WHEELED VEHICLES 1 79 



lever and as a point of attachment for the draft power. Small 

 logs are held on the bunk with chains and large logs either with 

 tongs attached to the front face of the bunk or by a short chain 

 to a breastplate on the tongue. 



Bummers can be built by a camp blacksmith for from $12 to 

 $15 each, and can be purchased from manufacturers for $40 each. 



In loading, a bummer is driven up to a log and backed around 

 against it near the end. The tongue is then brought to a per- 

 pendicular position which permits the attachment of the tongs 

 3 or 4 feet from the end of the log (Fig. 44) . The team is then 

 hitched to a chain on the end of the tongue and is driven forward 

 until the tongue has been brought to a horizontal position, which 

 brings the log on top of the wheels. The trucks are turned by 

 the horses until the log drops on the bunk. The load is then 

 ready to start for the skidway (Fig. 44) . 



Unloading may be accomplished by a reversal of the process, 

 or by disengaging the tong points by a blow from a cant hook or 

 maul and dragging the bummer from under the log. 



When several small logs are handled at one time, tongs are 

 replaced with chains and loading is done from a rough skidway 

 consisting of a single skid stick with one end raised high enough 

 from the ground to enable the logs to be rolled on the bunks 

 with cant hooks. 



Bummers of this character may be used to advantage only in a 

 region fairly free from brush, where the bottom is smooth and suf- 

 ficiently hard to prevent the low wheels from miring and where 

 gentle grades to the skidway can be secured. They are seldom 

 used for distances exceeding 40 rods. Bummers are less service- 

 able than high wheels on ascending grades, since they pull harder. 



In ten hours a bummer will handle from 8500 to 14,000 feet 

 of yellow pine for a distance of 200 yards, and from 4000 to 6000 

 feet for a distance of 450 yards. 



On an Alabama operation the crews operated in units of four- 

 teen men and seven bummers, organized as follows* 

 I foreman 2 swampers 



1 loader i skidway man 



2 "bunch" teamsters 2 "bunch" teams 

 7 bummer teamsters 7 bummer teams 



