The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-12-11
Logging Down East.


shire, particularly in the region around
Plymouth, is a very important one, and
yet one of which few people have any
adequate idea. The product reaches
into millions of feet, and while the ak of
the lumberman is welded without stint,
the effect is comparatively little noticed
in the forests that cover the mountains.
Away up the Pemigewasset valley,
among the foothills of the Franconia
range, stand immense forests. into
which each winter enter gangs of lum-
bermen. A rude shanty IS erected, in
which the men eat and bunk, and large
quantities of salt pork and salt beef,
flour, and molasses carried in, cook
procured, and the winter campaign is
inaugnrated. The life of the men in
these camps is a most monotonous one,
chopping steadily through the day, with
the exception of brief rest for dinner
and smoke. After supper they all
gather about the cooks fire to relate
stories or listen to the soulful harmony
drawn from two dollar and fifty cent
fiddle, and shortly afterward they climb
the ladder to their hunks in the loft.
The timber on hand is drawn to the
banks of the Pemigewasset, where it
lies until the breaking up of the ice in
the spring. With the rise of water the
logs are rolled in and the journey for
Lowell begun. Much depends on the
start, and it is very important that the
river should be Just the right pitch If
too low the logs strike on some rock,
and a '.jam" results, which is only
broken at the expense of much time
and labor, and of the cutting of quite
an amount of timber. Ii too high,
when banks are reached the logs are
distributed over the submerged lands,
where they must be hauled by team
back to the river. On account of the
great number of rocks impeding the
passage, the tortuous windings of the
stream, and the many rapids and falls,
it is impossible to form the logs into
RATS as on the Western rivers, but each
individual log must take its own in
dividual way, by many devious wander
ings, to the saw mills at Lowell. There
are many places III the river which are
much dreaded by the drivers, chief
among them being Livermore falls,
about two miles from Plymouth, and
Bristol falls, reusion of rapids about
five miles in length, on which nearly
every year some poor fellow misses his
footing while trying to start log
caught by some projecting rock, and
boiling waters quickly carry him out OF
sight forever. Then there are the falls
at Franklin, and Amoskeag at Man
chester.
The passage of the drive over the
Livermore falls is one of the most ex-
citing scenes imaginable, and is annually
witnessed by great numbers of people.
The water comes rushing through a
narrow, rocky chute, whirls around a
projecting ledge, and plunges over into
a seething whirlpool. Down this comes
rushing the timber with terrible i'm
| petuosity, whirling over the falls. I'm
mense logs are caught in the whirlpool
and sometimes thrown completely on
end. Often long stick of timber
catches on either side, other logs quickly
are thrown upon it, and in an instant a
formidable jam is formed Several
yokes of cattle are always kept in wait
| ing, with immense tackle, and coolest
headed driver is sent over the tumbline
waters, where misstep means instant
death, the rope fastened to some princi-
pal log in the jam and an attempt made
to draw it out. Sometimes one log can
be taken out and the whole jam re-
| leased, but more often the entire mass
starts slightly, only to settle again more
solidly, and the operation has to be re.
peated. Occasionally a driver is sent
out to cut in two the logs which holds the
jam. This is a dangerous proceeding
as the starting of the logs may throw
him under the whole mass. The scenes
at Livermore are repeated at every fall
on the Pemigewasset. Every bridge
pier, every projecting rock, and every
ridge of sand seems waiting to catch the
logs as they come on, and to invite the
formation of Jam.
| The typical r1ver-driver is to New
Hampshire what the cowboy is to tn,
West-a creature of unbounded pro
family and shirt collar. bold, reckless
and daredevil to the last degree. Ye
among the number are many who ar,
far above the average of such laborers
farmers sons who go down the rive
| for the sake of the one or two dollar
| per day, which is more than they car
earn at home at this period of the year
The life is hard one The men nevel
sleep in house during the trip, bu
two camps, the 'front.' and the 'srear, ;
move with the drive-here to-day anC
further on tomorrow
The camp consists of large cook's
tent, several "a TENTS" in which, on
few inches of straw. the men take theil
rest. At daylight the men are called
to breakfast, after which they 20
Immediately to the river In the mid
| die of the forenoon lunch is carried tx
them, and another at four p. m. Suppel
follows at dark. previous to turning
| in" The bill of fare is not extensive, bu
is one well adapted to the mode of life
Coffee, fried pork, boiled corned beef
gingerbread and biscuit, cooked il
old-fashioned tin ovens before an opeI
fire, and baked beans, cooked in tn,
ground, are the usual dishes. Coco
cooks are always employed, and tn,
men are never stinted. An immens,
wagon follows the drive, always fillet
and covered with heterogeneous col
lection of pike-poles and overcoats
tents, cofee-pots, etc. The trip usual,
consumes from two to three months
The drivers, cooks, walters, etc., com
prise force of about sixty men. with .