The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1908-10-09
WOODCHOPPING TEST,
Vermont AOnan's Exploit to De.
pide q Wager.
STANDING TIMBER CUT DOWN

'Tislxt e,Hriss and sunsst-Won
e1Qo For Me Days Work.
I'd Moote GO Ansden, Vt, who lays
slalm 10 the title OF champion wood
chopper OF " Enpnt recently added to
his fame Nv { coping. splitting and pill
tulI ave cord1 OF wood from standing
TREE between sunrise and sunset. He
won 800 for bis days work, and Max
well EEarts. oldest son OF the late Unit
cd States Senator william NJ. Evarts,
added $1,000 to bis bank account. as
10 backed MoOte to accomplish the
feat.
There were present Samuel @. Blythe
90 New York, who had made the prin-
elpal wager with Mr.. Evarts, and many
prominent Vermonters.
The contest took place at Windsor.
near Amsden, VT, on a farm owned by
Nkr. Evarts. The chopping began at
sunrise. twenty-five minutes after 5,
and was 10 end at sunset. ten minutes
10 6. Moote was attended by his son
Frank, to keep the axes sharp. ana he
handed these instruments and the split
ting swedges TO his father as fast as
they were needed. G. NJ. Lawrence, a
civil engineer Of FelchVille, oficiated
az The measurer.
Moote by half past 10 had cut down
eighteen trees, ranging In length from
sixty TO seventy feet and from nine to
thirteen inches In diameter at the base.
he had chopped and split three and a
half cords. and he said that his mus
Gle was as good as when he began.
IL is seldom that a woodchopper has
had such a smartly dressed company
to witness his work. With occasional
lunches Of hash and more frequent
drinks Of milk and brandy. MOote
chopped away, and at noon about four
cords were on the ground. cut and
split. but not piled. At that time he
declared the job would be finished at
4 O'Clock. and the result proved the
accuracy Of his prophecy. At just If
teen minutes after 4 o'clock the Official
measurer announced that the long pile
contained FIVE and one-elghth cords OF
wood. and Moote stopped work with
another eighth OF a cord on the ground
already split. Twenty-Five pine trees
seventy-nve feet tall had been cut down.
Mr.. Blythe. who showed himself a
good loser, Joined Mr.. Evarts in his
congratulations. land Moote mounted
the pile, ak In hand. while a hundred
cameras were focused on him. He had
done his task. with an hour and half
to spare.
In the town OF Weathersfeld. mid
way between Windsor on the Central
Vermont railway and Cavendish on the
Rutland railroad. under the shadow OF
Ascutney mountain. lies this little ham,
let called Amsden. A quarter Of
century ago Charles Amsden built
there some kilns In which to burn the
lime which is found in abundance
along the Black river at Amsden
Then he added a sawmill, a griStmllI
and a general store. and .Uncle Sam
added postOflce. The place speedily
became a center of trade for miles
around and prospered greatly until the
nCaNn I'LL AAuChCh NNi gNslAN
ago.
Others then managed the property
with varying degrees of success until
II was brought 10 the attention of Mr.
Evarts five years ago. The propositions
looked so good to him that he bought
the entire outfit and made Luther &
White OF Windsor his manager. The
property includes several timber tracts.
which are being cleared. In one Of
the reports from White 10 Evarts the
former had told him Of the timber cut
ting capacity OF Ed Mootc AMI had
rated Eds capacity at about twenty
one cords a week cut. split and piled.
That looked like pretty good record
10 Evarts. and. always proud of his ma
tive state and the prowess of its peo-
pie. he told the story To several of his
friends.
One OF these friends was present al
dinner which Mr. EvartS give Ia
some friends at the New willard i'm
Washington last spring. and Mr.. Evarts
was asked TO explain how this man
Moote could average more than FIVE
cords of wood n day, cut. split and
piled. The explanation was not az al!
satisfactory to his guests. and Eva"ts
was Immediately bombardei by Offers
Of wagers that neither Ed Moote nor
any other Vermonter could perform
such a feat. Mr.. Evarts' sporting in.
stinct Is tempered with caution. aud II
occurred to him that White might be
mistaken in his estimate of Moote's ca
pacity. s. ~ ed White as follows
L. c. White Ansden. Vt:
Can Ed Moote cut five cords of wood
in one day? ave made that statement
and am Jeered At. Wire me at once. II
he can. make your telegram strong, but
accurate as we have TO back this up.
NJ. E.
uUki.o ,,-or,n4i- .onltod.