Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1904-11-11
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cut way for Eve miles through the
unbrokcn wilderness The way had
moreover, TO be not less than twenty
i've feet wide, needed to be absolutely
level and free from any kind of OBJ
structions and required in the swamps
liberal bal!asting with poles. called cor
duroys. Not only must the growth be
removed, hut the roots must be cut out
and the inequalities Of the ground lev.
eled or filled up. Reflect further that
Radway hal but brief time at his
disposal, but a few months at mos.
and you will then be in n position to
gauge the first difficulties of those the
American pioneer expects to encounter
as IL matter of course.
The jODber of course pushed his
roads as rapidly as possible. but was
greatly handicapped by lack of men.
Winter set in early and surprised him
with several Of the smaller branches
yet 60 finish The main line however,
was done
At intervals squares were cut out
alongside. In them two long timbers
or skidS were laid Hndironwise for the
reception Of the piles Of logs which
would be dragged from the fallen
trees. They were called skidways.
Then finally the seasons cut began.
The men who were to fell the trees
Radway distributed along o,ie bound.
airy of Il forty" They were instruct
ed TO move forward across the forty
in Il 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 skidway ut the edge
of the logging road. The trails were
perhaps three feet wide and marves of
smoothness, although no attempt was
made to level mere inequalities of the
ground. They were called travOy
roads (French travOisl. Down them
the logs would be dragged and hauled
either by means of heavy steel tongs
or a short s!cdgc on which one end OF
the timber would be chained.
Meantime the Sawyers were busy.
Each pair of men selected Il tree, the
first they encountered over the blaZed
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 Broadheah and Henry Paul
picked out tremendous pine. which
they determined to throw across IA lit
tie open space in proximity to the
travOy read One stood to right. tho
other left. and alternately their axes
bit deep. Tom glanced up as a sailor
looks aloft.
Shell do. Hank" he said
The two then with II dozen half clips
of the aX 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 an instrument could cut the rough
pine In moment the song changed
tmbre. Without Il word the men
Strengthened their backs. Tom tlirted
along the blade il thin stream of kero-
scnc 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
ln Of
of a panther under its skin. The out
er edge of the saw blade disappeared.
Better wedge her, Tom," advised
Hank
They paused while. with heavy
sledgc, Ten drove Il triangle of steel
into the crack made by the saving
This prevented the weight of the tree
from pinching the saw. Then the
rhythmical z.zz. z-zz. again took up
its song
When the trunk was nearly severed
Tom drove another and thicker wedge
"Timber!" halloed Hank in 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 cooly 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, then
fell at first gently. afterward with a
crescendO rush, tearing through the
branches of other trees, bending the
small timber breaking the smallest
and at last hitting with a tremendous
crash and bang which filled the air
with fog of small twigs. needles and
the powder of snow.
Then the swampcrs who have bv |
now finished the travoy road trimmed |
the PROSTATE trunk clear OF all pro
tuberanccs II required fairly skil'th' l