The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-24
MANY RECKLESS
DRIVES MADE
Dangers of Logging Season
Are Numerous
YEARS CROP DECREASED
How Business Is Carried on in
North

The logging season has begun, and the
big drives are On their way down the
rivers Of the North Woods. Every spring
millions Of feet Of unsawed lumber are
sent down these waterways to the waiting
mills, where they are turned into pulp or
lumber. Less VIII be hoated down this
year than ever before, for the steady
drain OF years has exhausted many sec
tons OF The woods, and the increasing
reservation Of the forest lands has shut
> out the lumbermen from hundreds Of
square miles Of the choicest sections. As
a result many mills VIII shut down this
year ard next, and in time the big run
OF hundreds Of thousands Of logs down
the spring freshets VIII be a thing Of ira
oiJi0n and the past. Some of the sections
along the southwest side Of the Adj
Tondacks, drained by the Moose and Black
rivers, are now denuded Of paying timber,
and the mill owners are already search
ing for new sections.
There are stiu logs 70 float however,
and now is the season Of the year when
the choppinC gangs which have been at
work deep IN the forest all winter long
come out for a few days Of riotous va
cation before the drives begin. There is
nothing more animated than numbering
village ol the eve Of a big drive. The
streets are crowded with men clad in the
uniform " the woods. jumpers and trou-
sers tucked into boots. who haunt the
saloons by day and the dance halls by
night, working of the enthusiasm pent up
during the weeks II steady work in the
forest. AL have the earnings Of months
with them. and these are distributed with
great impartiality among the dozen sa-
looms which are fourishing feature Of
any place. no matter how small, where
the men OF the woods cCngregate- Fights
are If hourly occurrence. and lucky is
the foreman who. when the word comes
dow the river. can collect his whole gang
after a double round OF the drinking
places-
Apart from the human element, the
Ecene is picturesque. Empty and silent,
marked by the ions slender lines Of the
bO0ms which separate the water OF one
MI from that of another. the wide pond
stretches away from the village across to
thu mills. These have shut down now for
want of food for their giant maws. and
the result Of the winters saving IS seen
r. the great golden piles of lumber slow
Il bleaching in the sun. awaiting the
opening Of the canal, when the boats Will
: carry them down to the cities and the
seaboard. The fires Of refuse which have
been burning all winter. day and night.
devouring fuel that would have warmed
q city, are gone out in a smolder of
smoke Everything is eXpectant Of the
drive and the resultant awakening OF the
mills
In the meantime men have been sent up
70 the dam above the logs 10 watch the
rise Of water and report when everything
Is ready The dam was built weeks be
tore. and for days the water has been
boarded up so that when the drive is
ready and the siuice Eatcs are opened the
meager stream may be turned into
torrent down which the logs VIII rush to
the waiting mills
One night word comes down that the
water is OVERLOOKING the apron OF the
dam. and the word is given To start Be
for dawn the next morning the village
IS astfr and in the gray light the wagons
loaded down with men. cant hooks. pike
poles. saws. and axes set out for the head
of the drive 1t is cold and silent Al first,
but before the wagons have cleared the
first hills the sun comes over the east
and sends q food Of light across the silent
pond. falling on the yellow heaps of lum-
Der beyond and cleaning across the low
village roofs
Outside the village the history of the
numbering there can be read almost a.
glance The small town. with its half
dozen mills, has eaten like a sore into the
forest land Directly without the village
the land is barren, with hills Of sand,
grass-topped. where once there was
wilderness of woods. This is the cleared
land. where twig. branch and root have
not been spared Further back the wild
growth begins. low and stunted. thick
ferns at first iutersrersed with sumach.
dwarf poplar and elder, with here and
there an old guaried tree OF half-century
growth Further back stil are the hard
wood s-owJbs. and beyond theu-a tail
frieze of dark points along the sky-is
tn evergreen forest
The morning sun s,ts loose the spring
n the air. Up ir the top Of tall elm a
llackblrd is shaking the winter out OF
rs voice. His efforts seem far from sue
cassfuI. ending IS they do in a dismal
note but DE is not discouraged. and keeps
att hardly until the wagons are abreast.
F..-'. Win ~ls-Llitr. t'4tfAe-N az eA-t -+-
terrlurfon he flies away 10 take up his
practice in some reuoter part Of the
woass There is "a faint odor of tho
awakening life OF the woods on the sott
Ell J-0 from the brown. sun-wa-med
earth comes a scent. presaglnS later vio-
lets. Horses and men feel the induence.
ana IS the teams breast a hin the riders
leap out and lark like boys mp the hillside.
Presently on the nosJrlls fails "A strange
o5or-aEen. pucenJ. sha-r-ike blood Il
IS blood CT giant pines. Tor the wagons are
approaching the battlefield "a the winter
Ions struggle Of man and forest The
fallen lie in great heaps along The -5ver
si5e ana the bed Of the stream is fun 10
the banks with tn great sticks All
through the winter the teams brought the
timber down Il the water side. and now
Il < ready fer the run down the river
Men are AT work already az the dam.
ard as soon as the gangs take their places
II safes are opened. With q roar the first
wave dasbes out. scurries to the big piles.
br5aSts them Tor moment in the food of
foam. and sinks away beneath the logs.
another and another wave follows, each
higher than the one before. and then the
loss begin l. stir slightly, Weakening from
Their frosty bonds ad with the iDcreas-
ing volume of water the big sticks lift
from the rocks, settle back. lift again, and