Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-09-03
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
LAKE SEQUoIA, CAL,

August IA, 1896.
DEAR REGISTER. on the morn
ing of July % our party of three left
camp and drove to Wildwood. where we
were Joined by two others, and boarded
the logging train for the Hoist and
camps beyond. Passengers ride free of
charge and at their own risk, sitting on
the fiat cars, each one of which is in two
sections. The engine, ''Sequoia, is
unusually large and constructed special
" for climbing steep grades. We went
UP and up, around sharp curves and over
twenty-one high trestles, till we had trav-
eled seven miles, when we were un-
hooked from our engine and made fast
to large wire cable which pulled us up
over the Hoist. 1t - steep hill over
mile long, and in sv!he places the grade
is six feet TO the rod. Going upwe made
good time, and when We reached the top
we were over eleven thousand feet above
the sea level The descent on the other
side was made even more rapidly. in fact
it quite took our breath TO 60 whiZZing
through the air at such rate, and |
thought something had broken and we
were running away. But we brought up
all safe at what is called the landing"
the present terminus of the railroad,
The railroad is very fine piece of engi-
neering. and the view along the route is
exceptionally fine. The lumber company
owns one of the finest tracts of timber
in the State, and it is estimated that it
will take fifty years TO market it. There
are the two mills running night and day,
employing one hundred men each. The
men are paid Sl.55 per day, and out Of
that pay 80 cents per day board at the
company's cook house. The fare is said
to be very good. and although married
men are allowed Sl0per month with the
privilege of boarding at home, most of
them prefer to board at the cook houses.
From the landing we walked back to
the logging camps and saw the immense
sequoias felled and sawed into logs six
teen feet long. They are then placed in
position on the skidS by the donkey en-
gines. where they slide down over the
creased skids to the landing. We stood
above the skid on the mountain side and
saw one log, fourteen feet in diameter,
hauled into place by twelve mules; when
it had gained sufficient momentum the
chains were hastily unfastened and its
own weight carried it down the noun
tain with fearful rapidity leaving trail
of smoke in its wake caused by the fric-
ton of the log on the creased SkidS. When
il reached the landing it crashed into two
other logs and knocked them off the
track at the same time tearing piece
three feet thick off its upper side. The
cloud of fine red wood dust obScured
everything for several minutes, almost
choking those within inhaling distance,
while the noise reverberated around the
mountains like thunder.
We climbed some of the large stumps
twenty-one feet high, and fourteen and
sixteen feet in diameter, and walked
along the full length Of several trees one
hundred and sixty feet long, lying where
they were felled, and with the bark
peeled off them. The bark is very thick
and spongy, and no use has ever been
made of it, so the woods are carpeted with
it. where logging has been done. Hav-
ing found nice spring, we ate our lunch
and turned our faces homeward. No one
is allowed to ride over the Hoist on the
loaded train. so we walked back the two
miles, stopping at the top to visit the en-
zine room and view the immense drum
with its mile of, cable wound around it,
The man who takes the cars over the
Hoist is known as the "Co. S careful
man" Hisname is Simpson. He makes
seven trips over and back every day, has
worked there several years, and has had
to Jump as many times. We had some
time to wait for our trainwhen we reached
the foot Of the Hoist on the home trip,
so we walked on one mile to the next
camp. 1t seemed odd to gather the same
wild flowers so high up in the Sierras that
we find at home in the mountains of w.
Va. On the down trip we ladies were al
lowed to ride in the cab, while the gen
tlemen rode on the same big log that we
had seen tear down the skid at such
rate. We went through the mill when
we reached Wildwood 1t is interesting
to see them saw off such slices from the
big logs, and turn them over with such
immense hooks and chains. Sometimes
the hooks slip and then man is killed
or manned for life. | always feel like
lifting my hat to men who work in such
dangerous positions. One of our party
remarked that if the log was loaf of
bread we could make nice lot OF sand
witches. We reached home tired and
dirty, but well pleased with our days
experience. The REGISTER is welcome
visitor every week, bringing news of the
friends have known so well, sometimes
sad, as when the hand OF death removes
some treasured friend. Very interest
ing to me are the letters from Germany
coming as they do from one of my pupils
at Shepherd College. shall tell you in
my next of our trip to Kings River Can
on. NJ +. A.