The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-03
JOYS OF THE WOODCHOPPER.
EVEN NEW YORK'S SUBURBAN
JEWELLERS NAY REvEL IN THEM
what the Delights Are at This Season Of
the Amateur Who Inyades tho Forest.
Ak IN Hand. to Provide the Fuel for
His Open Fireplace Autumn Scenes.

Axe In Hand. TO PROVIDE he tuet toi
4 Ills Open Fireplace Autumn Scenes
Now is a good time to cut wood In the
suburbs. Most siburbans who permit
themselves the cheapest OF all luxuries,
q log fire. must be content to take their
wood as they can get IL, usually sawn In
formal lengths. sadly short In most cases
for a hearth Of hospltable width. at best
In cord sticks, which too many are willing
70 have cut up by hired labor. A few
fortunate suburbans with a emnan OF
adventure in their blood find 1t possible
actually to fell their own frewood, for
there are even yet suburban woodlands In
which persons Of prudence and moderate
Woodlore may upon very reasonable terms
acquire the right Of telling trees.
II Is not within possibility that the or
din airy person Of sedentaiy pursuits should
fell large trees, nor is 1t easy to obtain per-
mission to fell such trees In suburban wood
lands, but the active man Of good wind and
muscle can easily fell trees six inches In
diameter, and It Is ordinarily trees OF such
size and smaller that are to be taken from
a properly cherished woodland. Larger
trees. indeed. must sometimes come down,
but the amateur woodman had better
leave the telling Of such to professional
hands.
Selecting a fine cool autumn day the
suburban, with two keen axes over his
shoulder and the material for a light lunch
con conveniently slowed. goes forth to his
woodcutting. 1t Is a genuine return to
nature. There Is the woodland. robed anew
In it's variegated carpet OF thickest pile.
Lit with mellow autumn sunshine n sweet
ened by visit Of balsamic autumn winds
Though more han three millions OF people
are within twenty miles OF the spot II is
possible to work there all day without re-
ceiving the visit Of a single human being.
Here In the woodlands the strange con-
Predictions Of suburban life impress them
selves upon the mind No house or high
way Is anywhere In sight. but the din OF
distant railway trains Is continuous, and
the Kissing and grinding Of a trolley line
come from time to time upon the ear. These
sounds of urban suggestion are mingled
with the quack Of ducks, the crowing OF
cocks, the calls of wild birds, the lowing
Of cattle and the barking OF dogs. AT the
end Of a long forest vista appears perhaps
a sloping pasture field where feed two or
three score cattle, tended by az rural
looking a swain as ever wore cowhide
boots and swore Il do YUM
All about the amateur woodnlan stand
the living victims Of his axe. perhaps already
marked for slaughter, or possibly left for
him to choose. infant hickories, oaks, elms.
and naples, growing amid a thicket OF their
own kind, and too W for proper de-
velopment. Their greater brethren Tar
overshoot them, 80 that the smaller trees
live all summer in a twilight unvisited by
the sun and cut of from the free air OF
heaven
Half-a-dozen strokes Of the axe bring
the first victim crashing to the ground
with a great arboreal sigh. Nothing on
that, moist with life and sweet with pun
gent spicery, lie shining in the mellow
sunlight. As the tree falls. startled squir-
rels leap from their hiding places and
scamper to the tallest tree tops; the blue
jays cease their scolding for a moment,
and the robins rise in little frightened
1ocks from the congress in which they have
leon noisily discussing the question OF mi
grating this week or next. Tbs autumn
woodfowers and the very ground itself
that enter where the living tree had re-
Gently stood.
Fifteen minutes suffices to educe the
tree To a single long straight stick. and in
less than an hour from the time II was a
growing oak 1t has become the
Tor a corded pile. There is a brilliant
debris of smaller branches still bearing their
colored leaves. The thicket already be
gins TO smell OF the balsamic sap within
the logs. Later il will he as a perfumed
chamber. full Of medicinal odors.
Al the end OF three hours the woodman
Is surrounded by evidences Of his work.
The ground is strewn with bright new
chips the discarded branches almost close
the woodland aisle. the corded pile has
grown a foot in height. Meanwhile the
woodman's hearth H. smoking against
his luncheon hour. Three or four large
stones laid together 30 as 20 form three
sides Of n quadrangle. with the opening TO
the windward form both hearth and Chin
ney, and here safely slowed In the hot
ashes Of a fire that has been burning for
the better part OF two hour. potatoes are
roasting In their jackets. Tea rather than
coffee IL the woodman's drink. because II Ia
easily made and a fine stimulant for an
afternoon Of physical work.
The meal is eaten In the presence OF curl
Gus woodbirds and amid the soolding chat
tar Of a ~neighbonng squirrel. IL Is inter
rupted by no human visitor. unless per
haps q little group Of Italian fsggot gath
erers, women and children. whose Instinct.
feudal rather than predatory leads them
10 look upon the woodland AZ In a certain
sense their own. q forest common. such as
European peasants are accustomed 10
range To- search ~ waste for hIewOOd la
their brilliant shreds and patches they
might easily pass for visible embOdlnlents
OF the spirit 81 autumn
Tbs amateur woOdman mus, haul home
his days harvest quickly II hs would cave
IL intact from ia. hard ot thsss indus-
tnous proslers Whatever debris ~ sliorn
bTAnches be- leaves b.hiud will be carried
IN In twenty-four hour ou the barks 20
tho.s patient beasts II burden. ths Italian
wives and mothers
Overhead the sapphiI- sky shOwsu through
the rent but stiil glorious woodland roof
The single lsholdeT from th. ~Iorfunled
thicket ssss hit aoross lis bit ~ sky hlrds
al many klnds young sOSit b ush". n"any
"a large ~ tAslf paneuts fOilis splei,-i ~
color AID thus saisI irulu a.. aim ~ The
soythsrn f%o.lri. tho sIsai foI spaIfoS,
led aud saIm b. plunaS" hilsfant
80 aHssf that puis a. shame liu ylalisf
brethren ~ Tho rpaffus kind Perhaps
a falni hans drppf-Hi hks . mssirruus
s~l.sIzI ifnm tie sAy irlls - tls ~ild
sas.s ny1nf suutLs AID Tho soodinah -
foItunAis tr lulks in uns ~ sos th1 $50
Foy . ClssI cut Y asAlfsi ts ia sirn
nll,s ths udas - ts ihktrii4r ai~uausphsrs
sasan. . slsht strangely inif.sasu Asd
knouly slga anuF a. To huafli siiuu. aHd
tha Asiaf ailia - tlu-s sho lshula
The s~aiainlan . dsy . 500 hsilui huitip
sb1ss an Interesting fafiris q ntatTial
These a. ElssHgp slm sasa iaHff slh aai
snd hof a. - alhH $50 nlth - uinFs ~
lalasf Onas dllui b lufns aimtai hks
49, lIHHF L. lHH Has NTIaaH aIHI Naak