Logging in the Redwoods. 141 



and nearly 5 hours to fall one 9 feet in diameter; but this de- 

 pends a great deal on how curly the wood is and how it leans, 

 and so forth. When the tree is felled a "ringer" comes and cuts 

 rings around the tree at about 10 foot intervals to make it pos- 

 sible for the "peeler" to get the bark off easily. 



When all the trees are peeled on a certain area, they are "fired" ; 

 which means that a fire is started among them to consume all the 

 debris. The fire is either started the same or the next season 

 after cutting. It chars the trees to some extent, and consumes all 

 the rotten part and probably a little more in some instances. 



When the area is burnt over, the trees are sawed into log lengths 

 by regular "sawyers." The length of the logs depends on the 

 orders to be filled. The logs over 10 feet in diameter are usually 

 split in two with a black powder. There must necessarily be 

 some waste in doing so; but in many cases it would not be prac- 

 ticable to get heavy enough machinery on account of a few large 

 logs, and in other instances the sawmills would not be able to 

 handle them. 



Years ago, oxen were commonly used for hauling the logs ; 

 but steam has superseded them. One of two methods is com- 

 monly used here to get the logs to the landing. The first method 

 is to have a main skidroad running through the timber, which by 

 a cable, running in a closed circle, is connected with a 40 to 50 

 horsepower "bull donkey" at the landing. From this main road 

 are built skidroads out into the timber, and preferably along the 

 small gulches. At each of these branch roads is a "logging 

 donkey" from 12 to 16 horsepower, to haul the logs down to the 

 main road ; where they are chained together in a long row, 

 called a "bull load," and hauled to the landing by the bull donkey. 

 In a bull load may be as many as 30 logs, when the timber is 

 fairly small. 



In the second method the bull loads are handled the same way 

 as formerly ; but the great number of branch skidroads are prac- 

 tically done away with. This is due to the powerful bull donkeys 

 that are placed along the main skidroad instead of the logging 

 donkeys, and these are able to haul the logs without skidroads. 

 and with a less number of pullies. While the machinery in the 

 second method is much more expensive, it is supposed to save 

 labor enough to more than pay for itself. 



Formerly a number of horses were used to carry water on their 



