Connecticut western news., 1882-05-31
The Charcoal Burner.

The English charcoal burnes, says Captain Mayne Reid, are few inlumber, but have rarely any other business, since charcoal burning gives employ ment at all seasons of the year i: and though apparently 8 simple. hing, it is not so, calling for both knwledge and skill. The material they lave to deal with is the "lop and top of trees, or cordwood, and their mode of operation as follows: A floor or s'pi" is prepared by clearing the rubbish of the ground, and then hollowing out circular space some six or eight inch@ in depth, but of no fixed diameter; tlis being depend ent on the quantity of wood to be "charked in that particular pit lying conveniently near for carriage to it. In the centre os the floor four or five short, stoutisb billets are placed with ends touching, so as themselves to in- close circular space of foot or eigh- teen inches in diameter, and on these the ends of the charking sticks are rested slantingly and radiating like the spobes of wheel. On the outer rim of this first layer 8 second is placed in a similar manner and so on, till the pile is complete, when it shows the form of an obtuse cone, or hemisphere. Around the central axis, however, IS hollow space or chimney, which has been left open for the fire; and this first kindled at its bottom, by dropping down some burning faggots, in due time permeates the whole mass. But before any flames show on the surface the pile is carefully covered over with stratum of sods, and so kept, not an airhole being left open. Were the wood allowed to blaze up, there would be no charcoal-only ashes. And just to prevent this is the "charker's" business-a thing of the night as we'll as the day. It needs two men at least to undertake the task, who in turns sit up all night to watch the fires of the different pits-for there will be several on the burn at the same time going the rounds from one to another. and patching with fresh sod or shov. elful of earth any spot where flames may threaten an outburst. In fine, when the fires burn themselves out the charcoal is made thing, and only needs separating from the ashes and earthly matter which have got mixed with it from the superi imposed sods.
 The "charkers are paid for theil work by measure of the quantity ol charcoal produced, the standard ol measurement being large oblong bas' ket holding about three bushels. The exact amount of their earnings is not easily fixed, but certainly they do not make fortunes by ''charking," any more than they could by bark-stripping o1 the fabrication of hurdles. These mer stay nearly all their time in the woods, never returning home, even at night for weeks or months together. They dwell in huts erected by themselves quaint affairs of conical form made oi poles set sloplng against one another, gathered in at the top, and thatcheG with coating of turf, just as are theil charking fires. Many of these huts art made large enough to hold half doze1 men though rarely occupied by more than two or three; when there will be { like number of rude beds in them, with a full paraphernalia of cooking utensils Some of the bachelor " charkers," wht have no ambition to pay house rent stick to these sylvan abodes throughou the year, whether they be at work or not.