The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-02-28

oHC OOloVeIS OSluS ely ttceur luCoCS
square by eight feet long, and il the
log road is in good shape extra holsters
are put on top of these and overreaches
some three feet on each side, per
hitting of putting on a much larger
load. which runs as much as Is and
Is. 900 feet per load They are piled
on as long as they will lay on, each
layer being one less until the top runs
to a single log, when the whole IS
securely chained. Sometimes two or
three of these loads will be chained to-
gether and four or five teams put to
the front sled. This is a sight worth
going a considerable distance to see.
The hay hauler has quite time of it,
keeps two teams busy here. They have
to haul it about eight miles now, from
what is called the Big meadows near
Mile Laos lake where thousands of
tons were put up last season and for
which they pay $3.50 per ton. This
company has over hundred head of
horses to feed besides the oxen. so you
see it takes lots of feed The tote sleds
are for hauling grain and everything
needed in the camp and haul as much
as three tons at load. This stuff is
all hauled from Aitkin, distance of
twenty miles from the camp above re-
ferred to. The lunch hauler's business
is to haul the dinner out to the hands IN
the woods. which are sometimes as
much as four miles from camp He
also gets up wood for the camp
Number five, or log handlers are the
men who put the logs on the skids to
be skidded to the log road where they
are piled or decked as it is called: also
includes the deckers and the men that
load the log sleds and unload them for
decking and loading. The oxen are
used and it is very dangerous work,
everyone having to be on the alert and
everything go like clock work. Acct.
dents frequently happen and some
times men are killed by log breaking
loose or something else happening.
The teamsters have nothing to do
with handling the logs, their business
being to attend to their teams.
Number six, or rafting or driving as
it is called Is also very dangerous and
disagreeabie work but commands good
wages. it consists of getting the logs
out OF wherever they are hauled to
during the winter and begins as soon
as the ice breaks up This camp hauls
theirs and unloads them at Mile Laos
lake where long logs will be chained
together endways and strung around
the loose logs so as to prevent them
from scattering all over the lake. They
are then towed to the south end of the
lake by a steam boat MS soon as the ice
breaks up and are floated out and down
the Rum river to Millacca City where
large saw mills are located that saw a
log ate circle through, being what
are called gang saws. The driversTbusi-
ness is to keep the logs from jumping
while floating and have to be out
amongst the logs and take their
chances of being thrown off and crush.
ed amongst them. This is the finish
Ing touch to the seasons work. This
company expects to get out 5000, 900
feet this winter and have about twice
that amount to get out in the next two
winters. These camps furnish plenty
OF work and an excellent market for
all farm products. The wages paid
vary quite bit, S2600 being the low
est for single hand and s45 90 the high
est, the latter being four.horse drivers.
Other teamsters and also the sawyers
get $50 90 per month. OF course these
hgures DO not represent the wages paid
in all localities or camps. as farther
north they are some higher. The
company furnish all board and horse
feed in addition to the above wages,
and generally furnish the best of grub
and put in good shape. The hands
generally have to furnish their own
bedding.
| will now bring my article to a close
hoping you will lind something there.
in that will be OF interest to YOU,
though not put up in very fine style.
The material used for writing this
article on instead of writing paper will
be new wrinkle to some expect. |
thought it would be novelty so chose
it for my use, as it is also tougher than
paper and will stand more handling,
1t is the inside layer of birch bark,
which is very plentiful in this country
and for fuel almost equals coal. Yours
truly. ALLEN MARcuM.
The Two Best in One.
People who formerly considered The
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