48 Forest Club Annual 



by the company. The boss and the sawyer usually occupy a 

 cabin by themselves which is known as the " Office." The 

 stable or stables, as the case may be, are built as well or even 

 better than the other buildings of the camp. They are always 

 floored and the best possible care is taken of the horses. A 

 commissary or storage house is also necessary. This is small 

 and built entirely of lumber, generally close to the cook house. 

 In some cases it is partially covered by the sawdust pile to keep 

 it as cool as possible. It is seldom more than ten feet square. 

 A blacksmith shop is not found in all camps, but usually in 

 those from which the lumber is hauled to a side track or a " spur" 

 instead of a town. This is little more than a shed, and does not 

 need to be large. Only articles of absolute necessity are provided 

 such as a forge, an anvil, a drill, and the common tools necessary 

 for rough work. Usually no special blacksmith is employed, 

 but there are always one or more men in camp who can do 

 ordinary repair work and horseshoeing. A complete camp store 

 is rarely found in the lumber camps of Colorado. However, 

 a few necessities are often kept by the boss at his cabin. The 

 most important of these articles is tobacco. Generally such 

 things as gloves, socks, overalls, etc., can be obtained. The 

 men are usually charged for such items and the price is taken 

 out of their wages at the end of the month. 



The working crew at such a camp varies from sixteen to 

 thirty men. This depends upon the capacity of the mill, the kind 

 of timber, and whether or not extra logs are being cut and piled 

 for winter sawing. Men in this region are especially unreliable, 

 and the boss often says that he has three different crews; one work- 

 ing, one going, and one coming. The men are hired by the month, 

 except in the case of the sawyer who is paid by the day. Twenty- 

 six working days are considered to constitute a month, time 

 being taken out in case of bad weather. A working day is ten 

 hours long and this is strictly adhered to except in the case of 

 teamsters who are paid under a different scale of wages. Some 

 mills run on Sundays part of the time, but this rests entirely 

 with the men. If they care to work they may do so, but usually 

 they receive no higher wages. The wages vary from $40.00 to 

 $60.00 per month, according to the times, the kind of work 

 done, and the locality. The sawyer is the highest paid man 

 in the crew, receiving from $4.00 to $5.00 per day, and does his 

 own filing. The timber boss ranks second, and receives from 

 $60.00 to $75.00 per month. The teamsters and the cook 

 each receive $60.00 per month. The engineer and the ratchet 

 setter get from $45.00 to $55.00 per month as a rule, but often 

 are paid no more than $40.00 to $45.00. The rest of the crew, 



