1192 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



they cut one hundred sixty thousand feet of lumber. 

 The Aureilhan operation was, on account of the 

 variety of methods involved, perhaps the most interest- 

 ing of any which Americans conducted in the Landes. 

 The timber tributary to this mill lay partly in the sand 

 dunes near the coast and partly on flat, sandy ground 

 further inland. After the timber was felled and cut into 

 logs, much of it was moved by big wheels, bummers or 

 trucks direct to the Courant River; the more remote 

 dune timber was delivered to a narrow gauge railway, 

 upon which horse-drawn cars transported the logs to 

 the river. The logs were then driven down the river for 



Aureilhan Lake is a pretty little sheet of water five 

 or six square miles in area. It was formed only a few 

 generations ago when the sand dunes blocked the river 

 channel. It is said that the ancient village of Aureilhan 

 was buried in the lake. The Aureilhan mill was set near 

 the edge of the lake, and a small canal was dug to bring 

 the logs to the mill during the low water stage. The mill 

 was connected with the French railway system by a spur 

 about a half mile long. Immediately after it was sawed 

 most of the product of the mill was placed in cars for 

 shipment. 



The Bourricos mill, to which the lo^rs were delivered 



A TIF. MILL OF THE 20th ENGINEERS 



about four miles, caught in a boom at the point where 

 the river flows into Aureilhan Lake, and towed across 

 the lake to the mill. The maritime pine is so pitchy, 

 sappy and heavy that there was some doubt at first as to 

 whether the logs would float ; a few logs tested showed 

 that they would float, but they rode so low in the water 

 that special measures were taken to reduce the weight ; 

 several months before the logs were needed at the mill, 

 the trees were felled and left for some time with their 

 branches attached ; the leaves continued to function, and 

 so drew much of the water out of the stems of the trees. 

 The stream driving had to be very carefully handled, 

 for with the loose sand bottom and banks there was con- 

 siderable danger that if jams were formed the water 

 running past would scour out large amounts of sand 

 and form shallows below. 



by a narrow gauge logging railway, was set so near the 

 French railway that only a short loading spur was 

 needed. • In the case of the Bellevue and Labroquette 

 mills, however, it was necessary to build about four miles 

 of narrow gauge railway to deliver their product at the 

 Pontenx shipping yard, where it was loaded upon the 

 broad gauge cars for final shipment. This narrow gauge 

 line ran along the main street of Pontenx; the villagers 

 no doubt cursed it many times, for it was operated day 

 and night to keep the mill yards clear, and the trainmen 

 took fiendish delight in blowing the whistle of the 

 dinkey locomotive when most people wanted to sleep. 

 At one time for several days, while the locomotive was 

 broken down, motor trucks were used to tow the trains 

 of lumber in from the mills. 



During the early stages of the Pontenx operations 



