The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-11-10

rh-F c'sap''> = 49, zss'.<.a1's znP''
One Of the MOST remnrlab,e timber
belts in the world stands IA Hrmboidt
and Mendocino counties California. Il
embraces lis square niles, contain
ing 132. 900. 900. 900 feet Of timber. With
fheaido Of the microscope scientists have
found the age OF some Of these treesto
be nearly 5000 years Some Of the
fallen trees have remained where they
fell for 500 to 1000 years. 50 It is csti-
mated, with scarcely any deterioration
Of the wood
Eastern tourists in California know
but little of these redwoods lScquoia
sempervirensl. They usually see the
few mammoth redwoods Of C~alaVeras
lSequoia giganteal and go home audten
their friends about this Disappearing
tribe Of giants. The lumber redwoods
of Humboldt are less talked about, yet
one of its trees win yield 10000 feet Of
boards, and I'll q freight train with
logs.
Telling these trees, which are $50 to
go feet high is q fine art acquired only
by the most expert chopper. he must
have excellent Judgment as to the
lean of the tree, and other pecnliari-
ties which may affect the direction Of
its fall He drives a stake 100orl50 feet
from the base Of the tree, and prepares
q level bed in q direct line from base
to stake, and on that line the tree
must fall An AK kerr IS then made on
the side where the tree is to fall The
apex of the obtuse triangle made by
this kerr points exactly to the distant
stake.
The tree is cut one-third through
with the ak. On the other side of the
tree, opposite the ex kerr, a sawk kerr is
started. This is done by boring two
holes horizontallyan and driving IN wood
en- pins on whichsthe IL to 20-foot saw
rests until the kerr is sufficiently deep
to steady the saw. Broad, thin iron
wedges are driven in after the saw to
prevent the doomed tree from pinching
it. At each end Of this saw ears are
bolted on, which can be removed and
the saw withdrawn in Ease of trouble.
Wedges are made to follow the saw
until the wood dividing the saw kerr
from the ak kerr i~snarrowed toa width
where wedges can be made to force the
tree. with all its great weight, to lean
in the direction in which it is to fall
The tree is toppled over, and soexact
is the choppers work and calculation
that almost invariably the falling
trunk drives the stake aimed at when
operations were begun. ANY error in
the fall of the tree Is likely TO cause
the tree to break and cost the lumber
man more than the choppers wages
for the month@Si25. These virgin for
ests are 70 densely timbered that, II
cleared at once, there would not Be
room enough on the ground for the
trunks xPeelers" follow the choppers.
With long steel bars, fattened at one
end, they pry on the thick bark and
burn 1t. Then comes the cross-cut saw
man, who cuts the tree into logs
These are transported to the saw mills
by rail, cut into boards and shipped 70
market.
Redwood Is 90 free from resinous
matter that It viii not burn readily.
When fired It chars The immunity
from fire Of towns built Of redwood
lumber is remarkable. Large conia-
grations are unknown. This lumber
shrinks SO very little that It Is used by
builders in q green state. The beauty
Of the wood for finishing work is
marked, as 1t frequently has q curly
face and also a bird's-eye grain. This
redwood promises to bea popular wood
in the eastern states-Boston Travel