Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-14
THE MAHOGANY HUNTER,
He is the Most Important Laborer in
the sfryissse.

He Is the Most Important Lab0rer in
the service.
From the Self Culture Marazina.
The mahogany hunter '1s the most i'm
portant and best paid laborer in the serv-
ice, for upon his skill and activity largely
depends the success:7of the season. Ma
hogany trees do nottgrowain clusters but
are scattered promiscuously through the
forests and hidden in idense growth of
underbrush, vines ana creepers, and it re-
quires skillful and Experienced woodsman
to find them. No Rrogrsss can be made
in tropical forest without the aid of
machete. for the way must be cut step by
step. The naahogauyais one of the largest
and ta1lest of trees, and the hunter, seek
ing the highest ground, climbs to the top of
the tallest tree and surveys the surround
ing country. His practiced eye soon detects
the mahogany by Its peculiar foliage, and
he counts the trees within the scope of his
vision, notes directions and distances, and
then, descending. cuts narrow trail to
each tree. which he carefully biazes and
marks. especially IL there is a rival hunter
in the vicinity. The axmen follow the
hunter. and after them come the sawyers
and hewers.
To fell a large mahogany tree is one
days task for two men. On account of the
wide spurs which project from the trunk
at its base, scaffolds must be erected and
the tree cut off above the spurs, which
leaves a stump from ten to fifteen feet IN
height-a sheer waste of the very best part
of the tree, ana one which American in
genuity would certainly devise some means
to prevent. While the work of telling and
hewing is in progress. other gangs are busy
making roads and bridges over which the
logs may be hauled to the river One wide
truck pass as it is called, is made
through the center of the district occupied
by the works, and branch roads are opened
from this main avenue to each trae. The
trucks employed are clumsy and antiquated
affairs which no American would think of
using; the aXies and boxes are imported
from England, while the other parts are
made upon the ground. The wheels are of
solid wood. made by saving off the end
of a log and fitting iron boxes in the CEN
ter. no spokes or tires being used. New
wheels are in constant reQuisition. and re-
pairs cause frequent and expensive delays.
Most OF the trucking is done at night by
tOrchlightS of pitch pine. The oxen are fed
on the leaves and twigs of the bread nut
tree, which gives them more strength and
power of endurance than any other obtain
able food. The trucking being done in the
dry season, the logs are collected on the
bank of the river and made ready for the
floods. On the longest rivers these begin
in June and July. and on others in October
and November. The logs are turned aurift
and when they reach tide water are caught
by means of boomS Indian loggers-usual-
ly CaribS-folloW the logs down the river
in order to release those which are caught
by obstacles. No little judgment and ex-
perience is required to determine at what
exact stage of the flood the logs should be
set adrift Should the water rise to what
is called ''topgallant food before the logs
reach the BOOM many of them would DE
carried over the banks and left high and
dry In canebrakeS and thickats, or covered
up by sand and rubbish. From the boom
the logs are RATED to the embarcadero and
manufactured for shipment.
Mahogany trees give from two to five
loo n.t..1, -,,yi,,
feet in length and from twenty to forty
four inches in diameter after being hewed
The manufacturing" process consists in
saving off the log ends which have been
bruised and splintered in transit down the
river, and in refining and relieving, the
logs by skillful workmeu, who give them
smooth and even surface. The logs are
then measured, rolled back into the water
at the mouth of the river and made into
RATS, to be taken to the vessel anchored
outside the bar.