The mirror., 1919-11-27
THE LUMBER INDUSTRY
One Of the Leading Industries of the World Is used
IN Almost Every Article of Commerce.
read before the Piian Chausasqua r.
IN Chautdwqma Circle by II. r. q.

of logs are very easily handed.
These logs which measure from
five to six feet in diameter are
handled by means of a device
which is operated by steam and is
called the Niger" and another
which is called the Carriage" !"
The sawyer operates these by
means of two levers. These levers
may mention 60 down through
the floor and into the basement,
where we find that the extreme
ends are attached to steam valves.
Under no considerations must the
sawyer take his hands off these
levers while on duty without first
locking them. This can be easily
done by means of a small clamp,
or dog" that can be operated
with the knee. The Niger" is
very powerful constructed piece of
machinery. It is made of two
pieces of steel. one inch thick and
about eight inches wide at the
lower end. tapering up to about
four inches at the end upper most.
In between these two pieces of
steel are eight or nine dogs. These
help to turn the log over when de-
sired. As to its power it can
break ten or twelve inch log in
two in one operation-providing
the sawyer gives it enough steam.
When the log is placed on the car
riage. men are there ready to re-
ceive it and clinch it fast to the
carriage. This is done by means
of sharp teeth inserted in the car
riage hackers, and are also oper-
ated by levers. Thus secured, the
sawyer advances towards the band
saw very slowly and when through
the cut the carriage comes back
with considerable speed and as it
comes back the setter advances the
log nine-sixteenths of an inch, and
while advancing towards the saw
the second time he will advance
the log another nine-sixteenths
making cut of one and one-ejghth
inches. allowing an eighth
of an inch for the saw-hence we
have q board of one full inch and
the log is cut up into boards, or
timbers, according to whatever
orders the sawyer has for the
days run. While the second cut
is being made. or rather the third
cut, for the first cut is merely the
bark. the second cut proceeds auto
matically on to the edger. There
the sharp rough edges of the
board are nipped off. The 18 inch
or "a inch saws that do this work
make approximately $500 revolu-.
tions per minute. The board then
goes on to the trimmer. where the
ends are cut of, and the decayed
parts cut out. then they proceed
into the sorting shed, where the
grader marks each and every
board according to its value.
From this point the lumber is
taken to the yard and put into
piles according to its grade. Thus
| it is dryed, ready to be dressed if
need be. and put on the market.
The United States census of
1900 shows that the amount of
spruce used alone. not to mention
the other various kinds of lumber
widely used. is so great that un-
less regular methods of forestry
labor are soon introduced. this
source of supply will soon be cut
| eff. This particular grade of Ium-
ber is mostly used by paper man
ufacturers. It may be of interest to
mention that statistics show that
in 1900. rs per cent of all lumber
used in the United States was
spruce, and that consumption was
1,509. .209 cords, the greater part
of this and possibly all of it was
used for newsprint of q cheap
grade. Statistics 60 on to show
that in the same year the various
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