The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-12-07
CUTTING MAHOGANY.
The Work OF Handling :. Giant Tree "A
the Tropical Jungle.

The Work OF Handling. :. Giant Tree n
the Tropical Jungle.
While tho camp is being mado the
hunter is off exploring. The precious
Swietenia mahogani does not grow
in olumps and groves like our pine
and walnut, but each monarch stands
alone in solitary state amid d dense
growth Of other huge trees, its trunk
concealed by wild tangle OF vines,
orchids ard uIderbrusla, requiring
tho closesa attention Of the expert
enced woodsman to detect it. In q
tropical wilderness, where tho trees
are so thick that one can hardly
force his way between them, tho
whole hung with an impenetrable
mass OF verdure as with 8 curtain,
their mingled tops asolid wall which
makes eternal twilight below, and
every trunk twined round and round
with creepers-it is not an easy
matter to distinguish species. The
hunter climbs the tallest trees that
he can find comparatively clear, and
from its top his practiced eye de-
tects the foliage of the coveted ma
hogany. He then counts the trees in
line, notes carefully the direction,
distance and every landmark, slides
down from his leafy observatory and
proceeds to cut and blaze trail to
his find. This done, he marks the
trees with his machete and returns
to camp. Each man in a company is
assigned his particular work-somo
to fell trees, other sto cut truck roads
through the jungle, others to collect
and haul the wood and water, etc.
/ The cutters turn out from camp as
soon as it is light enough to see
which in the tall, dense woods means
much later hour than in the regions
where the sun has better chance to
show itself, and generally By noon
tree cutting for the day is finished.
All work is dono by the task system,
which is said to be tho only way of
handling native labor-that is, one
mans stint is to cut two trees,
from s to 10 feet in circumference.
Two mon arc given three large trees
to bring down, or four mon are de-
tailed to lay low some forest giant,
perhaps 25 feet in circumference.
To the tenderfoot that seems q
task impossible of accomplishment.
Owing to its enormous buttresses
the trunk cannot be cut near the
ground, SO the axmen are obliged to
rig up a platform 10, IS, 20 or as
many feet high as the buttress ex-
tends. These platforms arc called
barbecues. though how that word
applies nobody but an Englishmnn
who prides himself on correct use of
the language can say. The barbe-
cue' is made Of slim poles, one on
each side of tho tree, on supports,
and two other poles laid across them;
also one on each sido of the tree.
Tho ayinon mount this platform,
with one foot on each pole. two men
to a tree, on opposite sides, and rap
idly fell the tree. 1t is a marvel how
men can stand On these slender poles
and chop down enormous trees, but
they do it, and quickly too. In an
incredibly short time the stately
monarch of centuries totters and
falls, crashing its way through the
crowd Of smaller trees. The trunks
and branches arc then squared and
are ready for transportation.
In telling q valuable tree every
precaution is taken against breaking
or splitting it and thus spelling tho
lumber. This manner of cutting on
platform seems very wasteful, as
! it leaves in the stump an average OF
400 feet of the best Part of the tree,
so far as beauty OF grain is con-
cerned-to say nothing of the
gnarled and twisted roots, which
bear the same proportionate addi-
tional value that our walnut roots do
to the rest of the tree, but no better
way has yet been devised. Threo
hundred trees arc considered q good
seasons work for one camp, each
tree yielding 9, 600 feet of timber on
modest estimate of tho average.
When the mornings stint is COM
pleted, the men are free the rest of
tho day to hunt, fish, sleep or gam
bic, to search On their own account
| for india rubber, sarsaparilla and
other marketable products of tho
woods, Or to make canoes. paddles,
! bowls, etc, from the mahogany
atumps for their own use or to sell
when they return to the haunts of
man. The logs arc hauled to the
camp at night, SO as to avoid the in
tense heat of the day. Where the
place is not too remote, oxen do this
part Of the wcrk.-Honduras Letter.
n1aterialistic Dorbts.
ono ;, coi1 tl,o man with b117o