength which
/, very trying; frequently head-win
will drive them back from positio
r which it has taken several days to gail
and all the toll of fresh anchorag,
!, must be repeated.
{ The most dangerous part of the wol
8 is ''slucing' the logs. When the boo
: reaches the run which connects Il
lake or river with the dam through II
f sluice of which the logs must pass, Il
: chain of guard-logs is detacheCE al
s fastened in lines along both sides OF Il
n run, and the RATS are drawn off to OIL
o side and anchored to trees. The rive
9 drivers. armed with their pick-pole
i are then stationed along the run, on d
3 dam. wherever they may be needed
g The liberated logs now come sailir
d along, their speed quickening as tn,
/ near the sluice. When they reach
# they dart through, their dull, rapi
# continuous thud mingling with the ro
! of the water. How they shoot {
(. sIuice! log after log-two, six, doz
Ie together-pitching, tossing, strugglin
\. leaping end over end; finally submittil
!. to destiny andsailing serQpely down t
river toward another lake.