Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1901-12-19
AMONG TIMBER MEN.
pERILous LIVES or wooDsmEN IN
THE WEST.
Thousands OF Men Find Employment
How the Monster Logs Are Handled
Wages Average About $3.50 Per
Day---Life in Camps.

The timber industry Of the United
States has grown to immense proper
tions. II is not centered in Pennsyl7
vania. Wisconsin and Michigan-theN,
lar West has it's 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 in
coastwise and export lumber traffic.
When a lumber company obtains pos
session OF tract of timber 1t proceeds
to build camp commensurate with It's
needs, erecting store, offices ana
quarters for as many men as may be
needed to harvest the product. The
camp buildings are constructed of logs O.
and are commodious, comfortable an"
substantial. and the little community
comprising officers of the company.
loggers, few families and some out
siders, numbers about 200 souls. The
loggers are generally single men, rough
by the very nature of the life and
surroundings, but wilhal good hearted
and generous. Their greatest failings
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
work makes them spendthrifts, and II
is not recorded that many OF their
number reach the stage of even com
Portable aliuence-several old men who
have spent lifetime at the business
still work i'm 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 500 for 80 meals,
while they lodge in comfortable cabins
on rude beds. the expense OF which Is
next to nothing. When a 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 are set
tied an axman cuts deep niche IL
the side of the tree toward which IL
is to fall. the bark is trimmed off on
line little above the deepest part
of the niche, and the large saw is
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 a sledge the
tree Is seen slowly to sway. then TO
fall gracefully forward and strike the
ground with a report as sharp as the
crack OF rife. mingled with which is
tremendous boom, as of a mighty
cannon. Then begins the work OF trim.
ming off the branches and saving the
trunk into the necessary lengths, and
within a short time the 200 or 300-foot
monarch, several feet in diameter al
the base. and containing thousands OF
feet of lumber. is ready for its varied
journey to the sawmill. The logs are
taken up in bundles OF three or four.
according to their weight. and suspend
ed 10y heavy chains on the strong axle
vi pair vi iosBinB Wneeis lO OF IL
feet high, to which horses are attached
and the monstrous load is moved with
ease to the railroad. Here, a log at
a time. they are lifted by horse power
to the "skids" on the diminutive fiat
cars. As soon as train of four cars
is loaded II is started by the small To-
comotive and runs by gravity down
hill for ten miles to the chute, being
followed by the engine, which moves
the cars into proper position for un-
loading. Then comes the most peril
GUS and difficult part of the transmits
sion of the timber to the mill-the
movement down the swift stream.
Upon the accumulation Of 100000 feet
OF lumber a gang of 20 drivers" has
charge of guiding the floating con-
| signment to the mill-JJtica Globe