The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-28
A HEMLOck FOREST.
Junius Henri Browne Visits 70 Vast Lum
Der District.
Especial Correspondence.1

n Tn
Der District.
Especial Correspondence
AUSTIN, Potter County, Pa, Sept. TO-
w hlle the lumber trade is precarious I'm
Pennsylvania rs elsewhere, it is ant tn be
successful, like any other business when
well understood, iutelligently managed and
closely watched. AS an instance, this vii
lage may be cited. In 1885 it contained but
one house, and it now has q population of
about 1000 persons, all of them directly or
indirectly employed or supported by the
four mills established here and controlled
by single firm from Buffalo. 1t own
hemlock forests in various counties ant,
has contracts with tanneries for disposinp
OF the bark, which is of great value in tan
ming leather
Hemiock IS coarse wood, splits unevenly,
and decays fast if exposed to the weather.
But It is stronger than white pine, secures
peteer hold for nails and is preferable to
pine for beams, rassers, roof sheathing and
all parts of house to be covered as It Is
for a great deal of rough work. 1t fur
nishes large share of the lumber of com
merce, and as the supply of white pine rap
IDLY diminishes hemlock grows more and
more in demand
Northern and central Pennsylvania
abound in sawmills and tanneries. The
largest mill in this state and country or
anywhere is here, and one of the largest
tanneries is ut Costello, three miles below,
on the new Buffalo and Susquehanna rail
road, now approaching completion.
low near perfection are the present saw
mills, with oil the latest improvements I'm
machinery? l have looked at them with
wonder in this district, so rapid and COM
plete are their operations. What mar
vol n.lx..r
Toned mills! The new machinery seems to
think. Its power is indeed more exact and
regular than that of any mind The mills
convert the logs into lumber so quickly
that 1t appears magical.
The logs are i'll pond. They are rolled
up to an incline by men, and as they an
pronch 1t an endless chain with hooks. al
ways i'll motion, catches them and draws
them into the mill. Then they are adjusted
by special apparatus to Il proper position.
rolled forward and sawed by circular and
vertical saws to the required size and shape
piled by hand on the dock beyond and put
into the rail cars when it is desired.
Nothing is wasted in the largest and best
mills Tle two here consume the sawtlust
which runs through holes in the floor into
the furnace, needing no other fuel. The
odd bits OF lumber are carried to an ada
v, X
lyn, cut into kindling wood, which is dried
and bundled for the retail trade. Thismill
ships from six to eight carloads dailv of
finished product, each car containing from
ll,oO0to HOOD bundles. There is N fourth
mil here in which hard wood-maplc. ash.
beach, ctc.-is sawed, its annual output be-
ing some 600 feet. Nearly everything
Is done by Steam and machinery with re-
markable easeanu celebrity, aided by trained
skillful workmen.
The mills run day and night, having two
gangs of men, and have done so since their
establishment-siX years ago. Some girls
and boys are employed in the kindlipC
wood mill, earning from $l.25 to Sl.65 a
day. The regular work hands get from -
TO ~, the latter IN exceptional price, paid
To the few men who see to the snarpeninc
OF the saws, which require constant grind
ing, done with emery wheels. The employ
ers have had no strkcs-in fact, no trouble
beyond the ordinary friction that seems in
separable between labor and capital. The
large sawmil's consume about 100 logs and
ship from 10 to 30 cars of lumber daily.
keeping on hand some Sl5OOOO of finished
product.
The firm conducting the sawmills here
use and have the exclusive right to a
patent steam loG loader, which must be of
the greatest advantage in point ~ time
and economy. 1t should work IL revolution
III the business. The cars employed for the
transportation of lumber are the regular
fiat cars, on which are laid and properly
fastened longitudinal railway bars so ms to
leave some Is inches between the ends of
the rails where the cars are coupled, to al
low for slack Of train.
The loader is pivotal power house.
rooted over, with II huge crane which can
be swiftly raised and lowered ut will. the
pivotal base being II substantial frame
mounted on Is double Hanged wheels. eight
on each side, for use III moving the loader
on the car track. The power house contains
an upright boiler, two water tanks, coal
boxes and twin hosting engine. Cars
may be loaded independent of curve or
grade.
The reach of the machine in any direction
ut will is limited only by length of cable
and reel capacity. AT tho end of the cable
are fastened tongs, which man attaches to
the middle of the log, and it is swung on
the car, two men on the ear being provided
with peavey, or canthook, rs it is called,
TO regulate the log. This is an indispensa-
bic instrument in numbering, having q
pointed metallic end on the pole and a
cupved hook (some l6 inches below the
point which enables the holder to manage
the log after certain amount of practice.
The loader will put SEQ logs on 10 cars in 10
hours and has done it often.
JUNIUs HENRI BROWNE.