The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-02-23

Fe W0 sS1S~
tBAey Compose Aoet ReaaskAA1e fan6e9
Belt
One Of the most remAskable timber
belts in the world stands in Humboldt
and Mendocino ecnnties, California It
embrace .,te5 square miles, contain
ing lac, Ooo, 900, oOd feet Of timber. With
che aid Of the microscope scientists have
found the age Of some of these trees to
be nearly 5000 years. Some Of the
fallen trees have remained where they
fell for 800 to 1000 years, so it is esti.
mated, with scarcely any deterioration
Of the wood.
Eastern tourists in California know
sempervirens). They usually see the
few mammoth redwoods of Calaveras
(Sequoia giganteal and go home and tell
their friends about this disappearing
tribe of giants. The lumber redwoods
of Humboldt are less talked about, yet
one of its trees will yield 100000 feet OF
boards, and fill a freight train with
logs.
Telling these trees, which are $50 to
$50 feet high. is a fine art acquired ONLY
by the most expert chopper. He must
have excellent Judgment as to the
..'lean" of the tree, and other peculiarl-
ties which may affect the direction OF
It's fall. He drives a stake 100 or $50 feet
from the base of the tree, and prepares
. level bed in a direct line from base
to stake, and on that line the tire.
$1,000. fG - lot &c than made m
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 TX kerr, a saw kerr is
started. This is done by boring two
holes horizontally and driving in wood
en- pins on which the 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
il At each end of this saw ears" are
bnlted on. which can be removed and
the saw withdrawn in case of troubI.
We igeI are made to follow the saw
until the wool dividing the saw kerr
from the AK kerf is narrSwe | to a width
where weiEe> can he made t o force the
tree. with all it, re it weight, to lean
in the direction in waicl it is to fall.
The tree is topplel over. and Soexact
is tie choppers wnrl and calculation
that almost invar 1.ly the falling
trunk drives the sta le aimel at when
operations were he"un. ANY error in
the fall of the tre, is | kelly to cause
the tree to break an | cost the lumber
man more than the choppers wages
fer the month-Sl25. These virrin for
ests are so densely timbered that, IL
cleared at once. there would not be
roo enough on the -round for the
trunks. "peelers" follow the choppers.
With long steel bars, iIttenel at one
end. they pry off the thick bark and
burn it. Then come the croSs-cut saw
Qnan. who cuts the tire, into logs.
These are t~ranSporte | To the saw mills
by rail. cut into boSrIs ami shipped to
market.
Redwood is SO free from reSinous
matter that it will not burn readily.
When fired IT CHARS. The Immunity
from fire of tewns built of redwood
lumber is remarkable. Larre confia-
gratlons are unknown. This lHmDer
shrinks SO very little that it is used by
builders in a green state. The hcauty
of the wood for finishing work is
mariei. as it frequently has a curly
face and also a bird's-eye grain. This
redwood promises to be a popular wood
in the eastern states. b ,ton Travel