Year: 1877

The Journal, of Lewiston, Me-, prints
the following The annual coming of the
river drivers, whose tents are now pitched
near us on the banks of the Androscoggin,
is an event anxiously awaited this year,
not only by the lumber manufacturers,
but also by the lumber consumers. And
not by these alone; for the lumbermen
will soon be along in quest of new suits
OF clothes and the luxuries of civilized life.
They are vigorous, energetic men, leading
a jolly if laborious and dangerous life.
A glance at their style of doing things
may not be without interest at this time.


Three hundred men will cover and cut
n section of about three miles square,
taking off over 10000 logs, which would
measure about 10000, 900 feet, each sea-
son. Work begins at daylight and ends
at dark; and when the days lengthen or
the moon fayors long twilight or earlier
morn, the men get the benefit in longer
working hours. On the river, when the
drive is started, work begins at three
o'clock in the morning, and ends at nine
in the evening, the men having FIVE meals
breakfast at six, lunch at nine, dinner
at twelve, supper ut FIVE, and tea at nine
The meal consists of pork and beans, corn
bread, molasses, cake, and tea and coffee.


No stint is given to mans appetite.
The fare, such as it is, is abundant, mo.
notonous, nutritious, and cheap A cook
is provided for every fifty men. The
beans are generally the large white bush,
parboiled in pots holding about half
bushel, then ten pounds of pork is set in
the middle of the beans in the pot, a
quarter of pint of molasses poured in,
and then the pot is set in hole surround.
ed with hot ashes and burning charcoal,
the top covered with stone, over which
a heavy wood fire is built; and here they
stay from five to eight hours, coming out
palatable dish. All the baking is done in
rudely built stone ovens, which are heated.
before the dough is mixed, with good
wood fire. The loaves Of biscuit or cake
are set upon the stones and are cooked
quickly and thoroughly.


A camp of 300 men will consume daily
four barrels of beans, half barrel of pork,
one barrel of flour, half a barrel of meal,
one-quarter Of barrel of sugar, and five
gallons Of molasses. The men are encamp-
ed in tents, making their beds of boughs,
while their extra clothing, a pair of dark
overalls, woolen shirt, and two pairs of
woolen socks, is kept in an old grain sack,
and used as pillow at night.


Sunday in the woods is always a day
for sharpening axes, mending sleds, re.
pairing boots and clothes setting out a new
tenting spot handler to the cutting in the
woods, and all the odd chores which would
grow out of the congregation of so large
body Of men. All well regulated camps
exclude liquor. Being usually fifty to
one hundred miles from any settlement
and the men not being paid until the end
of the season, there is little inducement
for any speculator to peddle rum through
the woods, or for the men to straggle off
in search of it.


The consumption of axes and handles
is enormous, an axe lasting a month aud
handle three weeks. The axes are
sharpened daily, some camps having reg
ular sharpeners, while others require each
man to keep his own axe in order. The
old axes are never collected for the Junk
dealer, the distance to ship them being
almost too great to make it an economical
measure.