Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-31


Railway distributed along one bound.
AIRY OF a forty" They were instruct.
ed to move forward across the forty
in a straight line. telling every pine
tree over eight inches in diameter
While the saw gangs. three in number,
prepared to fell the first trees, other
men called swampers were busy cut
ting and clearing of roots narrow lit
tie trails down through the forest from
the pine to the skdway at the edge
of the logging road. The trails were
perhaps three feet wide and marvels of
smoothness, although no attempt was
made to level mere inequalities Of the
ground. They were called travoy
roads (Frcnch travois). Down them
the logs would be dragged and hauled
either by means Of heavy steel tongs
or a short sledge on which one end Of
the timber would be chained.
Meantime the sawyers were busy.
Each pair OF men selected tree. the
first they encountered over the bazed
line of their forty. After determining
in which direction it was to fall they
set to work to chop deep cash in that
side of the trunk
Tom Broadhead and Henry Paul
picked out tremendous pine, which
they determined TO throw across lit
tie open space in proximity to the
travoy road One stood to right, the
other left. and alternately their axes
bit deep. Tom glanced up as sailor
looks aloft.
"Shen do Hank" lie said.
The two then with q dozen half clips
of the AK removed the inequalities Of
the bark from the saws path. The
long flexible ribbon Of steel began to
sing, bending so adaptably to the hands
and motions of the men manipulating
that it did not seem possible so mo-
bile all instrument could cut the rough
pine. In moment the song changed
timbre. Without word the men
Strengthened their backs. Tom firted
along the blade n thin stream Of kero-
sene oil from bottle in his hip pocket.
and the sawycrs again bent to their
work, swaying back and forth rhyth'
mically. their muscles ripping under
the texture Of their woolens like those
/ of a panther under its skin. The out
err edge of the saw blade disappeared.
Better wedge her, Tom" advised
Hank.
They paused while, with heavy
sledge Ten drove a triangle of stee
into the crack made by the saving
This prevented the weight Of the tree
from pnching the saw. Then the
rhythmical z-Z-z, z-z-z. again took ul
its song.
When the trunk was nearly severed
Tom drove another and thicker wedge
Timber" halloed Hank in a long
drawn melodious call that melted
through the woods into the distance
| The swampers ceased work and with
drew to safety.
| Crack" called the tree.
Hank coolly unlocked his saw han
die. and Tom drew the blade through
and out the other side.
The tree shivered, then leaned ever
SO slightly from the perpendicular, theI
fell. at first gently. afterward with q
cresccndo rush. tearing through the
branches of other trees, bending tbs
small timber, breaking the smallest
and at last hitting with a tremendous
crash and bang which filled the all
with a fog of small twigs, needles ant
the powder Of snow.
Then the swampcrs, who have by
now finished the travoy road, trimmed
the PROSTATE trunk clear Of all pro
tuberances. 1t required fairly skillfu
ak work. The branches had 10 b.
shaved close and clear, and ut tn
same time the trunk must not b.
gnshed. And often man was forcet
TO WELD his instrument from a con
strained position.
The chopped branches and limbs hal
now TO be dragged clear and piled
While this was being finished Tom ant
Hank marked off and sawed the To-
lengths, paying due attention to tn
necessity of avoiding knots, forks an
rotten places. Thus some Of the log
were eighteen, some sixteen or -four
teen and some only twelve feet Il
length.
|
their little wooden sledges. their stet
chains and their tonGs They had bee
tspng the skiddcrs TO place the pal
slel and level beams, or skids, o
which the logs were to be piled by tn
side Of the road. The tree which Tor
and Hank had just fcled lay up a ger
tie slope from the new travoy road, s
little Fabian Invcque. the tepmste
clamped the bite of his tongs>to th
end OF the largest or butt log
"Allez. Molly" he cried.
A horse. huge. elephantino. her hea
down, nose close to her chest. INTEL
vently spying her steps, moved. TIL
log half rolled over slid three feet an
menaced d stump.
Gee cried LaveQue.
Molly stepped twice directly sid
wise, planted her forefoot on roo
she had seen and pulled sharply. I'll
end of the log slid around the stump.
, "Allezw commanded Lavcquc.
I And Molly started glngerly down Il
hill. She pulled the timber, heavy
I an iron safe, here and there throul
8 the brush. missing no steps, makii
. no false moves, backing and hnal
q getting out of the way OF an une
o pected roll with the ease and intel
=. eence OF Laveque himself. In III
minutes the burden lay by the travt
a road. In two minutes more one el