Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-04-04
WINTER AMONG TIE WOODSngN,
Hard Work by Day and jolly Times ar
Nigh, in the Forests of NaIae.


Despi:s the Improbable year inst
past ID the lumber business, the woods
men have gone in swarnls from Bangor,
as usual. this winter, to cat spruce AID
pine on the upper Penobzcos. One in
ducenent to the lumbermen to operate
is the low cost of provisions, it being
possible to board crew Ct men 20 to %
per cent. cheaper than year ago.
l. boT also is low, as the Prince Edward
Island boys have poured into Bangor by
the hundred this season looking for en-
Payment. and they have put wages
down and kept them there. Think Of
stout Young man swinging al ak all
winter for $40 to SIS a month and his
board. These are the wages accepted
by many Of tie Prince Edward Island
loggers. There was time in the days
OF big pines, Lear by, when woodsman
was looked upon as o man who had
learned a trade
Many people have queer ideas of how
loggers live IN the woods. They build
camp Immediately, if there is not one
already near the scene of their work,
and are seldom more than day about
It. The camp is simply log house,
with low sides and steep-pitcLed roof.
The chinks of the walls are filled in with
mud, moss, and leaves, and high bank
ing of earth or snow reacf.es almost to
the caves outside. The entrance is
in one end, and the only window is in
the opposite end. The cook and his as
sistant have sort of panty partitioned
off at the window end, and there are
wood and provision storerooms on either
side of the entrance The remainder of
the building forms one room. On one
aide Is a long couch made Of boughs,
lay or straw, covered with heavy quilts
and blankets, on which the men sleep in
row. On the opposite side is long
table, made of small logs, hewn smooth
on top, on which the food is served. In
front of it is big log hewn out for a
settee, and called the deacon seat. The
men, when done eating, have only to
turn around in their seat to toast their
shins at big fire of logs, which glows
and sends its smoke and sparks through
hole in the roof, six feet square, the
draft being aided hy roof-tree.
The fare is plain and monotonous,
/ l,,t -hclo
and beans, bread and mo,asses, anc
pork fat, the latter used for butter, make
| up a breakfast at sunrise Then the
! crew go to work, and, if near by the
| camp, they come back at l 2 o'clock fol
! dinner, which is beans and pork, Will
! pork scraps and doughnuts. The mel
! work until it is too dark to tell hem
lock from spruce, and then come bacl
| TO eat supper of the same viands
varied with dried apple-sauce. Fish il
served once or twice q week. The bey
erage is cheap tea.
Evenings and Sundays are passed il
telling wonderful yarns, singing ear
splitting songs, ard smoking. In som
camps tie men play cards, and gambl
for tobacco, clothing, and even wages.
The FOODS beans are the Test Of al
baked beans, ard put Bosom in tn
shade. They arc cooked III an iron po
placed il pit surrounded by Live coal
and covered tightly with earth owe
night. La the morning they are don
to turn. No range can compete witt
the bean hole OF the woods.
Ths woodsmen range in age from l,
to G5. 2re5s i'll heavy woolen or knit un
derwear, cheap ready-made clohles
cloth or knitted caps, moccasins, an
many socks aud mittens. They work 0
an. average four months, come out a
fat as bears, and with from $50 to SO
due tLcG They spenl tie money. an
then are ready TO work on the river 0
so driving.