Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-08-01
Trees, Logs and Lumber.

Up the Saginaw in wide region,
reached either by the river or its tribu-
taries, the great pine saw-log, often
three feet Ill diameter, has its birth.
Pine forests, now rapidly thinning out,
once covered several thousand square
miles around the headwaters. Enter
ing that lumber region in the late au-
tumn, the lumbermen establish camps,
round which during the whole winter
long the axes resound, the tall trunks
fall. and in sections are rolled to the
adjacent streams for the spring floods
to bear away Floating down to the
main river, the boom men pick out
out each owners logs as identified by
the brand, and gather them inside the
boOms, which may be curtly described
as long tree-trunks chained together at
the ends, often inclosing a smooth wat
er surface of several acres. The coves
of the Saginaw-called locally bayous,
term borrowed from the Lower Miss
issippi-are especially adapted for the
gathering and organization of these log
armies. The military metaphor, in
deed, has peculiar fitness here, for the
logs are mustered side by side in COM
panies, held together by a rope fastened
to each log by device not unlike the
domestic clothespin. As these logs
down stream are worked up by the tire
less mills, these upper booms are drawn
upon for more. until the freezing river
finds them quite empty, and another
winter comes OH to yield its fresh SUP
ply.
But the saw-log's story becomes most
dramatic as it nears the mill and, loos-
ed from the restraining rope, is steered
into the glade of open water that leads
up to the wooden slide. Enter now
the great lumber mill, and we shall he
in at the saw-log's death. Down the
slide on wooden railroad runs a heavy
truck, fitted with two cross lines of
heavy iron teeth. With plunge il
dashes below the water. still holding its
place Oh the rails. Then three giant
logs are flOated above it. At signal
the steam is let on, the machinery re-
versed, the strong chain holding the
truck tightenS. and the truck itself be-
gins to ascend. The sharp teeth catch
the logs, which, in a trice, are lifted
dripping from the water, whisked up
like twigs 100 feet to the mill, and roll
ed off opposite the first set of saws.
These saws are two in number; one set
below is of the buzz variety, perhaps
siz feet in diameter, and cutting. there
fore, through three-foot log but as
this semi-diameter is often insufficient
for a big log, a second and smaller buzz
placed above and in front of the first,
cuts the slice, which otherwise might
still hold fast the slab. One of the
largest logs weighs number of tons,
and human strength alone would never
suffice to tnrn it after one of its sides
has been stabbed.
Just here comes in a beautiful piece
of powerful mechanism. AT the touch
of the lever a stout beam, armed with
| iron teeth, rises by the forest Titan's
side. 1t snatches the wood, and in less
time than words can tell it the log is
tumbled over, and the framework,
rushing back and forth with amazing
speed. has driven the edges of the tree
athwart the saws, until the once rough
stick stands forth symmetrical square.
Then, in another instant it is shifted
below the gang, set of ordinary up
right saws placed an inch apart, and Of
| ten with thirty or even thirty-fiye
blades. Below an ordinary circular
planer revolveS in front of the gang
and smoothes the lower edges of the
boards. The immense piece of timber
is run through in few moments, and
| what was five minutes before rough
tree trunk has passed into the inch
boards of commerce. Nor does the
work end here for the slabs are passed
to a new machine, which grasps them
| with almost human intelligence, and
whatever part of them can he made so
become laths. Other machines take
the harder woods, ash, elm, or oak, and
convert them with equal speed into
slaves, barrel heads or shingles and
finally the otherwise useless debris