48 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



April 10, 1921 



Swamp Logging with Tractors 



"Caterpillar" Tracfor Hauling Huge Load of Pulp Wood 



The Watab Paper Company of Sartell, Minn., has recently 

 enjoyed an experience with tractors which should prove valuable 

 to all other operators interested in solving similar logging problems. 



In order to keep its mill running, due to heavy losses in timber 

 last summer both by tire and water, the Watab Company was forced 

 to go in and log during the summer. This company had previously 

 logged only during the winter months when the frozen ground 

 enabled it to get into the bog and swamp with its team. This, 

 of course, was a different matter in summer. The bog stood two 

 feet in water, which covered a moss muck underneath which was 

 a layer of quicksand. It was a typical "Jelly Swamp" and perhaps 

 one of the worst imaginable specimens. 



Dan Rose, superintendent of land and timber, after an extensive 

 study of all proposed methods, believed that track laying tractors 

 offered the only likely solution. Two "Caterpillars," one a 5-ton 



and one 10-ton, were purchased and placed in the company's opera- 

 tion at Margie, Minn. 



The bog in which the valuable timber was lying was, of course, 

 inaccessible and the heavy 10-ton rig and the 5-ton could not operate 

 to full capacity because the wheels of the loaded trailers would 

 break through. After a little time spent in experimenting it was 

 found most successful to load the wagons one at a time in the bog 

 and to haul them from the bog to the hard road with the 5-ton 

 tractor. This 5-ton then spotted each wagon ami hauled it to the 

 main road. As soon as a train of three wagons could be made up on 

 the main road the 10-ton truck took the three trailers and started to 

 the spur. By the time the 10-ton tractor returned with the empty 

 trailers the little 5-ton had three more spotted ready for it on the 

 main road and in this way the operations were continued uninter- 

 rupted. 



{Continued on liogv 52) 



Stopping to Have Their Pictures "Took" 



