well as strenuous. The men worked a ten hour day, 

 that is they did theoretically. It was often nearer 

 twelve or fourteen for some, in rush times, than it was 



1. M. 



The logging was carried out under French restric- 

 tions as far as it is humanly possible for an American 

 lumber jack to follow French methods, which some- 

 times isn't very close. The trees were cut at the sur- 

 face of the ground. The men soon got used to this 

 as it is about as easy to cut a tree at the surface of 

 Ilie ground as it is a few inches higher. The chips 

 from the under cut were neatly piled at the side of the 

 stump, at least they were supposed to be. The branch- 

 es and tops were eut into meter length for fuel wood. 

 In most eases the under cut was really an upper cut 

 as it was usually made above the saw cut. Much 

 trouble from pinching was experienced and w r edging 

 was nearly always necessary. Even in the bucking, 

 the In ITS would pin eh. when there was apparently no 

 good reason for their so doing. The logs were bucked 

 in eight or nine foot lengths, or in multiples of one 

 or the other, or a combination of both. Therefore, 

 logs would be sent to the mill in lengths of 8, 9, 16, 

 is. 17. 121/2, 13V,, 20, 221/0 and 24 feet in length. The 

 4 1 - foot lengths were for narrow guage cross ties. 

 This gave a considerable latitude in bucking the logs 

 in the woods and made the dodging of knots, crooks, 

 etc. easier. 



After bucking, the logs lay where they fell until the 

 skidd er crews came after them, which was usually in 

 a few days, for at no time did the woods cut far 

 exceed the mill cut. The logs were either skidded on 



11 



