Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-08-21
FOREST AND sAwMlLL.

on the fair state, almost everything
in greater or lesyabundance. Where
the agricultural nnds stop, ths forests
begin. climbing up the hills and
mountains unti they reach the snow
capped peaks and the doors of the
rich treasure houses, the mines.
All around Bayfield,. within a radius
of few mics. there are large forests
of spruce and pine. thickly covering
the higher ground and the mountain
, sides. and furnishing food for numer-
Gus sawnills. About four miles out
of Bayfield, is situated one of Graden s.
mills. reached by pleasant journey
over road bordered by flourishing
ranches and through cool tracts Of
timber The smoke from the mill
can be seen far, far away among the
hills. and after the long, lonely trip
it is real delight to come upon the
little camp with its tiny frame houses
and stores, its great whirring mill
and the stir of life that surrounds ii
Life in saw mill camp is quite diff
ferent. it is said. from any other form
of existence. The interests. of course.
cannot be very varied where the men
all uo lHt SdHle klHu OF WO1h LOT tue
same employer and in the same build
ing, and the workmen have a narrow
social circle. But it has its advan-
tages. nevertheless. in the quiet peace
of family life, far from the distrac-
tions. the giddy whirl. the temptations.
of city life. breathing the clear, pure
air. odorous with the health-giving
pine and spruce, happy and free as the
wild bird in its woodland home
The Graden camp is a busy place
No one seems to have time for idle.
ness as the great logs come in and
the whirring machines saw and plane
and trim them, turning them out to be
piled snugly and carefully until the
nevertiring wagons bear them to
the railroad to be shipped far away for
mans use and comfort. Those who
live in beautiful homes--how often
do they stop and think of the number
less hands that have helped to build
them from the time the forest mon
archs fell to earth until the timbers
We're nailed together in those noble
structures? There are men who toll
through the SHOWS of winter and
the heat of summer. exposed to all the
wrath OF the elements that you may
have comfort, sturdy men, with Draw
ny arms and hardened hands who
pass lives amid the wilderness
and are strong and happy in the
healthful life. Many of them. no
doubt. sigh for the riches that pass
daily through the soft hands of their
brothers, but some OF these fortune
blessed brothers in turn. would give
all their money for the sturdy strength
and unalloyed happiness that camp
men know. Men think that money is
great thing in this world. but it is
in fact, the smallest thing that man
possesses. 1T is easier for a camel
to pass through the eye of a needle
than Tor rich man to enter the king
dom of heaven" says the Bible And
why may not rich man go there as
easily as poor one? Because be he
ever so honest or well meaning. in
almost every case his wealth is wrunf
from the very lives of the toiline
masses. Even if the money is left
to him by those who have laid it bv
in past generations, there is the word
of God, THE iniquites of the fathers
unto the children of the third and
fourth generation" etc Work is the
sentence of the Almighty upon the
children of the earth. Adam sinned
and the sentence was passed. Through
his sin, we are all prisoners for a
time on the earth which otherwise
would have been our paradise. In
earthly prisons the criminal who Is
best behaved and who works out his
sentence in spirit that shows he
is sorry for his crime, often gets par
don. 1t is the same with man He
who is always seeking to escape his
punishment and his work, will serve a
longer term If not in this world. in
the next, while he who lives accord
ing to the will of God will the sooner
see Him. which is the great pardon
Tor mankind-to be admitted again
into the presence of the Almighty and
stand before Him as man stood before
the fall of our first parents.
Work instead of being a curse. has
grown to be blessing to mankind
There are all kinds of sin in the world
which he who is busy has not time
to think about; all kinds of sorrow
which eats more deeply and ruinously
into the minds of men than the hard
est labor of earth. 1t is not work in
the ordinary sense that kills 1t is
worry and sorrow and sin.
The people at Graden's mill look
happy. The men have a kindly word
for every visitor, the women a smile
and time for pleasant chat.
Over the road from Graden's to
Zimmerman's mill in a fruit wagon is
pleasant ride although the road
is dusty and sometimes rough In
places sheep Craze by the roadside
and house is passed here and there
1t is one of the parts that have suf-
fered most from the summer drought
and the ranches are not in the flour
ishing condition that is generally seen
After two or three miles of this road
one is glad to see the cottages of an
other camp in the distance and come
to Zimmerman's mill Here again is
activity. The camp seems to be more
spread out than Graden's. though
hardly larger in reality. Getting