The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-27
NAMES Loe-DRIvE OVER.
Something About the Men no Fol-
low n Dangerous Calling.


low Dangerous Calling
BANGOR, Ne, Aug. z7.-The last drive
OF logs, that from the West Branch, is in,
the river drivers have all been paid and
now the streets of Bangor are full of those
hardy, daring fellows who navigate the
lumber crop from the far away headwaters
through the rushing, tumbling torrents to
the Penobscot boom, whence the logs are
distributed to the mills The principal
drives on this river are from the East and
West branches, the Mattawamkeag, Pis-
cataQuis. Passadumkeag and Pleasant riy
erS.
Driving logs is laborious and often
dangerous occupation. When the winters
work of cutting the logs is oyer, and the
ice-boGnf streams and brooks are full OF
the great spruce. pine, and hemlock tree
trunks, the OK swingerS come out and the
lumberaiea engage the driving crews. TO
be a driver one must be active, fearless
and not afraid OF cold water and hard work.
The drivers are generally young men,
largely OF Irish descent from Bangor and
Oldtown; Tarratine Indians, Canadian
French. and Prince Edward Islanders. The
best drivers in the world 1t is generally
admitted are those from Bangor. In the
spring as soon as the ice in the streams
begins to break up. the crews. with their
bosses, go TO the headwateTs, part of the
way by rail-, then by team, in batteaux or
on foot.
Arriving at their destination. the men
start the logs in the quick water and fol-
low them down stream. II there We're no
fails no lodges, or other Instructions the
work would be easy. but If single log OF
the rushing mass sticks On the edge Of
dam or is caught against rock thousands
of others are thereby stopped, and what
is known as a Jam ensuaS. The jam must
be broken at all hazards. and some enc
must as i rule, go out upon the iogs at
the risk of his life and. with an implement
known as a cantdOg set the mass again
in motion. If the driver makes a misstep
or the obstructing log yields suddenly and
unexpectedly the driver frequently goes
down in the rush of waters under the whi-l-
ing mass. and is seen alive no more II
his body IS recovered il is not until many
weeks afterward, maugled beyond recog-
milton.
When the driver starts from Bangor he
is equipped with the nest pair of boots
that money can buy. with the soIes Thick
Iy studded with steel calks. sharp as
brads. 10 enable him TO stand on the slip
perry and often icy logs. When he comes
back the boots are generally full of little
Sits at the toes. which he has cut to al
low the water TO escape, and thus prevent
his feet from scalding- From the day the
logs are started to the day they reach the
boom the driver is seldom or never dry
but he seldom or never catches cold His
work begins in the latter part of April
and lasts until the middle of August. il he
is on the West Branch. the longest drive.
Wages in former times were high. COM
pared TO what is now paid, good men often
receiving as much as So a day. and others
as low at S1.75. Woodsmen eat beans
three times a day: drivers four times, for
the drivers DAY is longer than the AK
swingers.
IN old times it was the fashion for all
OF nearly all Of the drivers 10 have d great
spree when they returned to Bangor and
got their ray. anywhere from $156 to $500,
all in a lump: but now it is different
Twenty years ago the arrival of the West
Branch drive was the signal for a general
and noisy celebration in Bangor and all
along the river. but this week there is
scarcely ripple of excitement There is
some drinking. but most Of the men find
better use for their money. being fonder
Of good clothes and other comforts than
were the old-timeTs. Formerly every
driver wore flaming red shirt; now they
wear any kind that suits them. and red is
not popular. Up to a few years ago the
driver came TO town wearing his caikef
boots. and every saloon and hotel floor
where they tTod and all the floors and
cushioned seats of the railroad cars were
punched full of little holes Then the
Legislature passed a law prohibiting driv-
ers from wearing their amored footgear
into the confines of civilization, and they
have to change boots up river or come in
to Bangor in their stocking feet