Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-10-18

me daily output OF the Western
Washington mills alone is astounding
Each day there are 7,425,0O0 feet of
lumber turned out and 2S,5SO,OOO feet
OF shingles. This is the product Of
352 mills.
With this brief but comprehensive
statement OF the lumber industry in
this State, let us so directly into the
forests which extend from the shores
OF the Pacific to the Cascade noun
tains, and watch the various stages of
the operations Of the gigantic indus
try.
Right in the heart OF the forest the
lumber camp is located, and with its
carpet of fragrant pine needles, its
canopy of green branches and the lit
tie brook OF pure spring water flowing
past the door of the cook house, it is
an ideal spot. 1t is such spot as the
city.bred people travel hundreds OF
miles to find during the hot summer
months aud yet this is place where
the men congregate at night, and
after the evening meal gather around
the fire and swap stories, totally obliv-
ious of their surroundings and the
beauties of nature.
But this is their shop; it is to them
what the machine shop is to the me-
chanlc what the store is to the tired
clerk, and the Office to the business
man; for it is here that they toll for
their daily bread. Many of them
have been bred in the forest, and the
scraggy cedars and the tall frs are an
old story to them. To them It is
nothing that their daily life is one OF
constant danger, for many poor fell
low has been carried into camp before
the close of the days work MANNED
and bleeding and perhaps crushed in
hideous manner by some accident
perhaps tree falling on him and PIN
ming him beneath its tremendous
weight, or perhaps struck by flying
stick sent through the air like u
rocket when the great tree crashes to
earth. 1t is matter of everyday oc-
currence so them.
Fine. husky, broad-chested fellows,
they swing their double. .bladed axes
from morning till night with slow,
steady stroke that knows no weaken
ing. Every time the bright blade,
sharp as 9 razor, falls the chips fly and
another niche is made. Sometimes,
balancing themselves on a rude plat.
form 20 feet above the ground the
"feller" will stand, and when you look
at the great stick Of timber-perhaps
10 feet in diameter-it seems as though
his task was an endless one, and yet in
an incredibly short space OF time the cry
goes through the forest: "Look out 4,
Look o-u-tw
There is a sharp cracking sound
like the breaking OF a small dry stick
of pine, the great giant OF the forest
wavers as though undecided which
way to go; then slowly at first and
with ever increasing speed the great
tree plunges downward with a rending
sound that can be heard for hundreds
of yards through the forest. Sticks
are flying in every direction, and woe
betide anything in the way. Smaller
trees are crushed like so many egg
shells. The tree reaches the ground,
there is cessation of the cracking
sound and a dull thud is heard. The
earth trembles and another stately gi.
ant has bowed its head in token of
submission to the wants Of civilization,
while man, mere pigmy as compared
to the size Of the tree, stands close at
hand wiping the perspiration from
brow and looking with sense OF ex-
ultatlon at the result OF his handi-
work.
The days work commences when
day breaks, and the men are hurrying
to their places in the forest. The
horses are taken from the stables and
before long steam has been raised in
the many small boilers and the forest