Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-01
MAKING STUMP FENCES.
A Creation That is Pleasing to Some
Artistic Taste and Useful to the
Farmer
n. Y. Sun.

Farmer.
Ny. Sun.
One of the most noticeable features
of the farm lands IN this vicinity,
where low hills and valleys make the
scenery beautiful, writes WUlink
correspondent, is the stump fence.
There is an indefnitepess OF outline
and a wavy irregularity of construct
ion about a stump fence that entran-
ces an artist of the Deisartian school,
but the stump fence here is the out
growth of necessity, and not of arts
tic taste. When the land was cleared
1t was fenced with rails and the ground
between the stumps was planted with
corn and wheat and potatoes. After
a time the soft wood stumps, such as
Eastwood, rotted away, but fifty sea
sons of rain and snow had no more
effect on the pine stumps that dotted
these fields than a spring shower has
on a ducks back. At first the far,
mers tried to burn out the stumps,
but the wood charred over and the fire
went out, and then the stump got
water-logged IN the next rain, and all
the ingenuity of a Vermont Yankee
couldn't set them on fire after that.
The farmers tried blasting, but keg
of powder put under the heart Of
six foot stump only served 10 split 1t
open and leave the two or three parts
apparently as firmly undecided as they
were before. Finally machine was
devised for pulling out bodily the
stamps that had resisted the elements
for half century. 1t was a simple
affair. Three beams. seven by eleven
inches large and nineteen feet long,
were placed IL the form of pyramid
with their tops united in a heavy cast
ing that had big cast-iron nut IN its
center These beams were suitably
braced about one-thlrd Of the way
from the Top. A cast~iron screw
twelve feet long and five inches IN d.
ameter ran down through the big nut
in the casting and was prolonged by
means OF a heavy wrOught-iron rod TO
within two feet of the ground, where
the rod terminated in two hooks.
When stump was to be pulled this
big frame was placed over it. Then
hole was dug under the largest visible
root and big chain was pat under
the root and secured TO the hooks on
the screw rod. An able bodied horse
was then hitched TO a long lever com
nected with TIE nut at the top Of the
timber frame. When the horse began
to travel around the frame, the screw
began to rise and something had to
give way. That something was usu-
ally the stump, but occasionally the
chain broke or the screw stripped it's
threads. AS the stump raised, the
dentist, as the man who managed the
machine was called, walked around it
and jabbed big iron crowbar down
through the sod.
''Tbat's to let the air into the nol~
loW," said Farmer Kelly, one OF the
best known stump dentists Of the
country, as he repeated the operation
around the roots of big stump that
slowly rose out of the ground. "We'd
be lifting against fifteen pounds to
the inch, besides the weight of the
stump, if we were to make a vacuum
down there, you know"
AS the stump came out of the ground |
a chain called a wrapper was put
around it and the screw rod to Keep it !
from canting over, and then all hands
vigorously cleaned the dirt from the |
roots with picks and crowbars that
were spoon shaped at one end.
eve get 81 25 for each stump pull
ed and put in the fence. The best days |
work On record is $2l.25; the worst, |
one stump. That was six feet In
diameter and weighed about two tons.
It lifted more dirt than I can estimate
with it. When the stump is out and |
cleaned it is trimmed bit, and then
rolled on to sort Of mud boat and |
dragged to the fence line. The broad,
aat tangle of roots faces out from the
field to be fenced, and FERNS barrier
that no preaching celt or critter ever
tries to pass. The manufacturer
charges $3.50 for the iron parts of the
machine, and if the purchaser has not
the skill to make the wooden parts he
can buy them all ready for business
for $40 more. Within the last few
years dynamite has been used with
considerable success to shatter the
old stumps, but 1t is dangerous to
handle aud makes a good many fails
ures, leaving the stump partly split
and more,difficult to pull than before.
Besides that, a shattered stump IS no
good for fencing. Stump machines
came IN when rail fences rotted out,
and they fiji the vacancy cheaply and |
effectually."
T.. H.