150 LOGGING 



of from eight to ten yoke of oxen but they have been replaced 

 by horses, from four to fourteen constituting one team. 



Drumming. — A primitive form of skidding, called "drum- 

 ming," is employed by small operators in the mountain regions 

 of the Appalachians where the slopes are too steep for animal 

 skidding, too rough for cheap road construction, and where the 

 size of the operation does not warrant the use of power-driven 

 machinery. 



The equipment consists of a large drum, hung on a vertical 

 axis, placed close to the edge of the plateau. Fastened to the 

 barrel of the drum is a long horizontal lever arm to which a pair 

 of mules are hitched. A short stout pole is fastened by one end 

 to this lever arm and the other end drags on the ground in the 

 rear, and acts as a brake when the drum is in operation. A 

 manila cable from 1500 to 2000 feet long is attached to the drum 

 underneath the draft pole and is carried down the slope by 

 men and fastened to a log with grab hooks. The mules attached 

 to the draft pole are started and, as the drum revolves, the 

 cable is wound around it and the log gradually dragged up the 

 slope. Logs are drawn over the escarpment, or other rough 

 places in a chute made of logs. Trails are not cut out for the 

 logs. 



SNAKING EQUIPMENT 



The first essential is a strong leather harness for horses and 

 mules, and suitable yokes for cattle. Horses and mules when 

 used in teams are coupled together in pairs and require a set of 

 double-trees or a spreader and two single-trees for each team. 

 For single animals a spreader only is required. When several 

 teams are hitched one in front of the other a §-inch draft chain 

 is required to which each double-tree is fastened. The draft 

 chains for oxen are attached to rings on the yokes. Various 

 devices, such as chokers, tongs and grabs, are used to attach the 

 log to the draft power. 



Chokers. — A choker is a chain from 12 to 16 feet long, made 

 from f-inch iron with or without a choker-hook on one end. 

 When a choker-hook is used, the end carrying it is thrown 



