The Red Cloud chief., 1881-05-05
GETTING OFT SAw-LoGs.

are Trunks III trcC> rev. h'NVf'i.
know with aha; hardship and difficulty
the trees ars feIlcj sr,umsi an! car
RED from he woos whore thew grow
10 the mills where they arr made into
boards.
In the far West AMI in the wilds ~
Maine are acres uiron acres. and miles
upon miles. Of evergreen forcsts. oae
wooded tract in Maine = 5, vast that u
takeSan army oi choppers twenty years
20 cut it over By Me time u . done a
nrw growth has sprung zap, ansl "a "
term,diAle ~ Is !Asg enough In .
SD the ch0ppsng goes "R YEAR alter
year. The aTsi or pr.meyaI growth
pane. That Is mss; valuable, After
the pine are cat. spruce and hemIoSS
spring up and grow.
Niost Ol the racn who live Ia the vic,n-
ity of the lake region worn in the
woods In tho winter. They camp IN
tents and 10y huts near the tracts Wbrte
they are ieling trees All LAY hang.
day after day. wcek after wees. thsy
chop down such trees as are large
enough To cut. lop of the bran he, and
haul the logs to Tie nearest water. thiS
WORK i done in winter because thc logs
are more easily managed over saoa
and lee. All brooks large enough -
carry them. all rivers. ponds anal lakes
sro pressed into service and madc To
convey the pondcrous freight towards
civilization. All along the shores aad
in the woods are busy scenes-men
oxen and horses hard al work. the
smoke from Tho logging camps curling
among tho trees 49,
Every log has the initial or marx Of
the owner chopped deep into the wood
To identify il. Then. when the ico
breaks up. the logs are sent down the
brooks ~ the rivers and through the
rivcrsto the lakes. The logging camps
are shanded, M losgers rcturn to
their homes. aud the riycT-driVcTs alone
aro leit u Dsga tacirdu
The rivcr-frivcrs are the men who
travel WITH the logs from the brginuiug
otthcir Journey TIL they arr surrender.
eli 10 the a wmilIs. Each wear, shoes
the solcs ot which are thiCkly studded
with iron brads IA inch long. and each
carries along pole eall.da ''pick pole
which has n strong sharp pointed iron
spike in the end This they drive into
the wood. and Il supports and stcadics
them a. they spring from loS To log.
Their first duty is to collect ''thc
Dive The logs which form .'fhc
drive are packed together aud he'll IA
place by a chain Of guar,l-Iogs which
stretches entirely around the drive.
forming wha; is called 1.-THE boom -
The guard-logs are chained together at
the ends about two feet apart. The
guard i always much larger than the
boom Of logs. so that the shape OF the
boom NAV be changed for Vide or mar
Anal the head Of each l,oom il a raft
which supports two large windlasses.
each Of which works an anchor. On
this hcad-raft about thirty rivcr-driyers
take up their position TO direct the
course of the boom.
To change is position or shape. ten
Of the drivers spring into n boat or
bateau; one taxes y paddle NJ the bow:
eight take oars: and one, NJ III. stern.
holds the anchor. They row with quick
strokes toward the spot where the
anchor is - he dropped. the cabio all
the time running from the windlass.
''Let go"' shouts the foreman.
Splash goas the sRcLor. overheard.
The bal uaen darf8 hack t,fhcbe.pi-
works. Dut spring the men 10 help
turn the windlass To wind the cable in.
They sing rs they work. add the wind.
lass crea<s n m~OnOtonous ACCOMPANY.
ment ~ Meet me by moonlight or
the popular AWAY over Wonder"
comes floating over the ripping water.
Meanwhile another ba,cau has been
out with another anchor; and rs both
windlasses turn. the boom swings
toward the anchorage. and thus is so
much further on IL. way.
Though the men sing n they work.
and make the best 81 their misha,s
with jcsts and laughter. they often
carry hoDesick hearts. la cold and
stormy weather. tlicir kaniships are
great. an involuntary bath in the icy
water being an event 81 frequent oc-
eurrencc. Also their work demand. n
constant supply OF strength which l.
very trying; frequently a head-wind
wiA driys t4em back from 4 position
y nich II has taken se rsrai days 10 gain.
aud all the toll of fresh anchorayes
must be repeated.
The most dangerous part Of the work
10 ..sluieing' the log+ When the boom
reaches the run which connects the
lake or river with the dam through the
,slgice Of which tbc loys must pas. the
diain Of guartlogs fs .dsaached. and
fastened IN lines along both side. oi the
Taa. and the rAits arc -dsaxE CT 10 one
side and anchored tn trees. The river.
divers. arned sth thsI piSk<oole..
are thee SEASONED aaosx The run. on The
darn. Wherever they may Ne ..escsl.
The liberated logs how come sailing
along. their speed guickeniny "a they
near the .AlEice. When they. reach Il
they dat througA. fheir dnil. rspld.
CONTINUOUS thud mingling with the roar
OF the water. Hsy they shoot the
slrice' log after log-two. SKA d.zen
together-pitching. tossing. strlggiiry.
leaping end over end; finally submitting
20 destiny and sailing s~ereneIy down the
river toward sDoshT lake.
leaawhile the rver-dryers with
their long po'es and quick movements
looking not unlike = basd If ayayrs.
have enough To do with steady feet.
md yes On the alert For of al The
vast array Of io2s-And I once saw
twentT-fJur thousand IN one driye-ns
n goes through tie sluiee bu; il
guided on TO IL BY one OF more Of the
driven. They oi,en ride ssaadiag on
the floating logs. Conducting this push
ing that hurrying another. straigh,en-
ing. turning snd guiding: and Just be-
fore the log on which driver stands
reaches the ssuic~ he springs to another.
Woe 20 him II his foo; shouId slip. or
his leap fall He woaid be crushed
among the logs IN the sl1iee. or dashed
among the rocks in The seethsng water.
After all the logs Are safely slsseed.
the chains o. the guards are .iipped.
tie RATS are broken up. and these.
windlasses and al. follow the log.-
Then the boats are ~: through The
siuice Sometimes when the dam i
high some Of the nver-driseEs 90
through in the boa;s--a d-zsgercus
practice. this; for often the ha,eaux
have gone under wafer. entirely asr o.
sight. 90 come mp below the fzils. AID
o than once hare lives been iost IN