Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-28
LUMBERMEN'S YARNS.
A SceHe h a Camp Deep in the Maine
! - Moods.
Wyrs ynZt <a7
Interesting Character and Interesting Stories
Z Told Around the Fire.

men gather about the big box stoves
in the numbering camps of Maine many
are the stories which are told of death
and daring in the life they lead. The
old fireplaces have long since disap-
eeared and the stoves of the settle
nents have taken their places. In the
lamp there is usually huge box stove
capable of taking a cord, more or less,
If green wood, and chewing away at
il until all the heat is extracted. In
he cook room there are large ranges
presided over by the cook. 1t is part
If the duties of the cookie to keep
,hese stoves supplied with wood and it
is not small part either.
In the evening. the huge stoves can
scarcely be seen for the clothing which
IS hung about it to dry. The smell,
well. it is not such a one as one
would want to take into a drawing
room. While the clothes are drying
he men smoke their pipes. play games
sing songs and tell stories. At 9
,'clock sharp, the cook crosses the din
gle from his sanctum and pounds on
The door of the mems room with the
I'D familiar cry. Turn in" The lights
Are then eXtinguished and the fire fix
ID for the night. All noise ceases and
soon only the SHORES and grunts of the
tired men are heard.
In the later part of the evening,
when the boisterous games have ceas-
ID and the singers have become weary
If their songs is when the best stories
are told. A hush then pervades the
~, no hxy
yawn. The smokers puff the smoke
azily, the industrious ones are busy
patching their torn clothes. A few
nay be writing letters for the tOter to
start on their way home on his next
rip. by the light of the lanterns dim
Y burning" There may be a group
lbout the tables in the cook room play
ng cards, checkers or other quiet
games, and there is usually group
lbout the stove telling stories.
In these groups there are usually
come of the older members of the crew
Wrapping yarns while the younger men
it quietly by listening or asking a
question of the old days now and then.
outside the storm may be raging. but
inside all is snug and cosy. 1t is on
Ire heard. for storm never fails to
all up some yarn of hardship and
peril from an old-time lumberman.
1t is a picturesque scene and one
hat never can be forgotten by one who
'ees it for the first time as a visitor.
takes time for stranger to get in
% the story circle. for the men do not
care to tell their stories where they
-annot be understood and appreciated.
once in the circle. however. is like
browsing in a library of novels.
Only the outlines Of the pictures can
We caught and only bits of the COM
pete story. like those as you glance
hastily through a book. Enough is
heard, however. to stir the blood and
angender a respect for the men who
tell the tales from experience. The
stories are rarely told second hand. as
each man has an abundance of expert
nee to draw from.
The following is one Of the tales told
many times by the camp stove: In
the billy sections of the State where
there is good lumber to be had there
are often very steep hills that cannot
be avoided. These hills are called
''ramdowns" by the lumbermen and
more than one thrilling experience has
had its birth there. 1t is impossible
for the horses or oxen to hold the
heavy loads Of logs going down these
hills. To be sure the teams control
loads on hills that would make the
hair of a teamSter not used to lumber
ing rise up straight and make the
shivers creep all over him, but there
is a difference between a hill and a
"ramdown" in the woods.
The latter is a hill where it is utter
~ imp lssible for the teams to control
the loads. Other descents are hills. A
snub warp is used on the "ramdowns.'
This is a heavy rope one end of which
is wound around the middle of the load
and the other wound several times
around a stump at the top. With a
sufficient number of turns around the
smooth stump one or two men can
hold the load on the descent, and this
is called snubbing
The man behind the stump must be
one of experience and little nerve
The load must be handled carefully for
If 1t once gets a start the death Of
driver and team may be the result
The snub warp is dangerous to the OPP
orator and many a leg and arm has
been mangled by the careless handling
of it and not a few lives have been
lost. y kink in the rope. a careless
step into the coil of slack on the
ground usually means serious if not
fatal injury. After the load once
pitches over the brow Of the ram
down" the driver and team are helpless
and their fate depends on the man at
the stump.
The following story was told for the
benefit of the boy on his first visit
to the camp. One Of the roads. one win
ter had a bad Rundown" One morn
ing. the regular tender of the warp was
working at another job and when the
first team came along there was no one
TO snub it down. one of the sled ten
ders of the team was present but he
had never tended a Snub warp in his
life. The load was "a light one and the
driver asked him if he thought he could
let it down. The man thought he could
and was shown how to handle the