Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-08-25

mouth with the back of his hand
after a meal and chew ''sawlog plug
with the best of them.
He overlook his big friend at the
brow of the hill among the logs and
rigging. The donkey driver, or ZEN
gineer," as he proudly styles him.
self, was busy getting up steam, and
the pulsing of the pump contrasted
strangely with the stiffness of the
morning such stiffness that the
smoke from the little engine went
straight UP in a bright blue cloud.
Over the divide, in the region beyond
Jordan, the pure morning light her
aided the sunrise
Out Of breath, he began with the
colloquial-
"Sayp
"Say it yerself, me son."
Sweet Lip says for me to work in
place of Alec, who amt show'd up
this morning. Sweet Lip" was a
nickname applied to the foreman, on
account of his ability to hire high
priced men for less than standard
wages.
After an inquiry or two concern
ing his absent partner, John said
earnestly, But, me son, did viz ever
chop anys'
Suckers for skids, stringers, and
the like o. that"
There's big difference between
'hackin' down poles and fallin' rid
woods"
Frank knew, but he said nothing.
The conversation became sparse, as
they had now to walk in single file
along the choppers trail, and all
signs Of road work were left behind.
The way was over fallen trees and
around stumps, down one side of
canyon and up the other, ending, at
last. in the chopping at the edge of
the green timber.
''That 'un II be the next" said
John, pointing to an eight foot tree
Of surprising beauty. Shes mid
dlin soft, an the grain il; straight
you can tell that by tie bark; an
she's sound as a dollar-tLe green
top shows it."
"Cold, premeditated MURDER"
Frank said to himself, and then
aloud, (which way are you goin to
send herr"
Between them two stumps, point
ing across the hill. There amt no
room to spare; but if she's as near
plumb as / think she is, can land
her safe enough" He took plumb
from his pocket, squinted up along
the extended line at the tree, and
was satisfied for he said, Get Alec's
ak and snipe off the inner corners of
both them stumps while l fix the
bedding"
Both were soon busy, John telling
a couple of arrowy firs, which he
afterward cut up into movable
lengths to be used in filling up a hol-
low that was in the line of direction,
while Frank rounded off the stumps
as instructed.
The next thing, after the bed was
made, was the construction of the
staging or scaffold. They cut socket
holes in the tree and inserted the
known as drivers. Across,
from driver to driver, the stage
boards were placed, and on these the
men now stood. The underwriting
began when the big man, with the
corner of his AK, had scratched line
on the face of the tree to indicate the
height and extent of the notch. The
fibrous, springy bark is hard to cut,
and keen axes will often bounce back
making visible incision.
You'll have to hit a more slanting
lick to get into it. John said. The
effect was almost disastrous. Frank
made swipe at the troe, the ak
glanced and hid itself between his
feet. John stopped. ''Now, me
son, said he, ''ye must hit where
you look, an take your time, or you'll
cut yer damn feet off,"
By noon the undercut was put in
md the tree ''gunned. A tree is
'gunned" when line drawn across
he stump from corner to corner of
he undercut notch will be, at its
,enter, at right angles to the point
where the top of the tree is intended
% fall.
A choppers geometrical methods
ire simple. Stripping fern of its
caves and using the stem as meas
ire, he finds the center of the line
lforesaid, and from this point ex-
ends 'gun stick" at right angles.
The "gun stick" is straight and
lender and about four feet long. A
quare is not used to find the right
.ngle Fern stalk measurement an
wers the purpose fully as well. He
hen sights along the stick, and, if it
'oints exactly in the intended direc-
ion, the work ON the front of the
rec Is complete. II not, the notch
aust be Clipped into until it con
orms TO the mathematical require
nents.
After dinner they moved their
taging to the back of the tree and ,
egan saving. This work came to
rank naturally. He was as timber
5 an eel, and the swaying motion
lited him. They rested occasional
:. During one of these SHELLS John
Md, IF you had as much sleight |
18th the AK as you have with the !
wv I'd ruther have you for a pard
en- than Alec"
When the saw was well buried !
ley drove wedges in the kerf to
eep the tree from pinching down,
al 4.