The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-01-15

l don't suppose the boy Of the pres
ent day ever heard of a "logging."
almost sure. who never helped to roll
logs. or ever saw a ~log-rolling. They
do not even know what / mean by a
log-rolling. for, since the war there
have been but few logs rolled.
Sixty years ago the forests were not
cut down, as now, but. every winter,
landowners cleared new grounds"
Large oaks and pines. as well as the
smaller trees were ruthlessly felled.
the laps cut off and piled INFO
brush heaps, the small growth of
hickory, oak, ash and dogwood. cut in
proper lengths, was hauled QUE for
fircWood, while enough of the larger
trees-oak and pine-that would split,
We're used for making rails with which
to fence the new ground" The re-
mainder Of the large timber was piled
in heaps and burned. Hence the log
roIlings.
\ big new ground, that was heavily
timbered, was a sight to behold, after
Il day had been spent, by twenty or
thirty men rolling the logs. Heaps
were made as high as a mans head.
and some of the logs were SO large it
required a dozen or more sIrong mel
to lift them. Hand-spikes about seven
feet long, were put under a log SO that
a man IN each side could lift with it.
1t was usually the case that the men
paired off and two used the same
Idilu-SDlkc all Qdy, DuI, usually lnpTc
We're one or two "bullies," as they were
called, h boosted of their superior
strength. and would challenge the field
for a "pu1l-dOWn." / have seen as
many as eight ~hand-spikes under d
log, with sixteen men, eight on each
side. doing all they could to carry it.
How they did yell and boast, as they
slowly made their way to the heap.
Sometimes a mar would begin to show
signs of giving way; then the man on
tho nfhnt Gidn n1rlIJno n nin him,
would shout and crow and braG on his
strength. When the log pile was
reached the men nearest the pile
would rest their ends of the hand
spikes on a log and get out of the way,
SO that those holding the other ends
could roll the log into the heap. And
thus. all day. they toted and rolled,
and while it was the hardest kind of
work it was. nevertheless. greatly en-
joyed.
Every now and then it was expect
ed thai 'the- boss''-the man whose
logs We're being rollcd-l,n uii bring
the jug around, the contents of which,
1t was supposed, were absolutely ne
cessary to keep the logs a-rolling.
Usually ii was the work of two or
three men to go ahead and roll a few
logs together as the beginning of
heaps, so that. when the rollers came
on they could build upon those begin
nings.
1t was expected that every %neighbor
would go or send a hand as invita-
tons generally went out to all living
nearby. A negro man was glad
enough when the master told him that
he was to help a neighbor roll logs.
He regarded it as a sort of compliment.
and he appreciated it.
OF course as a general rule, the
ablest bodied. strongest men were
sent, for rolling logs required strong
men.
On one occasion a ~neighbOr. for
some reason or other, sent a young
fellow, instead of one of the older
negroes. who usually went to log-roll-
fngs.
1t gave offence to the man of the
new GROUND when he saw young Bob
walk up with his hand-spike, to help
roll his lo"s. At first he thought Of
sending him home, With the message
to his master, that he didn't thank him
to send a boy to his log-rOlling. But
another thought occurred to him, and
that was. he would make Bob carry
one end of his own hand-spike, think
ing that he would break him down, in
a short while, and let all the neigh
bOrS see what a sorry hand BOb's mas
ter had sent. He was a strong man,
and much taller than young Fob, con
sequently it was. to I'll appearances,
an uneven. match.
At every start the stick was run
under a very big log by the landlord
and Bob was told to take hold Of the
other end. He did SO, and, although
the man did his utmost to bring the
young negro to his knees, he did not
succeed.
1t rather angered the man, that Bob,
a young fellow. should pull him -
hard. So, under another Dig log went
the stick and the man told Bob to
take hold again, which he did, giving
the man all he could carry.
All the forenoon their stick went
under every heavy log n Bob car
ried his end of it.;
To break him down.. the man over
did himself-became very hot. and,
drinking a great draught of water. was
thrown into a chill, the beginning Of
a ickness Of which he died in a few
days.
Perhaps I should not have thought
of all this. which happened sixty years
ago. had [ not seen old Bob going
along the streets the other day. I don't
suppose he could roll logs much now;
but Uncle Remus said of the rabbit:
He was a nifty man in he day"
Our fathers burnt their wood to get
rid of it; now, it is a hard matter to
get any to burn. The great forests are
nearly all cut down and we have to
depend on the old field pine. which is
called white hickory" when cut and
split green.
It's lasting wood, for sure enough,
but rather expensive, as it takes about
. quart of kerosene oil to make one
fire of it.
Speaking Of firewood, brings to mind