392 LOGGING 



The safe towing periods are from June 15 to September 15 

 and, under favorable conditions, the trip can be made in from 

 eighteen to twenty days. 



LOG BARGES 



Barges are used for the transportation of hardwood logs on 

 some portions of the lower Mississippi River, the logs being 

 brought to the banks of the stream and loaded by power derricks. 

 Barge transportation is desirable on streams where suitable 

 rafting facilities are not available and with species that are 

 too heavy to float. Although introduced in the Lake States, 

 this method never gained much favor in the transport of logs 

 from Canada to the United States, because of the limited capac- 

 ity of the boats, and the ease and safety with which logs could 

 be rafted. 



SUNKEN LOGS 



Many streams, on which driving has been carried on for years, 

 have accumulated great numbers of small, heavy butted and 

 sappy logs in their channels. In the Lake States streams, which 

 contain immense quantities of sunken timber, the "deadheads" 

 average about twenty logs per thousand feet, log scale. 



Numerous efforts have been made to salvage sunken timber, 

 especially in this region, and although log-raising companies 

 have been formed and have operated to a limited extent, the in- 

 dustry has never assumed large proportions. The obstacles in 

 the way of successful operation have been numerous. Accord- 

 ing to a decision^ of the Supreme Court of Michigan the title to 

 sunken logs remains with the original owners. Where several 

 hundred marks and brands have been used on a stream, it is 

 almost hopeless for a company to attempt to secure title to all 

 the timber raised because many of the owners of given brands 

 and marks are deceased or have left the region. In addition 

 the log raiser must reckon with riparian owners which is a further 

 drawback to the work. 



There have been numerous methods used in raising logs, 

 some of which have been patented. On shallow streams they 

 1 See page 371. 



