The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1919-01-23
LED logging IN the United
States reaches its highest
development in the New

GENa States reaches It's highest
REISagg8H development in the New
l9ey England and Lake re-
gions where climatic conditions
make this method of transporta-
ton both easy and economical.
Long before the advent of log
ging railroads and motor trucks,
sleds were playing an important
part in logging operations in these
regions.
As the timber was cut away
from the immediate proximity of
streams by the pioneers, and the
demand for lumber grew as the
population increased, the practice
of cutting logs in the fall and early
winter and hauling them on the
snow to the banks of stream by
means of which they we're carried
to the mill by the spring freshets.
came into general use, and remains
so to this day.
But it sometimes happens that
there is no drivable stream at hand,
so that other means are necessary.
In this case logs are often trans
ported to the mill. or nearest rail-
road, by means of large sleds
drawn by two or four horses, or
by steam log haulers.
In the Northeast logs are usually
hauled from the stump to the skid
way on yarding sleds consisting of
a single pair of steel-shod runners
curved upward at the forward end
and about seven feet long, held to.
gether by a cross piece, or bunk,
four or five feet long. One end of
the logs are placed upon the bunk
and fastened securely by chains
while the other end is left to drag
on the ground. Two horses are
generally used to draw a yarding
sled which will move from five to
eight logs at load, according to
the grade and size of the logs.
A less finished form of sled used
in the eastern part of the United
States is called a goodwill" The
runners are unshod and no tongue
is used.
In the Lake region bob" is
used instead of a yarding sled and
two go-devils are often hitched to-
gether with chains, forming q
jumbo" which is used for short
hauls.
For transporting logs from the
skidway to the mill or railroad a
large sled is employed. This sled
is generally called a ''two-sled,"
because it consists of two pairs of
runners held together by chains.
The runners used on two-sleds
are very long, often over ten feet,
and up to four inches wide. They
are shod with heavy steel shoes.
Where four horses are used an ex-
tension is often put on the tongue
so that the forward team may help
guide the sled.
Sled hauling necessitates fairly
good roads which often have to be
specially constructed. Those used
for the yarding sleds. of course,
do not require the care in con-
struction which is necessary for
the two sleds roads. Main roads
for yarding sleds are built in di-
vergent directions from the skid
way with branches built directly to
the logs.
1t is necessary to have the brush
and stones cleared away and the
roadway roughly graded. Moder-
ate descending grades are desirable
but not absolutely essential.
Where logs are transported on
two-sleds, main road with turn
outs for the returning sleds is con-
structed with branches to the vari-
GUS sideways. The location of
these roads is determined largely
by the grade, as it is a hazardous
proceeding to take a heavily loaded
sled down a grade of over five per