Osage Valley banner., 1881-11-03
THE sEALER's STORY.

II was the second winter we used the
"shoot" of the Black Stoss down into
the north branch of the ST. Margarite.
This shoot, as they called it. was a lum-
Der slide; kind Of inclined trough.
leading from the table-iahI back OF the
.'Stoss," down to the river; the side of
the mountain here being quite too ledgy
and precipitous 10 admit of using or,li-
nary logging sleds and cattle upon it.
Our company owned q large tract of
spruce and pine in the back country
above, and the shoot was built TO run
the saw-logs down from the brow of the
mountain to the water, where they
could be rated to the mills, IL had
cost upwards of ten thousand dollars,
and was rather more than half a milein
length, being carried in straight line
downward at an angle of not far from
thirty degrees. The bed OF the shoot
was of hewn logs, matched and tree
nailed together, forming a smooth, in
clined plane five feet in width, with
''shores, or sides, OF the same squared
timber, two feet in height. A kind of
huge spout was thus made down which
the logs could be discharged upon the
ice in the branch. This was rs It stood
and was used through the first winter;
but during storms, the snow troubled
us o great deal, drifting over it and
fouling the slide, and before commenc.
ing work the second winter. a plank
boxing a. shed, was built over a great
part of ii, tC keep out the snow. Joists
were spiked TO the "shores,n on the
outside, and to these the planks were
nailed, thus converting the shoot into q
long box. FIVE feet in length by about
six in height. high enough, in fact for a
man to stand erect in. From the tor
OF the shoot sled-roads led of into the
forest in all directions. As fast as the
loads OF logs came in, they were tam
bled upon the inclined brow, OF
''apron," and thence set in motion
with pike-poles, into the throat OF the
great spout. One set sliding, no far.
ther care for them was needed. Down
they would 90, gathering headway
rapidly on the steep, smooth slide, anC
would come out az the toe with ire
mendous force and spitefulness plow
ing into the frozen earth, or plancine
along the ice across the river. In fact
the logs 'broomed'' and split SO badly
that u SLOW was rugged to catch then
on; this latter contiiyance being /
continuation OF the timber spout, car
ried for a hundred yards or NOR,
across the stream, on a level surface
Three men wero kept &c the toe, to Sc,
that the logs did not foul there. From
the brow at the top, "A strong wire TAI
down the foot, where there was a bell
A lever at tine top WORKED the wire
When load Of logs had come to TIN
1roW and was ready TO be sent down
the men at the top first gave the lcve
q wrench, to notify the men below (
stand clear A biz pine log, THIRTY fee
in diameter weighing at least two tons
and coming out on the slow with th
velocity OF a cannon bell, was no play
thing Sometimes .he logs would 2
end over end. clean across tlse river
log plunging down made "a peculiar
roaring noise. The whole shoot trem
bled and seemed to hum under il.
was something as when, IL q saw-mil
agreat circular goes tearing throug
loag log.
Week after week the wooded mour
tain.side across the the branch eehoe
10 that deep, prolonged ,0AiT-r-r-F
We had thirty teams drawing IN logs /
the brow. Al least a thousand log
were sent down every day Only on
log was let go at time, But eac
passed down the shoot, distance
about three thousand feet, in less tha
half minute. particularly in the mOrI
ing when the slide was icy. Beside
the men az the brow and At the toe, "
kept boy on the shoot, halfway ul