New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-30
LOGGING ON THE PENOBSCOT
PLENTY OF WORK FOR MEN IN MAINE
FOREsTs-I.IvELY TIMES IN CAMPS.

Bangor Ne Nov % (speciaD-Plenty to eat
a warm bunk to sleep in and SIS to $40 month
wages are the inducements held out by the luHi-
bernen OF Maine TO every man who Is able TO
swing an axe, shovel snow or dc any KIND OF WorK
around a logging camp. The offer seems TO be
tenpting one and vet the season opens with the
logging camps poorly supplied with men, while
employment agents. from Bangor 10 Boston, are
securing the highways and byways and even the
steamship piers in quest OF any sort OF help Ior
the great winter harvest in the northern woods
Such is the demand for men to go into the
logging camps where warmth. comfort and ex-
ceuent food assured for all VINO come that
sailors are deserving their vessels in the port OF
Bangor and going north in droves. glad to drop
the marlin spike for the and cantdog, ana to
exchange the lev winter decks for the car
peted logging roads of the deep woods Steve
dores have quit dragging lumber in the Bangor
docks and Joined the loggers for the port Will
soon be closed and their occupation of loading
vessels gone while in the woods they will have
plenty to do until the April sun softens the snow
hanks and then they can come down to town with
fat on the ribs and big roll of money In the
pocket.
Woods work is not play. but, when everything
10 taken into account it IS the best job offer
ing for a large class OF men. The hours are long.
from daylight to dusk. but in the woods there is
nothing much to divert the attention, and a man
might as we'll be working as sitting still. The
food is better than that afforded by most board
the men are used to having The camp Is big
warm house of logs and the company Is cheer
full to say the least OF 1t.
Time was when the bill of fare in the woods
consisted chiefly OF pork and beans. dry salted
Goldfish bread and moIasses-'beans twenty-one
,tr,es a week - as the old Iumbermen used to say.
brt now it is all different. The pork and beans
are still prominent but the DISH as cooked IN
the woods is altogether different and far better
than the baked beans that city people know 1t is
Il,~ ayrae
tbat norlz and beans the best diet for men
working In the woods in winter. producing fat and
heat and the truth of the assertion is borne OUT
nv the appearance of the men when they come
down in the spring. In the logging camps
they have all kinds of vegetables, fresh meats.
including vensOn. moose meat, beef pork and
mutton good tea and coffee, better bread than
most hotels serve various sweet things and even
rershes With the logger as with the sailor
times have changed. and they would not put up
with the food that was good enough for the
axemen of twenty years aeC
A night in a woods camp Is seldom dull. The
men finish work when the sun puts out his light
hehnd the western hills. and troop in to eat hot
biscuit and hotter beans. Then they light their
pipes and sit on the deacon seat around the big
Are or lounge i'll their hunks while the enter
tainers of whom there are always dozen
more sing the hearty songs of the woods and
the drive or engage in most picturesque discus
sons OF current The sporting news comes
first murder reports from the papers being next
in order of interest and every ing else imagi-
ma BILE from bear stories to religion, has it's turn
before the backwoods debating society. The woods
songs are most diverting, both in text and tune,
and ones musical experience is not complete until
he has heard half a hundred lOggers with voices
vigorous IL cultivated. lifting the roof with
fsvorite chorus from the grand opera Of the West
Branch John Ross Is favorite ballad. and has
been sung on the PenObscot for thirty years
John Ross is a typical Iumberman. who has grown
rich from the log harvests of generation. and
there is not a woOdsman from Bangor to Richt-
bucto who has not heard of him The song de-
scribes certain incidents in the early of Mr.
Ross when he active lumberman, going
into the woods TO take charge OF operations and
the air is familiar on the Penobscot than
~ ankee Doodle"-an uprorious. swinging me- -