The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-05-04
LUMBERING IN WASHINGTON
How the Big Trees are Slaughtered
in the Mightiest Mills
on Earth.

ing numbering operations in the big
woods of Washington, which appear
ed in these columns some time since,
coming from the pen of George Ad-
ans, once we'll known resident of
this locality. They will recall. also,
that Mr.. Adams promised to write
another article which should COM
plete the first and give in detail the
methods used in manufacturing lum-
ber, as the initial article dealt mainly
with logging operations. We are glad
to beable to present the supplement-
ary article herewith and we feel very
sure that it will be found of unusual
| interest:
Edgecomb, Wash, Feb. IL, 1922
Dear Folks at the Old Home: -
II guess you begin to think my
promise of continuing my description
of the career of the big fir tree was
a good deal like New Years resolu-
tions-soon forgotten. But l have
been hoping the writing mood would
overtake me and l would find it cas-
ier to get at it again, also / have
been trying to get away to some of
the big mills to get a little more
data of the most up-to-date i'm
provements in the operation of the
lumber business.
In my other letter left off where
the logs were loaded on the cars, and
now word as to their unloading.
Each flat car has two hollow steel
holsters" and steel stakes or large
blocks controlled by chains running
through the boltsers so they can be
"tripped' from either side of the car.
Each mill or landing has long
or - f,.ao olr % r
about ten degrees so all the men have
track and "trip" those bolster blocks
or stakes and off goes the loads in
the water.
They are always dump
into water as they are always more
or less gritty and would spell ruina-
tion to saws where they run at such
high speed. They are carried up in
to the mill by giant endless" chain
running up on incline. A con-
slant string of logs are. going up all
the time and as they reach the end of
the incline great chains carry them
side-wise to the place where the saw
yers put them on the carriages"
The way they are put on the car
riages would remind one of a great
hen lying on her back with her tail
towards the carriage. Between the
skids, and as the log passes over her,
she gives a mighty kick with her legs
and throws the log onto the carriage,
then with her bill she reaches up and
hooks onto the top of the log and
rolls it against her legs until the log
lays to suit the sawyer. l think the
inventor must have had a hen in mind
when he studied out the patent, but
the bill was more like the bill of the
eagle with its great hook.
Now we start off with the saws:
Of course circular saws are out of
date in the numbering operations of
today, as the main saws. Everything
goes first to the band saws. First is
the "slab-bands" where the log is cut
into dimension stuff" anything that
is to be made into 12-inch brands is
just blocked off into great planks IL
inches thick. They are then passed
along to the "slash bands" where
they are sawed into 1-inch thick
boards. One slab band will keep
slash-bands going besides lots of
work for giant gang edger. When
2x4 or 2x6 or 2x8 are to be made
the slab band makes planks a, 6 or
inches and they are passed through
the gang edger and are split up into
Pinch stuff. In some mills they have
the high speed" upright gang saws
for making 1-inch stuff.
Now in order to handle all this
immense amount of lumber it would
it is all carried side-wise after the
saws are through with it. After
leaving the edgers, it starts side-wise
on chains, first through the trimmers,
where it is cut to exact lengths. 1t
starts out from "a to 40 feet long,
as that gives the trimmer a good
chance to cut out poor parts of
boards and not cut so much to waste.
The trim-saws are two feet apart
above table that stands on an in
cline of about 15 degrees. The oper-
ator sits above the table in a cage so
he can look down upon the lumber
and tell where to cut it off. He has
a lot of levers look like piano keys,
only larger) in front of him and he
lowers certain saws so when the
boards came up to the saws they are
cut into the required lengths. The
saws run about eight inches above
the table and are only lowered as
needs be to cut the lumber into the /
required lengths.
Remember the boards ale all ira
yelling sidewise, great deal passes
through that is only cut into certain
lengths. The lumber is now on the |
road to the inspector" the tally
man" and the caller" After leav-
ing the trim-saws it keeps right on
going side-wise. Just behind the trim
mers stands the Inspector with a
crayon and marks the quality Of the
board on the end of it as it passes
by him on the chain. 1t must be an
arm aching job as the boards are COM
ing steady stream. If he has to get |
a drink Of water a man must be right |
on hand to take his place till he gets
back. AS the boards are still passing
from the inspector they pass under
another "cage" where the caller and
tallyman are sitting. The caller cries
out the number of feet of each board
and the quality by the marks of the
Inspector. The carrying chains are