Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-10
LIFE IN 4 LOGGING CAMP.
HOW LARGE TREES ARE FELLED ON
THE PACIFIC COAST.

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A v,.st to . logging camp In Oregon a
Wssni- stoo would opsu the eye Il - sast
IN iumbsrmaa, Who vusd hardly coupre
hsnd how lneging operations could b car
ried on In . country whers there b no snow
and where the soil 10 % soft that is b inpts-
ahie 70 haul . large log over IL without skisis,
md where. besides, The iogS are many times
the size and weight Of the logs If the east
The CAMPS are generally pitched near ths
landing, and consist Of ssveraI buihinu Of
q somewhat permanent character. One of
thee ID the cook houss and dining ROOM
often presided over by Chimes cooks and
vsiserx, though in sons districts the logger
insists on white labor and gets II. Another
10 the sieeping room for the men, which con
sistS OF long room With two or three tieFs OF
hunks arranged along each side. having
large hall in the center which b used for
recreation room
But little reading Is tndulGed in, - the
camps are generally remote from postofncs.
but when newspapsrs arc brought In the boys
eagerly devour their contents, and the papers
arc divided up into single sheets, 20 - 70 give
all . chance
The foreman and the surveyor have ths:r
own shanties apart from shs men, and In one
Of these are kept one or more beds for the
USE Of vistorA
The men provide their own bedding and
blankets, which they tote" around from one
camp TO another.
THE cHoPrxRA
Starting from the camp up into the woods,
the visitor passes over . road regularly laid
out by the surveyor and about ten fest wide,
across which skids about eighteen inches In
diameter and four fest apart have been i'm
besided in the ground to about ooe-hak Of
their depth.
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 thess spaces the
logs are hauled.
Ahead Of the team . boy or Chinaman
stalks along, carrying . can Of dogfsh oil,
with which he greases every one OF these
pieces Of hard maple, and this allows the logs
to slip almost - easily - over snow. The
surveyor, In laying out the road, calculates
at what point the logs will strike the skid 30
that the hard maple can be inserted at the
right spot and where there arc many curves
this often requires = very nice Judgment and
much experience.
Arrived At the scene Of operations, the drst
sight that will greet the visitors eyes will b
two men standing on spring boards let into
the tree at an elevation Of eight or ten feet
from the ground, and chopping 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 trea
All choppers must be both right and left
hand men, rs they have TO chop on both
sides The choppers leave the tree as soon as
they have made the requisite incisions, and
their place is taken by the sAwyers, who
bring their own spring boards on which they
stand.
The reason given for leaving 30 large
stump is that the tree is apt to be shaky near
the ground. and the brush II often thick
close to it.
At one time trees were cut OF at o distance
of twenty feet, and even farther, from the
ground. but this was largely through spirit
OF emulation as to which men could work
highest in the air. This has been discontin-
ued, and as the timber becomes more valua-
BILE the logging companies are insisting upon
the stumps being shorter and shorter.
No tree is cut that is less than thirty inches
in diameter at the butt, and the trees more
than six or 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 it into 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
THE "BULL 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 the
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 II the log is not rolled just right
it will turn over on its journey to the landing
and draw out the dogs
The bull puncher" is one of the most i'm
portant men around the camp, and sometimes
receives much or more pay than the fore
man. II good man. he is never out Of work
or off the pay roll. His wages are from eG0
to $40. and in two instances they have been
as high as $40 month and board
He usually has from six to ten yoke Of oxen
in his team, which he drives BY word OF
mouth. occasionally prodding 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 puncher' from this goad.
Every one Of the animals understands his
place, and in the morning will go direct to
that part of the 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 leave the place over which they should
be hauled.
Arrived at the landing, the logs are either
rolled into Il stream or loaded on to logging
trucks TO he transported to the sound or
river, or in some instances are tumbled into
artificial bitches, wh,..h have reservoir be
hind them that fonts the logs to open waters.
where they are raftei-Portland tOre.) Cor.
New York Journal