The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-11-21
THE PERlPATETIC LUMBEk.JACK.

Z
The loggers OF the white pine
woods are again brought face to
face with the labor problem. They
are confronted with this every year,
and every year, of late, it has be-
come more complex and perplex-
ing. 1t has always given them
trouble enough, but since the en-
actment of the Mccarthy law Min
nesota loggers have had more diff
ficulty than ever working out a
profit for themselves in the camps.
That law. which made a desire to
quit work on the part of the lum-
herman sight draft for the amount
coming to him. has caused the log
gers more grief than anything else
that has happened for years. It
has accomplished this without hav-
ing proven a boon to the men it was
intended to benefit.
While it is not true that all of the
men in the woods are of the class
who never lay aside anything for
"rainy day." it is true that a very
large proportion of the camp labor
looks no further ahead than the
chance to spend the earnings of a
season at the nearest dram shop.
Thanks to the good women who
have interested themselves in the
betterment of conditions in the
camps, much of this spirit has Civ
en- way to characteristics of a very
different nature. Yet the character
of the work, and the associations
accompanying it, tend in the other
direction and have neutralized
much of the work that has been
done to combat it. Many of the
logging contractors have vigorous
ly opposed the location of saloons
in proximity to their camps, but
their best endeavors have only re-
suited in having them move a lit
tie further away where they are
easily accessible to the bibulously
inclined.
But liquor is not the only thing
the loggers have to fight. The ma
ture of the work, giving the men
but temporary homes at the best,
is such as to cultivate a taste for
wandering and unrest. Added to
this is careless habit of IMPROVE
dence very hard to overcome. One
remark, overheard by the writer, H.
Illustrates why it 10 difficult to keep
the men at work steadily. In reply
to the question whether he had
change for a ten-dollar bill, the
woodsman said: mo; if had I
wouldn't be working." A few dol
lars is fortune and with it comes
the desire to get rid of it.
Conditions during the past few
years have been very favorable for
the lumber jack. The great de-
mand for lumber has induced the
manufacturers to put in every log
possible. The great demand for la
Dor for all kinds of work has made
it scarce in all lines. The work of
the woodslnan is none too attract
i've at the test, and it can hardly be
expected that the best class of la
borers will be attracted by it when
other employment is to be had.
Those who do go into the camps
know that their services are in great
demand and this knowledge makes
them independent even to arro-
gance. The present law makes it
possible for them to demand and
get their pay at any time they may
choose to quit, and the knowledge
that they can go to work again for
the next contractor on the line when
they desire has contributed to the
financial loss or ruin of many a
logger.
The most satisfactory results are
secured by the loggers who can in
duce men of families to go into the
camps for the winter. Many of the
manufacturers who do their own
logging secure this class of men fol-
their mills, and in the winter, when
the mills are closed down, transfer
them to the camps. This gives the
men steady employment the year
round and increases their interest
in the welfare of their employers
The other class does not appreciate
kindness and good treatment, Be
the fare of the camp ever 80 good
and the average camp fare of today
is infinitely better than formerly
the average woodsman rover will
take umbrage at trifle and go tc
the next camp, there to repeat the
program. -. ~
No sufficient remedy for the tramp
woodsman nuisance has been offer
ed, and it is not likely that any viii
be. High wages and good camp