Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-26
LOGGING IN OREGON.
Much of the Hauling Done by LocOmO-
tires and Stationary Engines.

From the Portland Oregonian.
From dawn to dusk of the short winter
days the monotonous sweep of the saw, the
ringing ak stroke and sharp report of the
oxwhfp wake the housekeeping echoes in
the upland woods. Now and again, with
sound that seems to shake the mountain TO
its center conquered giant goes crashing
to the earth where it lies showered with
shattered boughs, swept from its still stand
ing neighbors in the fall. and quivering for
a brief space, as If the swapping of those
last tough fibers had not quite eXtngu1shed
life
And now the stateliest tree in all the
forest Is singled out and marked for de-
struction. The aXmen approach, and, fit
ting the stringboards firmly in place. pro-
coed to chop through the. thick, spongy
bark and into the resnous, rich wood, max
ing way for the saw, and, at the same time
directing the course of the fall This
done. the great saw Is lifted into position
and the slow process of telling the fir Is
fairly begun. sound like the stralnlns
of spars in a heavy gale warns the wood
men to look after their own safety. Then
comes a mighty crash, and the forest mon
arch lies stretched upon the leafy mold.
When the commOtion caused by that ma
jestic descent has somewhat subsidized. the
PROSTATE tree is measured and sawed up
into sixteen and tWentyfoot lengths The
bark Is removed and the ends of the logs
are rudely beveed Men, with "canthOoks'
roll the logs INTO convenient position by
means of heavy log chains and iron hooks
dogs; the OK teams sometimes number
ing dozen yoke. drag Them one by one
out over the skid roads to the top of the
chute" The chute is made of split tim
bcrs, is slightly Concave. and goes straight
a. wn the mountain side to the river.
1t is no light task to place a log and
start 1t on its downward journey. but, once
started, 1t goes with the SwiftneSS of the
wind and the force OF cannon ball. some
times bounding high in the air as II strikes
the level at the foot of the chute, or throw
ing a cloud of spray as 1t plunges into the
rivers depths.
All winter long the work. begun In the
early autumn. goes on uninterruptedly in
the mountain camps where the logs are
banked" to be afterward dumped into the
stream in time to take advantage of the
spring freshets. When this is done and the
drive begins. the camp is broken up. the OK
teams are turned out to pasture. and the
logging crews follow the drive on Its slow.
downward course
Compared to the work Of driving logs
in the rivers of Maine and Michigan, Min
Iesota and northern Wisconsin. where the
melting of ice in the early spring is the
signal for the breaking up of the winter
camp. the Oregon drive might almost be
called pastime. although 1t Is far enough
from probable that the loggers themselves
regard Il in that light. The larger logs are
prone to stick fast upon frequent gravel
Lars. from which 1t requires much muscular
exertion to dislodge them. Those of great
or length possess a provoking tendency to
swing crosswise against every slightest OBJ
struction in mdstream thereby forming
jams that are productive of toll, pro-
family and Ice cold. unweicome baths And
there are other drawbacks.
The timber lands of Oregon are of such
vast extent and the timber itself so varied
in character that the means and methods
employed in the various logging camps
necessarily differ. Indeed, these things are
governed practically by the nature of the
trees to be handled and by the locality, al
though the amount of capital at the COM
mand of the operating individual or COM
pany figures somewhat in the matter.
For instance, where the magnitude of the
enterprise justifies the expense. steam takes
the place Of cattle or horses to a certain ex-
tent. The logs are lifted. moved and drag
ged out of the woods by means of strong
cables, worked by steam Where 1t has
been practicable. well-lad iron tracks,
foored between with smooth timbers and
kept flooded with water in order to pre-
vent disastrous results from friction, have
superseded the skid" roads The motive