Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-11
HELPS
MAINE LUMBERMEN

ri the Penobscot River. will be struck
with wonder when he sees the extent
to which the march of progress has lett
its tracks in the shape of the telephone.
Passing through what Is apparently
virgin forest, the traveller will come up
on the bright wires attached to the lit
lie porcelain insulators and running
from tree to tree. In much of these
woods through which these telephone
lines run there Is no trace of man. The
trees are as thick and as strong In their
primeval strength as though no man
had ever invaded the depths Of the vast
wilderness, and yet many of these for
est monarchs are living telephone poles
and bear on their massive trunks and
but little above the reach of mans
lands the wires over which hundreds
of messages are singing every day.
Useful as the telephone is in the city,
where the steps it saves would in any
case be made easy by the use Of the
automobile, electric or fast express. 1t
is far more useful in the forest, where
there are none of these cOnveniences
and where a canoe or bateau Is the
common vehicle of travel.
The manner i'm which the telephone is
used TO help the men who drive the
logs is perhaps the greatest feature of
the whole system. The dams along the
West Branch have been built not only
10 hold water, against the time Of
drought, but also to control the flood.
SO that it may let down the river at ju
dicioua times. To this end a consider
able crew of men is kept at the dam all
the time, so that the gates may be
opened or closed on short notice.
AS any one who has read the many
accounts of work on the drives which
are published from time to time may
gather there are many places along the
West Branch, particularly between
Debsconeag and Ripogenus. where the
water tumbles over lodges and between
powders in a manner that Is indeS-
crihably picturesque. The river driver.
however, has little time to admire the
beauties of these rough pitches. He
has learned to look upon them as enc
mics to be feared and navigated with
a sharp eye and strong arm.
1t is the work Of the river drivers to
get the logs down over these rough
places without jamming or piling up on
the rocks and running ashore They
are put on the logs with pick poles and
Cantdogs, pryng the big sticks off the
Lodges and keeping them moving. The
eye Of every man i'm the crew is on a
"slut" of logs coming down stream.
They watch it as it nearS Il bOWlder in
midstream, and if the logs scatter and
pass down river well and good. If they
do not, but stop AMI pile up on the
ledge. catching other logs coming down
and piing up into a big JAIN. the river
driver has his work cut out for him
Then it is that the man at the tele-
phone gets busy. Three lcEg whirls of
the crank Of his little box calls the
dam. and he tells the man who answers
to close the gate and stop the logs from
coming until the jam is broken out
These orders given, he sets to work to
break the jam. Usually a stick Of
dynamite placed with accuracy will
start the logs and clear the channel!
and if one stick is not enough there is
always plenty more. The channel clear,
the man goes to his instrument again
and tells the crew at the dam to let EN-
come. The man must use his judgment
as to the Importance Of the obstruction
and not order the gaues closed unless
necessity demands it.
Before dynamite came into common
use on the drives there We're some great
times for the river drivers along
Ripogenus Gorge. Then if a jam
formed it WIS Il ease of getting down
onto the logs and breaking it out. A
man was lowered down from the ledge
above. hundred feet or more, and
went out on the jam. Fastening a long
line to a log he made his way back To
shore. Then the crew surged on the
line and pulled the logs off the jam I'M
til the key log could be cut or broken.
This was the dog line and many are
the yarns the old rivermen- tell of the
days when it was used.
Before the telephone came into uSe
these messages were conveyed up the
river by relays of men. The men were
stationed at frequent intervals along
the bank. and the message was shouted
from man to man.
The telephone lines are being ex-
tended every year. and 1t will not be
long before telephones are almost rs
common i'm the woods as they are in the
city. Considering the country through
which the men doing the work have to
travel. the lines are put up in remark
ably quick time. for n small crew of
men will put up many miles of wire in
a week. The lines spoken Of i'm this
article are not the only ones in the
Moosehead and connect many of the
sporting camps about the lake. and
they also run up the North Branch of
the PenObScOt.
Recently the telephone has been
called into use to aid the fire wardens
in discovering and extinguishing fires
in the northern forests. A station has
been established on the summit of
Squaw mountain, about six miles west
of Greenville.
A man stationed Mt this point can see
the country for miles around, and with
the aid Of powerful field glasses and
range finders can discover and locate
any fire within range of forty miles In
any direction. Upon disccv ering a fire
re will communicate with. the fire
wardens at Greenvillc aEG detail will
soon be on the way to the scene to
check the progress Of the flames.-Ban-
gor Commercial.