The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-12-14
AMONG TIMBER MEN.

IAMUNU lllAlJ11L sNIlASAl -
pERlLoUlls LIVES or WooDsMEh IN
THE VEST. S
fhoussnds 81 Mon find Employnsnat
ROW tho Monster Los Are Hsandecsd q
-wasss Average About $3.50 Psr
Day--Lifs II Camps
The timber industry Of the United
States has grown to immense proper
ftfohs. It Is not centered IN Pennsyl
vania, Wisconsin and Mfchigan-the
far West has its share. northern Cali
fornia, Oregon and Washington turn
Ing out vast quantities Of fine wood.
on the Pacific coast thousands Of men
and hundreds Of vessels are engaged N
coastwise and export lumber tra11c-
When a lumber company obtains pos
session OF q tract Of timber It proceeds
Ito build q camp commensurate with its
needs, erecting q store, ot1ces y
quarters for as many men as may be
needed to harvest the product The,
camp buildings are constructed OF logs
and are c~ommodious, comfortable ana
substantial, and the little community,
comprising officers of the company,
loggers, q few families and some out
siders. numbers about 200 souls The
lloggers are generally single men, rough
by the very nature of the life ana
surroundings, but withal good hearted
and generous. Their greatest failings.
are drink and the vices to which per-
sons of their environment fall ready
victims. Their wages average about
$3.50 per day, and by working steadily
and refraining from dissipation they
could save money, but their, severe
twork makes them1sspendthrifts, and 1t
is not recorded that many of their
number reach the stage Of even com
PORTABLE afiuence-several old men who
have spent a lifetime at the business
still work in the woods, dependent
ON the days wage to sustain them in
their years Of decline. The lumber
company operates a dining room at
which tho men obtain meals, paying
therefor at the rate Of $40 for 80 meals.
while they lodge in comfortable cabins
on rude beds, the expense Of which is
next to nothing. When q tree has been
spotted" for telling the foreman of
the gang decides where it shall fall,
determining the question by the con-
tour Of the land, the direction Of the
WIND, and the proximity Of other
trees. When these matters r set
tied an axman cuts a deep niche in
the side of the tree toward which 1t
lis to fall, the bark is trimmed OF on
q line a little above the deepest part
of the niche, and the large saw lis
started from the opposite side and is
Operated until the heart Of the tree: Is
reached. A cry of warning is given
for the protection Of any who may be
In the path Of the monster which is
about to fall, wedges are driven into
the clean cut made by the saw, and as.
they are driven home with q sledge tho
tree is seen slowly to sway, then to
fall gracefully forward and strike. the
ground with q report az. sharp II the
rack OF a ride, mingled with which is
tremendous boom, as of a mighty
cannon. Then begins the work Of trim
ming of the branches and saving the
trunk into the necessary lengths, and
within q short time the 200 or 3O0-foot
monarch, several feet in diameter at
The base, and containing thousands of
feet Of lumber, is ready for its varied
Tourney to the sawmill. The logs are
taken up In bundles Of three or four.
according to their weight, andSsuspend-
cd by heavy chains on the strong axle
81 a pair Of logging wheels 10 or IL
feet high, to which horses are attached
and the monstrous load is moved with
sase to the railroad. Here, a log at
! time, they are lifted by horse power
TO the .tskids''' on the diminutive FIAT
cars. AS 0 o as q train Of four cars
is loaded it is started by the small To-
connective and runs by gravity down.
hill for ten miles tp the chute, being
followed by the engine. which moves
the cars into proper position for UNI
loading. Then comes the most peril
ousS and difficult part of the transmits
sion of the timber to the mill-the
movement down the swift stream.
Upon the accumulation OF 5000, 900 feet
Of lumber q gang OF 20 drivers. has
charge Of guiding the floating con-.
signment to the mill.-Utica Globe.
IFTEG- EEErtEL