The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-04-23
THE AXE.
A Word Of Caution to the inexperienced
Wood-ChOpper.

Wood-Chopper.
Iwell remember my first axe, and my
early experience with it. 1t weighed
four and quarter pounds, being tho
heaviest one 1 could find at the time. l
was fresh from school-fresh from
class in natural philosophy, one OF my
saVorite studies.
I knew all about inertia, and had
learned something of the force OF gray.
itv and the laws of falling bodies I; had
rightly guessed that chopping wood
might be hard work, and determined
that my knowledge of physics should
help me out.
l would have heavy axe, Il long
handle-would move slowly, and take
strokes that would count when they fell.
Nv axe-handle was thirty-four inches in
length, the longest one in the store. !
had hired tough little French Cana
dian, weighing about one hundred and
twenty pounds, to help me at this work.
When he came he brought an axe,
mere toy, l called it. / think it
weighed two and half pounds, with
handle only twenty-six inches long. |
| told him | had fair-sized job for him,
and thought it would pay him to buy a
| full-orown axe He smiled and said he
guessed his would do. | tried to ex-
plain to him the beauties of a heavy axe,
and the wonderful advantage Of long
handle But it was all in vain was
only wasting time he could not under
stand it..
Poor fellow!" thought l, che knows
nothing of the beautiful science OF
physics. 1t is too bad that he should
thus waste his strength through ignor-
ance, and be unwilling to listen to the
voice of wisdom"
| We went to the wood-lot and began
work I had decided that we would
work separately during the first day or
two, in order that I might show him
what | could do.
AS | began to swing my axe | felt
proud of its ponderous blows that rang
through the woods, and rather pitied the
poor fellow who was drumming away
with his little axe, taking about two
blows to my one.
Presently had to stop and rest, and
then again. and still again. But Joe,
my man, kept pecking away quietly,
steadily and easily.
Every few minutes | would stop to
take breath; but Joe seemed perfectly
able to do all necessary breathing, with
out stopping his work for the purpose.
| When nj ght came we piled up our
wood and measured it. Joe's pile meas
ured one and one-half cords, mine only
| thraa-uuartnrS of q cord
During the early part of the day had
planned giving Joe another lesson in
the evening, to see if [ could not make
him understand the elementary prinei
Piles of wood cutting, and the philosoph
ical requirements of an axe.
But when night came | decided thai
perhaps it wopld be as well to let him
90 on in ignorance, and thereafter re-
NAMED silent on the subject.
The next day felt lame, and stayed
at home. Joe put up his cord and 6
half as usual.
When Invent to the woods again Joe
and worked together. Not many day;
passed before found an excuse for buy
ing lighter axe and shorter handle
And every axe and handle that | have
bought since then has been lighter anc
shorter than its predecessor.
Whenever | use an axe now | selec
one very much like Joe's, both in weigh
and length of handle. | can use thi.
without getting all out of breath, anC
can hit twice in the same place. Th'
result is / can do more and better worl
and save a vast amount of strength
| ~ ~