CROSS TIES 



281 



work by contract and are paid by the piece. Each man works alone and 

 is assigned an area. His equipment consists of the following: One 4 to 

 4^-lb. double bitted axe, one i2-in. 6 to 7-lb. broadaxe, one cross-cut saw, 

 an iron wedge, a light sledge hammer, a bark spud, a measuring pole of 

 the desired length and a bottle of kerosene to oil the saw. It is cus- 

 tomary practice for e'ach man to furnish his own tools. 



Photograph by V. S. Forest Service. 



FIG. 73. Making ties in the hardwood forests of Decatur Co., Tennessee. The man on the 

 left is hewing with the broadaxe; the other "scoring" with the axe. 



In felling, care is taken to have any crooks or the largest diameter 

 of the tree perpendicular to the ground in order to facilitate hewing. 

 Small crooks are permitted by the railroads if the hewed surfaces are 

 straight and parallel to each other. As soon as the tree is felled, the 

 " tie hack," standing on the trunk, scores each face by chopping into the 

 sides with an axe at an angle of about 45 with the direction of the tree 

 and at intervals of from 4 to 8 in. The limbs are taken off with the axe 

 as the tree is scored. After scoring, the two faces are hewed down to the 

 desired width and smoothness with the broadaxe, the chopper standing 



