Wichita eagle., 1889-12-26
LIFE Tn A LOGGING CAMP.
HOW LARGE TREES ARE FELLED ON
THE PACIFIC COAST.

| HOW lARGE ihCEo HhG FCIICO OV
THE PACIFIC COAST.
Where Newspapers Arc Rare and Hard
Labor Makes Men Healthy and, Some
times, wealthy-The "Bun Puncher's''
Fancy Wages.
A visit to logging camp in Oregon or
Washington would open the eyes Of an east
erp lumberman who would hardly comprs-
hend how logging operations could Be car
ried on in a country where there i no snow
and where the scil is 50 soft that it is impos-
sible to haul large log over it without skids,
and where. besides, the logs are many times
the size and weight of the logs of the east.
The camps are generally pitched near the
landing, and consist Of several buildings Of
a somewhat permanent character. One Of
these is the cook house and dining room,
often presided over by Chinese cooks and
| walters, though in some districts the logger
| insists on white labor and gets it. Another
| is the sleeping room for the men, which con-
sists of long room with two or three tiers Of
| bunks arranged along each side, leaving q
| large hall in the center which is used for q
recreation room.
But little reading is INDUCED in, as the
camps are generally remote from postoffce,
but when newspapers are brought in the boys
eagerly dcvour their contents, and the papers
are divided up into single sheets, SO as to give
| all chance.
| The foreman and the surveyor have their
| own shanties apart from the men, and in one
| Of these are kept one or moro beds for tho
use of visitors
The men provide their own bedding and
blankets, which they tote" around from ono
camp to another.
TIE CHOPPERS.
Starting from the camp up into the woods,
the visitor passes over a road regularly lnid
cut by the surveyor and about ten feet wide,
| across which skids about eighteen inches in
diameter and four feet apart have been i'm
bedded in the ground to about one-haf Of
their oepth.
These skids have space at or near the CEN
ter hewed square, into which piece of hard
maple is usually inserted and held in place
with wooden pins, and over these spaces the
logs are haufed.
Ahead Of the team boy or Chinaman
stalks along, carrying can Of dogtish oil,
with which he greases every one of these
pieces Of hard maple, and this allows the logs
to slip almost as easily as over snow. The
surveyor, Ia laying ont the road, calculates
at what point the legs will strike the skid so
that the hard maple can be inserted at the
right spot, and where there are many curves
this often requires a very nice judgment and
much experience.
Arrived at the scene Corporations, the first
sight that will greet the visitors eyes will be
two men standing on spring boards let into
the tree at an elevation OF eight or ten feet
from the ground, and choppins into the tree
to make sure of the right fall. When this
has been done the cross cut saw is brought
into use to cut down the tree
All choppars must be both right and left
hand men, as they have to chop on both
sides. The choppers leave the tree as soon as
they have made the requisite incisions, and
their plsce is taken by the sawyers, who
bring their own spring boards on which they
stand
The reason given for leaving SO large
stump is that the tree is apt to be shaky near
the ground, and the brush is often thick
close TO it.
At one time trees were cut of at a distance
OF twenty feet and even farther, from the
ground, but this was largely through a spirit
of eelulasieo as to which men could work
highest in tie air. This has been discontin-
ued, and as the timber becomes more valua-
bic the logging companies are insisting upon
the stumps being shorter and shorter.
No tree is out that is less than thirty inches
in diameter at the butt, and the trees more
than SIX OF seven feet at the butt are gener-
ally left standing, as they do not pay to cut
at present
After the tree has been felled, the cross cut
saw soon cuts itdiato logs of uncertain length,
often depending ON the caprice OF the sawyer.
There is no standard of length-but logs are
cut anywhere from twenty to forty feet
long, and longer if needed.
TIRE "RULL PUNCHER."
As SOON as the tree has been cut up the
"bull puncher" brings a part of his team
usually two yoke Of oxen-and skids the logs
out into the sound, where they are fastened
together with dogs and chains firmly driven
into the timber. The foremost log has tha
dogs driven into each side. and this must be
done very accurately, so that the chains will
not pull unevenly The work Of fastening
the logs together requires good Judgment,
and the 'bull puncher' usually directs this
himself, for if the log is not rolled just right
1t viii turn over on its journey to the landing
and draw out the dogs
The "buH puncher'' is one Of the most i'm
portant men around the camp and sometimes
receives as much or more pay than the fore
man Ii good man, he is never out Of work
or of tie pay roll. Ills wages are from $50
to $40, and in two instances they have been
as high as S120 mouth and board.
He usually has from six TO ten yoke of oxen
In bis team, which he drives by word Of
mouth, occasionally proddinS one of the ami
mails with a goad, into the end of which a
sharp piece of steel is inserted. He derives
his name Of 'bull puocher' from this goad.
Every one Of the animals understands his |
place, and in the morning will go direct to
that part Of tho line to which he belongs. |
They are very intelligent at their work, and |
in making curves each one takes his share Of !
the work, easing the logs SO that they will |
never leavs the place over which they should |
be hauled
Arrived at the landing, the logs are either |
rolled into stream or loaded on to logging |
trucks 60 be transported to the sound OF
river, or in some instances are tumbled into |
artificial bitches, which have reservoir be- |
hind them that Goats the logs to open waters,
where they are rafted--Portland tOre) Cor.
New York Journal
The Place of Execution. Canton.
We pass now through a quarter given
ap TO the hewing ont of the solid, heavy
tofins used by these people-ftting