The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-07-21
HARD LIVES.



Of England Live. FFNF
[Mayne Rcd, in New York Tribunsl iit
OF the three callings which form the
subject of this letter, that of the char
coal burner is the most exclusive as re-
CARDS the men who follow it. They are
few in numbers. but have rarely any
other business, since charcoal-burning
gives employment at all seasons OF the
year and, though apparently simple
thing, it is not SO, calling for both
knowledge and skill. The material they
have to deal with is the "lop and tor"
of the trees, for cordwood, and their
modus operandi is as follows: A floor
or "pit" is prepared by clearing the
rubbish off the ground, and then hol-
lowing out a circular space some six or
eight inches in depth, but of no fixed
diameter this being dependent on the,
quantity of wood to be "charked |" In
that particular pit lying conveniently
near for carriage to it. In the center OF the
floor four or five short, stoutish billets
are placed with ends touching, so as
themselves to inclose circular space of
foot or eighteen inches diameter, and
on three the ends of the charking sticks
are rested slantingly and radiating like
the spokes of a wheel. On the
outer rim of this first layer a second is
placed in 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 a
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 per-
meates 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 air-hole 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 thing of
the night as well as the day. 1t needs
two men at least to undertake the task,
who in turn 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 shovel
full of earth any spot where flames may
threaten an outburst. In fine, when the
fires burn themselves out the charcoal
is a made thing, and only needs separat-
ing from the ashes and earthly matter
which have got mixed with it from the
superimposed sods.
The "charkers" are paid for their
work by measure. of the quantity OF
charcoal produced, the standard of meas
urement being a large oblong basket
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 or the fab
rication of hurdles. These men 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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS affairs of
conical form made of poles set sloping
against one another, gathered in at the
top, and matched with a coating of turf,
just as are their charking fires. Many
of these huts are made long enough to
hold half a dozen men; though rarely
occupied by more than two or three,
when there will be a like number of rude
beds in them, with full paraphernalis
of cooking utensils. Some of the bach
elor "charkers," who have 40 ambition
to pay house-rent, stick to these sylvan
abodes throughout the year, whether
they be at work or not.