Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-28
KennebeC Lumber
Cut Falls Behind.

season will not be as large as it was
last year The Hollingsworth & Whit
ney Co. one Of the largest operators
| in this section of Maine, will get out
about 30.010,o00 and it is expected that
they will have finished cutting by Jan.
| I. Their cut last year amounted to
| approximately 4ob00,0G0 In a few
weeks a large number of their men
will be laid off and those who are left
will busy themselves in hauling logs
from the yards to the landings.
| Lawrence Bros, of South Gardiner.
| W no have about 200 men in the woods
Row, will cut some 1900, 900 and they
| too, expect to commence hauling to
the landings early in the new year.
The Bra0street Lumber Co. is cut
| ting on Attean and No. 8, range 8, as
| well as around Jackman. The cut will
| be the largest Of any concern mere
| abouts this season and about 0.000.O0
| "A number of smaller operators Will
swell the total of the timber harvest
| but it will fall considerably short of
the amount which went down the Ken
nebec waters from here last year.
| Moosehcad lake are enthusiastic over
the work which is done by the steam
log haulcrs which were first introduced
into the Maine woods about ten years
ago. Although their initial cost Is
$500 the manufacturers have lately
come up $500 owing to the advance in
the price of Stccl-one Of the machines
will do the work of 80 horses and. II
extensive scale. it will more than pay
for itself in a short time. 1t isn't put
ting it too strongly to say that the
steam log haulers are gradually revo-
llutioniZing the business of cutting logs
in Maine.
Three men are required to operate
one OF the haulcrS. Their" is an cngi-
nccr, a fireman and man who de-
votes himself exclusively to steering.
.>Lcy can snake a train of heavily
loaded Sleds ever wood road at the
rate of six miles an hour and can
keep the pace up all day if necessary.
Their usual loads are composed OF
either nine or II SledS.
| Some idea of the vast saving in time
and labor which they effect can be
obtained by rejecting that the average
pair of woods horses are doing we'll If
they average a mile an hour with
heavy load OF logs. The log haulers
| IRE used to the best advantage. where
| the distance which the timber must be
| transported is considerable, and. even
where they are employed, it is still
necessary 10 use horses to do the
work in the yards. They can never
be altogether dispensed with.
Despite the new conditions which
are gradually creeping in. life in the
Maine lumber camps doesn't differ
greatly today from what it did so
wears ago. There are fewer and fewer
native Woodsllcn each year and the
men are fed much better than they
were in the Old days when pork and
| beans and salt beef formed the staple
articles of diet. But otherwise there
| isn't huch change. Most of the men
get far better food than they would
at home and tht work is easier than a
winter fishing trip to the banks for
instance.
! The present day lumber camp has
about everything which the markets
| afford in the way of food. Roast beef
isn't served every day nor do salads
| form an article of diet. but for plain
nourishing, we'll cooked food. the av
erage camp table leaves but little to
be desired. Breakfast is served dur
| ing the winter from $50 to $50 accord
ing to TIE particular camp. and the
| men get to their work by daylight. At
noon tine cooks assistants carry lun-
! cheon out to the men and a Steaming
hot supper is ready for them when
| =
the darkness has rendered further
~ork impossible Most of the men
turn in early at night for the labor Is
strenuous and tired and aching bodies
need rest. RI.
only those who through long OK
pcIiencc nave become accustomed to
it, can sleep with comfort in the aver
age lumber camp after the snow has
come. a huge box stove of cast iron
stands III the center Of most of the
camps and the hunks are arranged on
either side. usually with the feet Of
the Slccpars extending along a central
aisle. Mittcns, lcgginS and other ar
tiCleS Of clothing which are caked with
frozen snow, are hung on lines sus-
pended ever the stove and. in order
to dry them Thoroughly. a rousing fire
| which frequently heats the iron red
hot, is built. The steam which rises
from the frozen garments together
| with the heat. makes sleep out of the
Question for those who are unaccus-
| toned to life i'm tho lumber camps.
| Although there are hundreds of men
| in the Maine woods who are expert
aXemen, the old time chopper is grad
ual!y passing. His place is being TAX
en- by Canadians who driftaovcr the
border from the provinces. and by men
| who are shipped down from the big
| cities by the employment agents.
Man, of the latter are absolutely
worthless and nearly all of them are
without experience. This doesn't mat
ter SO much. however, on the end of o
| buck saw as it would if they were eX-
pected 70 swing an axe.
Nearly all of the trees nowadays are
sawed down instead Of being chopped
as was formerly the case. They are
taken much nearer the stump and
| large part of the waste which followed
when an axe WIS used is done away
with. This is in line with the general
| policy Of most operators these days, to