The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-03-20
Lost Lake Lumber Company.

Lost Lake Lumber Company.
The machine man Of the Glacier Office
went over to the Lost Lake Lumber
company's mill the other day to get a
small job OF turning done, and while
Frank Davidson did the work the Gla-
cler man took in the mill.
If man likes machinery it would be
a source OF pleasure to him to watch the
working of the great mass Of it
in operation in that mill, and to note
how smoothly and nicely it moves.
Everything goes like it was creased from
the time the log catches on the dogs OF
the log-way that elevates the logs from
the river and brings them in to the
great buzzing band saws, until the man
ufactured products are segregated and
deposited in their individual stations
in the yards surrounding the mill.
One of the most Ingenious contrivances
is the "nigger," as it is called, a steam
working machine lor turning the log on
the carriage. The sawyer has two levers,
one to control the carriage, the other
to work this niger. A log is allowed to
roll down the incline ON to the carriage,
where the sawyer sizesit up andif it don't
lie to suit him, a slight pull of the lever
and the niger runs his long steel arm
up past the side Of the log while the
strong steel teeth, with which the arm is
provided engages the log rolling the big
heavy five and six-foot fellows as easily
and as quickly as baby would corn
cob when playing with iton the-Aoor The
sawyer then pulls the other lever and
the carriage starts forward with the
speed OF trolly car. The log strikes the
saw without meeting the. least apparent
resistance, as the saw cuts through the
big log like hot knife through butter.
Immeditely the saw is through the log
the sawyer reyerses his carriage lever
and the carriage skips quickly back to
its starting point. AS the log clears the
saw and at the same instant that the
sawyer reverses his lever the earriage-rid-
er pulls a lever drawing the log away from
the saw, and while the carriage is going
to its starting point the ratchet-setter
works another lever, throwing the log
one, two, or more inches toward the
saw as he is signaled by the sawyer, for
they have code of signals to communi'
cate with, and then as the carriage
reaches the starting point the rider
throws his lever toward the saw again
which puts the log in the position for
the next cut, and SO they fly back and
forth with the speed of the weaver S
shuttle, slicing he big logs up at the
rate OF million feet day when rum
ming at full capacity. After the slabs
are cut off one side OF the log the niger
gives the log little Corbett punch in
the side which whirls it over with the
fiat side down, and if the log does not
rest solidly against the headblock the
sawyer by another pull Of the lever, and
this is the most curious part OF it, makes
the niger instead Of punching the log
draw back his arm and hit the log with
the side Of his arm such blow as.would
kill an elephant, the force being such
that it drives the largest logs against the
headblock so hard that it makes the
carriage rattle AS the steady stream
of lumber leaves the saw system OF
| live rollers carries it down the line to
where the edger, lath machine, cut-oh
saws, etc, changes the rough slabs into
cordwood and the lumber is trimmed
and resawed TO all the different widths
and lengths from a "one-by-wedder-
strip" up to railroad ties and bridge
timbers.
They do all their own repairing, hay-
ing immense steam drill, lathe dressers,
gummers, emery wheels and blacksmith
Jorge. by means Of which they are en-
abied to keep all their machinery in
perfect order Mr.. Lane, their saw
dresser, keeps the great 24-foot band
saws in first class condition, which is nc
small task. Each saw, besides having
every tooth dressed and set in perfect
allignment, must be rolled aud ham,
mered to a perfect concave its entire
length and OF Just such degree as will
make it cling to the pulleys over which
it runs. Sometimes it happens that the
saw strikes stone imbedded in the log
which frequently necessitates the cut.
ting out OF portion OF the saw and put.
ting in another piece. This Mr.. Lane
does, fitting the ends together and braz'
| ing the ends together so neatly there Il
no palpable difference in the thickness
of this point from hat of any other, and
so strongly as to stand the heavy strain
to which it is subjected in use.
Five big boilers heated with burning
sawdust and other refuse from the mill
in the boilerroom of mason-work, furn
ishes steam for the immense plant O
two sets of.the big band saws with al
their retinue of resaws, ,edgers, ,trimmers
etc, besides two planers, shingle ma
chine, lath machine, lathe, drill, etc.
all run BY one big Corlis engine. They
also have an electric plant run by sep
arate small engine. Out in the yarC
everything is just as Systematically ar
ranged as the interior of the mill
It is laid off into streets with foundations
for the big piles OF lumber aud on eacf
one of these foundation, is fastened 8
neatly lettered board stating the kind o
lumber, X Ak 1862 X 4xl6, 2xl2 x24o O.
whatever it happened to be.
Hood River may well be proud of he
big saw mill, and the men who run it
for they are as courteous as they arr
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