Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1893-03-02
WITH PD AND NK
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<o- &c -z51 soo4-azGor51!s Inz-s
rsz1t. Cora % SO - fall this tree"
Inen t1s sxas sEung again Ezeh HIN
ssood lii-sd up CT : spring bard. whose
end vas slipped into notch q. n The
base q thu tree far q i've feet fro-u the
groood- Thsy always Eork zboEe the
gTc1nd this way. in o-sisr 70 escape the
increased Eork Ct cztsing throozh the
great swell :; the base. Standing xith
fass apart rP1n the sprIngy perck=s, they
rsrs "under-c1ttiEg" the tree On the
SIDE toward which tisy wanted Il 70 fall
The axes sent their pleasant reyerberz-
tons up the s;rsigh. Iimbless trunk, CON-
nuniez,ing only = o1iEer to the pluned
liEnbs ITO hundred feet above Clean
white chips we're cl-zrei OFT from the V
shaped cieif a the un6er-cuf, and after 3
little measuring and sq1iniiog along the
tree the men dropped doEn, ard shifted
their boards to notches in the opposite
side u tie tree from he under-cut- Then
the long saw with q handle a. each end
came into use. The men started care
fully, holding The szw quite true that
later II might not wedge. They drew i.
back and forth cautiously at first, until il
pen@trsted the rough bark evenly and the
teeth caught On the wood. A thin
shower Of pale saxdus. foated down from
either side, az the saw grated in and out,
and the lozzers swsyed slightly from hip
to bip, their red shirted arms moving
with the iron regularity Of piston-rods
Back and forth, back and forth, went the
handle Of the saw.
The saw lzborsd heavily as the weight
Of the tree began TO settle upon the
deeply imbedded blade; two steel wedges
were driven little way into the cleft.
but although the weight was lifted the
saw still moved hard The men paused
again, and one took the adjustable han
die from his end Of the saw, while the
other drew the toothed blade half its
length out toward him and spattered a
liberal supply Of kerosene oil from his
bottle upon it; then. pushing it back, the
handle was readjusted. The men ierked
up their trousers, wiped the sweat from
their foreheads, and jumped heavily On
their springboards to jar them back into
place.
"All setp' called the older man, and
once more the even grating, the piston
rod arms and the drifting drizzle OF pale
gold saydust. Then the sound Of the
saw suddenly changed from the dry CRATE
TO dull. soft, humble.
Pitch" exclaimed both men in
tone Of deep disgust; and as they spoke,
through the fine cleft the saw had made
oozed thick sluggish stream Of turpen-
tine, and crept down the side of the tree
to the ground.
"There's barrels Of it in this tree, and
it's an slow as moIasses in January"
BIT they settled themselves once more
for work. The saw, gummed with pitch,
moved with heavy resistance, and the
steady ooze OF the turpentine increased in
volume.
you'd better get the can, Jim," said
tie older man, and the other dropped
from his perch into the underbrush and
started for the road.
"Jest as well try to saw through astick
Of taffy candy as this kind OF tree" ex-
planned the waiting logger. "He's gone
for the water-can, and we'll see if we can
get through this VEIN"
Jim came back presently, carrying a
leaky oil-can heavy with water. A wedge
was driven into the tree we'll above the
saw, and the can hung upon the wedge,
30 that the water leaked down upon the
saw as it worked in and out.
"Wbat good does it do?" / asked in
credulously.
"Don't know" returned Jim, laboring
at the saw, "but it makes awful easy
sawing."
"Sort O. freezes the PITCH" said the
other philosophically.
As matter of fact, the saw did move
more freely, drawing in little cold water
each time, and the frozen" pitch mixed
with water frothed out In white foam
After long time Of heavy saving, the
teeth began to catch more firmly, and a
few more moments work brought the
saw very near to the "under-cut."
No message Of its coming fall has
reached the far top, now that the body
OF the tree is nearly severed; the
branches stir less than at the first blows
Of the axe. The fir stands beautifully
erect. The loegers squirt up its length,
and say oracularly which way it will fall,
they move the axe and water-can out OF
harms way, and spring back to their
perches. We stand On fallen tree, a
few yards behind the loggers, and wait
e1pectantly. There Is an irresistible
sense of excitement; even these men to
whom it is such An old story feel it.
Who can say what sudden wind will
snatch the tree and throw it suddenly
backward upon US? The brooding silence
OF the forest is absolute, save for the
steady crate OF the saw in and out, like
stertorous breathing. Erect and notion
less the tree waits.
The men nod to each other; the saw
ing ceases; one handle is slipped off, and
the saw drawn all the way through and
laid back Of the tree; one man springs
down and lifts his perch out, and hands
IL