Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-14
Coming Out Of the Woods.

woods are beginning to turn towards
hohle. IN a few weeks now they vii,
all De breaking camp and il will no
'"e joyous time of the whole year. In
many cases the men have been shut
up III 'helr camps away from civiliza-
ton Tor SIX long months Their only
communication with the outside world
mas oeen by means of the toter and oc-
VaSlonal letters and papers. MANY of
we camps nave even been shut AWAY
ny themselves Tor weeks at a time. All
the amusement they have had they
ndNe made IN their own rude Nav
ihelr only companions have been the
men VINO started in the fan The
rising SIN has seen them going IN
thelr work and when setting has saan
them making their way to the caun
Tor supper. After this meal there has
been few short hours of sociob;iitv
anu then TO sleep and another day ex-
"ctiy as the last. Men have come and
i"th nave gone from the camp dur
iASS the long winter but the work has
gene on in the same old hard way.
Now however. the piles Of logs on the
Yards are daily decreasing and home
IS nut a short distance away. The
cnopping and yarding is now complete
ana the reduced crew is turning its
Whoie attention 10 clearing the Yards
before the roads get soft and i'm
pasSablH. The men who have gone
out from the crew before the work is
completed have made all those re-
manning uneasy and the labor is he
coming irksome and tedious. DAVIS
are now being counted and soon it viii
be the hours and then the glad time
when the last log is hoisted to its
place on the huge last load and started
Tor toe landing. In the morning
the horses Will he headed fov
homo instead Of the yards and the
merry rollici5ing trip will commence
Men who have spent six or seven
months in the woods can give YOU 2
pretty fair idea Of how a prisoner "pcls
when he IS pardoned from a life sem
tenCe. During the larger part Of The
winter il is not so bad for there is
then no thought Of getting out But as
the days grow longer and the wafer
begins to run in the roads amon5 he
trees the thoughts OF the men urn
towards civilization ana time goes
slowly, very slowly. II in spring the
thoughts of youth turn lightly to love
tho thoughts of the lumbermen urn
towards home.
Day after day the long string of
teams has made its way from the
yards to the landing. When the first
rays of the rising sun have penetrated
the little clearing about the camp
they have seen the first team starting
from the camp with the yard tenders
uaiiing along behind. The teamsters
have been UP long before dawn feeding
and Harvesting their horses. By the
time this work has been completed the
remainder of the crew has prepared
Itself for the steaming. hearty break
fast which has engaged the attention
Of the cook since shortly after mid
night. Breakfast completed the first
team leaves the camp for the ward.
Shortly after the second slowly follows
for time must be allowed for the first to
be loaded. Then comes the third ana so
on to the last. 1t may be we'll along
in the forenoon before the last team
leaves the camp but the teamster
makes up for the time by being the
last in at night which may be We'll
along in the evening. The leading
team of today becomes the Hast in the
line tomorrow and 50 on. each team
moving up a place every morning 50
that all may share equally. The land
ing men follow the last team III at
night. usually long after the last rays
of the setting sun have left the
eseaIing 5fnsa chilling shadow. The
DIR s=of, f5bor are now long and the
nights of rest short for those logs that
a9ve bccn dragged from their native
Ellis and hollows must he on the ice
Of the landing before the spring sun
becomes too strong.
The roads b. this time are getting in
bad shape and the road crew is organized.
These are the mon VINO have been chop
ping on yardng ana who wish % get in
as many days as possible. Tho sewing
places are built up with houGhs and skids
ana snow hauled onto tne bare spots.
After the last loG has passed over them
no orc Will care but until it has the ways
must BE- carefully nuTsed. The road MAX
ing ana the Ia ling take all the time Of
the last few weeks of the winter. The
trees along the way are bleeding from
the wounds made by the s!eds or the
choppers aXcs ana the squirrels are chat
tcring in Grca; glcc over the feast thus
provided for them in the naples and
birchcs, All winter they have been steal
ing the dinners Of the men when they
could ana now they enjoy the fruits q
his careless Kindness ana fill them
selves with the sweet sap that flows from
the bruises Unit hin1ingly made by him
that they can hardly drag themselves TO
their snug nests for the night. They