Lumbering Cottonwood in Nebraska 37 



very severe cold spell which caused some of the logs to check 

 very badly at the center. Second and third grade lumber is 

 obtained from the logs that are checked. 



The skidding was done by one man with a team and two 

 wheeled cart. The cart was nothing more than the front wheels 

 of a common farm wagon. An iron chain was attached around 

 one end of the log and then fastened to the axle of the cart and 

 and the log dragged to the mill. At the present time they only 

 have to skid the logs about two hundred yards. The man and 

 the team skid from 5,000 to 6,000 B. M. per day. Much more 

 than this could be skidded in, but 6,000 B. M. is about as much 

 as the mill can cut in a day. 



The sawing is done by means of a portable sawmill. A 

 twenty horse-power Rumley traction engine furnishes the power. 

 For cutting the logs two circular saws are used, one forty inch 

 and one sixty inch. At present the sawyer is using the forty 

 inch saw and sawing Tip the smaller size logs. Besides the main 

 saw there is a small cut-off saw with which the engineer cuts 

 slabs for use in the engine. Coal is used with the slabs to run the 

 engine as enough steam cannot be kept up with wood alone. 



The mill crew is composed of five men and two boys. There 

 is a sawyer; rachet setter; an off bearer; an engineer; a skidder, 

 who at leisure times removes the sawdust from the pit; and 

 the boys who pile and haul lumber. The wages paid these 

 men could not be ascertained because all but the engineer had 

 an interest in the sawmill and each received a percent of the 

 returns on the sawyer's share of the lumber. 



The lumber is graded into three classes. The first grade 

 is clear lumber, cut any length, width or thickness that the 

 buyer wishes. This grade sells at $25.00 per M. At the present 

 time an order for blocks 6 inches by 6 inches, three and four 

 feet long, used for cribbing, is being filled. Some of the first 

 grade lumber was used by bridge contractors for flooring. One 

 contractor used both cottonwood and western hemlock but 

 prefered the cottonwood. The second grade lumber is mostly 

 sound wood cut in all sizes and lengths. The lumber is sorted 

 into widths and thicknesses but not into lengths. The buyer 

 designates what width and thickness he wishes but he has to 

 take the lengths as they come. This grade sells at $20.00 per 

 M. Most of the lumber is used for rough work in building 

 houses and barns, and for box boards. The third grade is com- 

 posed of culls and boards that are badly checked. The price 

 paid for this is from $10.00 to $15.00 per M. Some of this wood 

 is used for box and crating material, most of it for miscellaneous 

 purposes. 



