Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-02-14
AMONG THEREDW00DS
FEELING BIG TIMBER IN A cALlFoR-
 MA LOGGING CAMP.
How the Choppers Begin Work on the seouoia Gisantea-FeIIing Trees with a Cross-Cut saw The
 Barker Logs.

Here we arc at RCckport. in Mendoeino county ata nd wood siw-mill. with capacitv of SO. tOO feet per day. IL IS o'r.o.k a. m.. with a damp. cool ar. and ibe men attiTed in blanket flannel 0yer,hilis. worn outside their trousers, lcok like sailors in the morning watch They are atOut Co take tEe tra.n Tor the yvoo''s and we will 90 with them. They are fl every nationally, and work under inc direction of a foreman. or boss ol Inc woods
 We stop beneath monster tree, fully 2CO feet high. and eight feet m diameter at the hase. tapering gradually To a diameter of about three feet. standing perfrcilv erect. leaning neither toward the i5p nor bottom of the steep hillside upon which it grows. this tree affords me example oi the methods used here in fell inr timber The choppers hrst erect a scafTold around it that will elevate them to the Lei--t decided upon as most eXpedient. and which in this instance Is seven feet from tbe grou d. Notches are cut m the free at the proper height in which each chopper inser.s the end ot his spring heard stout iron bound board specially prepared for the purpose
 standing on these spring boards. both on the same side of the tree, they began operations. one Chopping richt-hauded and the other left handed, and m short time their vigorous and skilliul blows et- feet scarf. or opening. fully three feet through. This done. they dismOunt from their scaiIold. notch the other side of the tree. shift their spring lCards and begin again. It Is their design 10 have this tree fall toward the lower side Of the hill. acros, a space where there are no intervening trees Co be injured. To ln- sure th,s. they insert into the ~undercut A piece of wood called ~gun-sJick, v which they explain with CcJmcirical con- Cis, ness si 0wS the true ccu'cr or the tree and the pclni toward which it will fall
 Ha. in. cut into the reverse side of the tree unti almost meeting the underCut. the choppers give several loud shouts of -Halo, Look out belOw7 as a warning Go any one within range of the tree. and thtn with a few mure blows they nd the monster crashing down the side of the mountain Down. down it goes, leaving a trail lilc that of a dozen gang blows, down Co tlc very foot of the mountain, wrcrp the foD sinks ten or twelve feet into the ground, and the head. Ong descent ls checked
 n many respects the methods of fell ing timber here Gescriled is similar tO that in use -af the ca,f but where the tree leans down hill. or toward other standing timber. the method is unique The tree k first undercut upon the upper side. Then the scaf- folding is shifted Go line lower side and a t,n-f0ot cross cut or falling saw is brought into rcgu;siiion aui au ~iuciSi0n made just ich;-l jLc uudercut When the saw has penetrated a few inches two immense
 U .f. 30. rr- f.tHf. mol rI- each. are ius rtei iu Inc cut behind the saw and driven iu s0l.Lly with a twenty bound s.elgr The monster at first settles | on the wedges but the steel rcsists the | strain. and tae position oi the tree is l gradually shifted suju the saw, reaching | the centre Oi gravity. it Cuc, topping | over. lodging safely at the top of the hill | The prac ice of saving down timber is | not confined Co those trees leaning the | wrong way but Is -radUally becoming | general
 The choppers having completed their | work. the barker comes on the scene. In | the mid,umm,r days his work is in some | respects frightened by the action of the | weather. tlc bark yieiiiug as much Co the | heat as Co his barking ldr a piece of | O,iagoII. steel about seven feet long flat | tened and sharply pointed at the nd. | with which he Vric, ol tuc bark after EayiE- cIt rings around tAc tree at, in tes,a.s of say Gen feet Imagine a tree 2UO feet long. lying up and | down on the siIc of mountain | at an angle of 70 degrees. with the top lIv lagcr of iarS removed. and a man | Cumpe led Go walk down on the fallen | trunk. leaning from side Co side as he pries of the bark and you have before you the average position of a r,dwoOd | barker at work. To guard against sliding | olI the tree. hc has inserted N the heels of | his boots three iron ~Calks' sharply | pointed and pro cCting about half an InCh | from tlC leather which he drives into the log after the manner of the line repairer climbing a telegraph pole. except that these ~Calks are under the heel. Al | though this Lark attajuS a thickness on some trees of eight tc fourteen inches. the larkers labors are h-htcned by is cOrru- gated form. winch causes it tO break lon | Citudina.ly a, it ispr.ed up from the wood. The bark is utterly va.ueloSs. lt is also the hlrkcr's duty Co lOp oT any limbs found on the tTcc-a duty he k SC dom called upon tO TCriCrm. as the few limbs belonging Co redwood are generally | cru he'd m iis failing.
 Tie cross cut sawyer next appears, and the third stage iu the preparation of logs | for the mill is entered upon These saws are always Viied ly one man only even on the largest logs and the tree is cat into lcug;h- hich oEc,p, iu rare instances. when there may ne a special demand for rough lumber tWel y-tHO or twenty four feet in lcgsth. range from twelve 10 twenty feet The ,lu~scUt sawyer out. fit consists Cf ,n c.-Lt-ioot saw. a chop ping aA. a Mau al. two or three wedge axes He stands ur Ou the ground along side the tree. sometimes seven or eight hours in one Spot making a single cut through one of the monsters. Where tlc tree lies up and down a side Li.i. it k art jo pinch his saw and impede it- progress This he re- medic b. inserting The wedge axes on top of h.s saw cut aUI driving them well in At timc, it hapFcas that a tree falls aCross another. or lies upon aud over a number of ridges in tLc hi.l side h this event he props it up on both sides of his saw cGt Co usy'cIt i.s sUappilg after the center hal teen reached
 Inc trees having been sawed into the re- qUirCd lengths two mn each provided with a patent i.Cs. having 0g-whocl and crank .ttiUiGrEt used .u turning over | logs ly t.e .gvcr.-. ol a >tcc. dog fastened Co an o!-i.c a-ircl Oar and propelled dy the cC-s. a.c.ul t.e L.l Co the spot where they are wing anI r..l tae logs 10 the foot oi tle h lL Il,, work requires strength, skill and .,ivify. aS may be inferred from the fact 'Llt ono 0l thc.c iJCEsCrcws will w,.-h t'ty-tUl pounds and has Co he backed from Jog Go lo- by tho man using iL
 Josh LIIr--. Nul- uau, dom swlre -yU may convince yuref li sWarei1g, but yu kant iAa o't.r UECIiCw.
 The >enator's Daughter.
 TWa-ai- St11 Cor Clev-lauI Lelic-I
 She came into the Scent car as it was