Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-04-12
MAHOGANY FORESTS.
WITH THE CARRIE LUs1BERsiEN
OF HONDURAS.
an Accou; OF Mahogany Cutting
anu Transportatfon-A Skcie-
ton'iined Forest Trail
Nude Implements.

, but 1t is thicker, tougher, aud of a more
lustrous green. Tho bark is smooth,
even on gigantic specimens, and trunk
no more Than fifty feet long is often X
lcet i'll diameter at the base. The
hncit variety grows on the hard, rocky
soil, and Is of such slow growth that the
grand ones, still standing in isolated
spots, FAR from rivers, are estimated to
DC over 200 years old; by their sides
arc rotting trunks of still larger dimen-
sions, and who can guess their aye?
Along the Ulua most of the eood sized
trunks have been cut, because the native
woou cutter is very lazy, and if he can
cut tree and have it topple over into q
stream TO be foatcd to market, he will
not trouble himself with finer wood that
grows ut greater distance from the
t;cam.
When the superintendent has decided
upon The valley in which he will work he
constructs shelters, where the stream
reaches the ocean, for the necessary sun.
plies, and builds rude dams mt the same
point to secure the cut logs rs they float
down. Constant communication and
transportation Of rations are maintained
between this home station and the
branch establishments up the river by
means OF canoes or "pitpans" rowcd
and padded by natives. These boats in
inc beginning also curry up the heavy
log Chains, which cannot always be
taken overland through thick virgin for
ests where tho oxen haze to be forced
through, not with the usual lush, but the
cruel spike or prod The branch stations
are huts with 'cahoon" leaf roofs, W tn
upright poles to swing hammocks, and n
few iron pots for kitchen utensils.
The cutting season commences in
August = the beginning of the dry season
-becausc at that period the wood seems
tc De more compa in texture and less
liab'c 10 split in falling, and gives the
drivers time to haul it to the river be-
lore the rains make the roads impassablc.
The laborcrs are divided into gangs of
from thirty 10 fifty each, and under the
command OF some trusted hand who as
signs the daily tasks, tining and reward
ing ms men according to their work.
Besides this, each gang has hunter
VINO starts ont very early to spy out trees,
and carries horn or ''conch," which he
sounds from time TO tine TO enable his
gang to follow. He usually goes to
some high point, or climbs some tall pine,
and his accustomed eye quickly detects
the almost impcrceptiblc reddish tinge,
which many mahonany leaves together
present. One tee at II time is suti,c .ent.
and he quickly makes his way to if
marMs 1t, and blow, his horn for the cut
ters When they are in sight he auain
scar hes rs cfore. 1t is often the case
that different hunters may be worlipp
in the same locality for rival firms. and
after hours of toll one may reach his dis
covered treasure only to find it in the
hands OF another party. Hunters pride
themselves much on their skill, and MANY
cover their tracks i'll true Apache stylc
by strcwing leaves and moss behind
them, hy walking backward in soft
ground, aud by many other articles well
known by those skilled i'll wood craft to
deceive pursuers, and not seldom the
very means they take to cIudc, furnish
their equally skillful trailers with all the
information they desire.
The tree is usually cat ut about ten or
t" elvc feet from the ground, the men
working on rude platform. temporarily
built for the purpose. The trunk below
the cut then decays, and is lost. The
cut is made so high from the ground
because at that point the tree is gcncr-
ally cylindrical, and below huge ribs
pass down to the ground, which arc very
difficult to cut. The wrctchcd axes which
the Carib cutters use would bring n smile
to the face Of a Nevada chopper. They
arc sharp but light; the haheies about
two feet long, to which The blade is fast
cned with rawh dc throng. The men
seat themselves tailor- fashion on the
platform and cut incc sanity, until dan
Serously near the falling point, when all
retire from the platform but one cool.
headed native, who finishes by gentle
strokes, until warned by those watching
the tree, ut the Instant it begins to in
cline, when this last one jumps to the
ground in an opposite direction. This
true giant Of the forest seems 10 gather
but little speed in the fall, but the crash,
when he brushes through the surround
ing timber, may be heard for miles.
The tree is then stripped of its heavy
limbs, which furnish those beautifully.
grained varieties seen in the handsomcst
furniture, after which the trunk is sawed
into sections ten feet long, and the bark
hewn of to make square timber. All the
men not engaged in cutting have mean-
while been building n road from the
river through the center of the cutting
district, from which main path many
branch roads are built to the individual
trees. Through the low country, where
inursllcS must DC HllcU IN ana small
Comes by "a The mnst ayduorS wo.s, End
in higher lands this labor is vexutious
enough, who 1t is understood that cut
ting away 100 yards of tough undcrbrush
is good days work.
Near the coast, and among the old
cuttings, carts are used to carry out the
square mhcr. but i'll the in erior moth
ing but drags can be employed; and
very often, when desirable TO get out
fine large log, the cha ms are simply
fastened to it, and it takes its chances
while being hauled by CT ht or ten
oxen, to be marked and dumped into the
river. Trees arc seldom cut more than
ten or twelve miles from the river. owing
to the immense labor of road building |;
and the logs are always hauled at ght,
because of the intense damp heat of day
AT about 5 =. NJ. the drivers start the
oxen for the logs, reaching about l0p NJ,
and instantly load up their drags to re-
turn. The way is lighted by men carry
ing huge pine torches, and in many
places they are stuck in the oround nj tho