56 BULLETTISr 111, V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



PRIMARY LOG TRANSPORTATION. 



TYPES OF POWER USED. 



HANDWORK. 



Ill the early history of the industry in the region hand logging 

 was common. The timber was felled on slopes close to tidewater or 

 some drivable stream, the logs were driven if need be, made into 

 rafts, and towed to the mills. In British Columbia and Alaska hand 

 logging is still practiced to a limited extent. 



ANIMALS. 



For many years animals constituted the only draft power used 

 in logging in this region — first, oxen; later, horses. As long as the 

 haul was short the ox was preferred, because it could live on coarse 

 feed, draw heavier loads, stand rougher treatment, and required an 

 inexpensive harness which could be made in camp. The ox does 

 not mire so badly as the smaller- footed horse and is not excitable in 

 difficult situations. When the hauls became long, the horse was 

 used because it is more active than the ox. The ox, however, con- 

 tinued to divide the labor of transportation with the horse, the 

 former being used to deliver the logs from the stump to the skid 

 road, the latter to haul the logs without the use of a vehiqle over 

 the skid road to the mill, drivable stream, or railroad. Horses were 

 introduced at about th& same time as logging engines, and are still 

 used to a very limited extent in second-growth timber. Extensive 

 cutting will undoubtedly increase the use of horses. 



The logs were first dragged out over trails, from which only such 

 obstructions had been removed as were necessary to make the method 

 feasible. So that it would not be necessary to move the logs over 

 the ground for a distance greater than 300 feet, skid roads were 

 brought close to the timber. This, however, was not practical at 

 all times, and frequently logs were dragged over the ground for 

 1,000 feet or more on hand skids. 



The second step was to drag the logs over skid roads, either with 

 oxen or horses, for distances ranging up to a mile or more. The 

 skid roads were carefully located, stumps were removed, cuts and 

 fills made, and the roadbed leveled to give the best possible grade. 

 Skids about 10 feet long and from 10 to 14 inches in diameter were 

 laid across the completed grade at 10-foot intervals, and partly 

 buried in the ground. A " saddle " was cut out of the center of 

 each skid for the logs to ride in. On curves the outer ends were 

 elevated slightly. On level stretches the saddles were greased to 

 reduce friction. The logs were fastened together by means of grabs 

 or dogs into long turns, each averaging about 1,000 feet board meas- 



