Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-14

each season with thousands of logs
belonging TO dozens of owners. Al
most all of these logs float On undis-
turbed until they reach Minneapolis.
Here they are ensnared by the boom
company in that city. Tie company
withdraws from the pincy caravan
such logs as are to be ''manufactur.
ed or cut up into lumber at the saw.
mills at Minneapolis. Despite alleg.
ed decadcnce these mills occasionally
produce a shingle.
But all logs bearing down river
marks are permitted to escape over
the falls
1t IS just below Fort Smelling that
the logs encounter the main shear
boom" of the ST. Paul Boom Co. This
is n long. floating arm of logs. Joined
together with chains, and extending
from the west bank diagonalIy across
the channel of the river. The logs,
floating against the boom are divert
I'd across the river into pocket"
Or inclosure. formed also of logs and
chains. But the shear boom lies i'm
the path of steamboats,. 1t is, there
fore. hinged to the shore. so to
speak, and attached to chains and
ropes controlled by hand windldss.
Whenever Il steamboat approaches a
man on watch haUlS in the boom'S |
protruding end. After the boat has
passed the boom is released and the |
current, acting upon certain fin-lille |
wooden paddles" soon draws the |
shear boom out into its proper diago- |
nal position across the channel.
The logs caught i'm the big pocket |
are inspected. by the catch-lnarkers.' = |
These men hop safely about. fly fash
ion, on the wet and slippery logs; for
a lumber Jack wears high-lacel |
boots, from the heavy soles of which
protrude sharp nails. The marker
carries a ''peavey"-that is. rather
short steel-pointcd pike. at the pike
end of which is adjusted contriv-
lnce like the iceman'S tongs. With
4 peavey anybody can roll logs like
a politician. The marker carries. too
I record of all the marks, of all
he down river owners. and remem-
oers most of the marks without look
ng at the record. After ne has
found the mark he adds another sim
pier sign. The advantage is this:
As received by the catch-markers
Zach owners logs may exhibit a con
using variety of marks. As re-label-
ID each owners logs win be disting-
Iished by the same single mark.
Then the logs are released and al
lowed to drift down narrow chute.
At the side of which are entrances to
mailer pockets. one pocket for each
owner. \ man, standing at the en-
rance of the pocket. selects as the
ogs go by, these bearing the owners
Iame. These men use generally long
bike poles only.
Within the individual pockets the
ogs are formed into "brails," or
aft units. \ brazil is about 80 feet
vide and 500 feet long-that is, as
ong as a block and as wide as
street. The oblong outline of the
lrail is formed by large logs and
.hains. Within the solid border thus
the other logs are placed
cngthwise. and fastened with an
adaptable firmnesS by means of cross
.hains and wires. y brazil contains
lbout 10000 feet of logs, and six
)rails constitute the ordinary raft.
Because of the narrowness of the
liver. brails only are usually dis
patched by the st. Paul Room Co.
The brails are pushed, two at time,
,head of one of the several small log
ring steamboats,.
At Prescott. Mimi. the ESaiIs are
at a convenient storage
point in broad Lake Pepin. There
he RATS are made up and pushed
lhead of other small Stern-wheeled
steamboats, down to the Iowa saw
Mills at burlington. Dubuque. Clinton,
[eokuk, Rock Island and Davenport.
some logs were taken even up to St.
'roiX river at saltwater. MINI. 9th
II logs are left at Hastings and AT
Red Wing, Mimi, this side of the
AXE.
The s.. Paul Boom Co. was formed
more than score or years ago. The
10 employees of the company live he
ide their logs, and enjoy their table
lie hote at a special boarding house
,ao,. the foot pf Victoria street