REDWOOD LUMBERING. 45 



not be knocked out, one of the saw ears is removed and the 

 saw drawn when necessary. The wedges follow the saw 

 until the wood, dividing the saw kerf from the previously- 

 made ax kerf, is narrowed to a width where the wedges force 

 the tree, with all of its immense size and weight, to lean in 

 the direction it is intended to have it fall. The expert 

 chopper, in his line, is quite as important a personage in the 

 camp, especially to proprietors or contractors, as the " bull 

 puncher." Still, his wages are less. A good one scarcely 

 ever receives over $125 per month many less depending 

 upon their experience and ability to save timber from break- 

 ing, when felled. An A i chopper drives a stake in the 

 ground, from 100 to 150 feet from the base of his tree; 

 directs the swampers, or helpers, to prepare a level bed in 

 direct line from base to stake. Then with a frame work of 

 narrow straight strips, formed like an obtuse triangle, the 

 base following the ax kerf so that the point of obtuse angle 

 shall be exactly in the line with the stake, he completes the 

 work necessary to " land " his tree where he wishes it, and, 

 perhaps, close by the side of a monster already down. To 

 such a degree of exactness does an expert chopper arrive, 

 that he seldom fails to drive the stake he has aimed at. 



The employment of first-class choppers is a matter of 

 great solicitude by the Boss. A mistake in the felling of a 

 single tree, whereby it is broken, takes away the profit of the 

 lumbermen to the amount of the chopper's wages for a 

 month. Especially does it require skill in felling trees in the 

 redwoods, where they are so numerous that the standing tim- 

 ber as is the case in most places would more than cover 



