50 Forest Club Annual 



are hired at the rate of $1.00 per day each, or more commonly 

 the work is let by contract to men who furnish their own teams. 



The horses are of good quality, and weigh from 1200 to 

 1500 pounds each. The price is variable but ranges from $200.00 

 to $300.00 per head for the most desirable kinds. They are 

 given excellent care, but at best their lives are short. It is 

 seldom that during a season's run one or two horses are not 

 disabled or even killed outright. Skidding is frequently disas- 

 trous often resulting in a broken leg. In logging or in lumber 

 hauling, the whole outfit sometimes runs off a grade or an em- 

 bankment. 



The logging roads are seldom started until the spring before 

 the first summer's work, and are built only as they are needed. 

 These roads often cost as much as the lumber roads. In addition 

 to the initial building, they must be looked after constantly and 

 in extreme cases the location must be changed after one year's 

 use. This is necessitated by the washing of the spring freshets 

 caused by the melting snow. Road building varies extremely 

 and is made difficult or easy by the physical characteristics of 

 the region. Such factors as gradient, amount of rock and com- 

 position of the rock affect the cost and maintenance of roads. 

 In some cases, plows and even road graders can be utilized, 

 but more commonly only the shovel and pick can be used. 

 The width of the road depends indirectly upon the topography 

 and varies from 4^ to 6 feet. If the slope is steep, sleds are 

 always used, but if the grades are slight, carts are used. In the 

 case of sleds, the roads may be slightly narrower and will admit 

 of many irregularities to which the cart is not adapted. 



The amount of excavating for side hill roads depends like- 

 wise upon the degree of slope. The road must at least be level, 

 and usually the inner side is slightly lower to insure safety in 

 hauling. After the preliminary cruise of the tract. has been made, 

 the course of the road is marked by blazed trees, usually by the 

 timber boss, who himself directs the work of the men. A cut is 

 made on the upper side and the dirt from this is used to fill in 

 the lower side. Rocks, brush and logs are used to bank up the 

 lower side, and keep the earth from rolling down hill. Large 

 bowlders and trees are avoided as much as possible, but often 

 must be removed. This is done most commonly by the use of 

 dynamite. A hole large enough for a stick of powder is drilled 

 into the rock, which is easily broken into small pieces. These 

 are removed by hand or by the help of a crowbar. Stumps are 

 often dug out but more commonly blown out with powder. 

 On very steep slopes the road bed on the uphill side is cut down 

 as much as three feet. 



