The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1904-11-16

gauge the first difficulties or those the
American pioneer expects 10 encounter
IS matter OF course.
The jobber OF course pushed his
roads as rapidly as possible. but Eas
greatly handicapped by lack of men.
Winter set I'm early and surprised him
with several or the smaller branches
yet to finish The main line, however.
was done.
At intervals squares were cut out
alongside. In them two long timbers
or skids were laid andironwIse for the
reception OF the piles Of logs which
would be dragged from the fallen
trees. They were called sideways.
Then finally the seasons cut began
The men who were to fell the trees
Railway distributed along one bound
airy of forty They were instruct
ed to move forward across the forty
In 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 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 (French travoisl. Down them
the logs would be dragged and hauled
either by means OF heavy steel tOngs
or 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 blazed
line OF their forty. After determining
In which direction II 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 a lit
tie open space I'm proximity to the
travoy road. One stood to right, the
other left, and alternately their axes
BIT deep. Tom glanced up as a sailor
looks aloft.
"She'll do, Hank" he said.
The two then with 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 50 adaptably to the hands
and motions OF the men manipulating
that 1t did not seem possible SO mo-
bile an instrument could cut the. rough
pine. In moment the song changed
| timbre. Without q word the men
I, Strengthened their backs. Tom firted
along the blade a thin stream Of ker0-
sene oil from bottle In his hip pocket
and the sawyers again bent to their
| work, swaying back and forth rhyth-
mically, their muscles ripping under
the texture Of their woolens like those
of q panther under its skin. The out
er edge OF the saw blade disappeared.
Better wedge her, Tom," advised
Hank.
They paused while, with heavy
sledge, Tom drove a triangle Of steel
into the crack made by the saving
This prevented the weight Of the tree
from pinching the saw. Then the
rhythmicaI TIT, TIT, again took ur
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.
"Crackr' 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 evel
SO slightly from the perpendicular ther
fell, at first gently, afterward with {
crescendo rush, tearing through thu
branches Of other trees, bending The
small timber. breaking the smalles
and at last hitting with tremendous
crash and bang which filed the ali
with fog Of small twigs, needles ant
the powder of snow.
Then the swampers, who have b.
now finished the travoy road, trimmed
the PROSTATE trunk clear Of all pro
tuberances. 1t required fairly skillfu
ak work. The branches had to b
shaved close and clear, and at til
same time the trunk must not b
gashed And often a man was forces
to WELD his instrument from con
strained position.
The chopped branches and limbs ha'
4 =
now to be dragged clear and piled
s While this was being finished Tom an
Hank marked or and sawed the lo
lengths, paying due attention to th
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 l
length.
Next appeared the teamsters wit
their little wooden sledges, their stee
chains and their tongs. They had bee
] helping the skidders to place the pal
alIpI and level hnamS f1r SlxidS n