The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-13


cut down to essentials. .Lowbridge
then. and enter the cook-house. First i
the stove, a low affair with an oven higl
in the pipe. Behind that the -four barre
covered with the moulding board
shelf beneath a tiny window under III
caves hold the meagre cooking utensils
a kettle or two, some pans, paper pack
age OF ginger. one Of pepper. and the salt
box. Then there is the WATERFALL. III
lard-can, and the cooks bed. This is Il
the form Of a long box. built out iron
the wall. The bottom is lined with spruc
boughs, and gray blankets, hastily dis
side OF the room stretches q long dea
! table. with benches at either edge Here
the men eat when they are in camp.
Low bridge" again. and down a steT
into the other room. The place is lighted
by two tiny windows, and is honeycomb-
Z ed about with double rows OF hunks
/ against the walls. The small central
! space i shaIf-flled by box-stove. over
which from bunk TO bunk, odd-looking
/ lines are hung Do not think the camp
+ has departed from its custom. and allow
: ed a non-essential Ike washing 10 OBJ
+ trude itself Not at all. These lines are
for wet socks. only. There is no washing
day in camp. just as there is no evening
and no holiday but Sunday; and no day
too cold or stormy for work
As we walk down the smooth, wide
logging road you will see. az short dis
tancesapart huge piles OF logs. the
yards" from which men are now haul
ing of. j. G.. loading the sleds and haul
ing the load 10 the landing OF the river.
What a gay place it is Red and green
sweaters. leather jackets. trousers that
have long since lost all originality bur
that OF the owner. so hitched and saggeG
and rolled up are they. gray yarn socks,
and yellow moccasins-trese bind about
and cucumber what seems TO be the
joIliest crowd Of "Parlez-vouses'' on
earth
ne are in for the midday turn ii
the teams Two burly fellows jab their
iron-tipped peevies into log. The curv-
ed iron hooking hanging like a loose
tooth 10 the side Of each peevie bites
into the bark. and out rolls the log from
its comfortable snow bed where it has
heen living since il was dragged from
the spot where the choppers felled il in
October. All along the logging road these
yards" or piles of logs, are made. In
fact the yards are piled first and the
road made 10 connect them with each
other and with the river. whence the
spring freshets give the next impetus Of
the Journey.
Now climb to the top of the load. and
VIC will have a ride TO the landing. II
takes your breath ava at fist, IL find
yoUrself looking down. instead Ct up,
into the treetops; to see the snow. like
down, in last years nests; - feel The
load at the strain at starting heave and
give under you. You soon lsa-n conf
d snce. however. in the heavy cha L tat
bind the logs together and confidence IN
the huge. shaggy footed beasts ahead
As for the driver, you have never lost
confidence in him. No one could hear the
light-hearted chirrup TO his horses. see
him gather the reins deity between two
grfnlv red fingers, watch him throw a
careless leg over projecting log, drive
away down the icy road. without feeling
absolute faith IN his knowledge and
power Great. rough. jolly looking fell
lows these woOdmen are, Nothing suits
them better than to make some lazy fell
low jump for it as a log is shyly loosened
behind him. and rolls down the slds
or TO see him loose his balance and pitch
head first. from the load into the soft
and deep snow Like the rest Of the
world. they have their jokes and their
jealousies but it IS a wholesome, busy. Z
happy life they make Of it. What do .
they know. or care. If it is the opera
season. and creases are worn down the
front Of a pant-leg2 Give your cap a
cock and dance a pas seul' 10 a mouth
organ so long as you have breath 10 blow
il. and what better fun do you want?
Away with your city nonsense Of elegant f
snnui.
As the sleds glide along. the shaggy
cgs creak and sing together OF the great
adventure on which they are setting out
8right-plumaged birds follow the course
With shy trills Of wonder and curiosity
All this bother only about getting away
% the south2 Surely not At the land
ng IN long. solemn procession. ike old
aides IT box-ofice, from the bIuff as
ar as the eye can follow down the
rozen stream. the logs lie together wait
NJ for the great day when the spring
aims shall break up the ice. and the gay
ioating and sprinting and jambing and
jumping down the swollen streams 70 the
afe harborage Of the mill-boom shah
ave commenced
We viii leave them here. for when the
ogs are rolled from the load 70 the land
aC the woodsmaus work is done. The
government scaler comes. now and then.
nd looks wise over them and jots down
Memoranda IN his notebook. but they
70 not moved again until the river
rivers take them III hand Then. Il you
Ike. we VIII return and spend a day !
: the queer Canadian spring or The
rive" HELENA STACY