LOGGING IN" THE DOUGLAS FIR REGION". 121 



The company was averaging about 90,000 feet per yarder per yard- 

 ing day with the high-lead system as against 60,000 feet with the 

 ground-yarding system. 



Two riggers were employed in the preparation of spar trees for 

 two sides, the work taking about two-thirds of their time. In 

 September, 1915, these men were paid as follows: Head rigger, $4 

 per day ; second rigger, $3.50. 



Another operator, working in large timber, has found that the 

 labor cost for rigging a standing tree for a spar amounts to from 

 $75 to $100. This includes the moving and setting of the loading 

 engine and the taking down, bucking, and loading of spar trees that 

 are not to be used again. Where the spar tree has to be raised — 

 and this frequently has to be done to get the lead block in proper 

 position for yarding — the labor cost for rigging runs from $100 to 

 $200, In July, 1916, the riggers were paid as follows: Head rigger, 

 $6 per day ; second rigger, $4. 



Inasmuch as spar trees take the place of two landings occurring 

 on opposite sides of the track, the cost of spar trees in this case was 

 about equal to the cost of the landings that were used with the 

 ground-yarding system. 



Other items of cost. — The cost of other items per thousand feet 

 is a little less with this system than with the ground-yarding system. 

 There are no landings to be built, which in one of the cases referred 

 to above meant a saving of about $0.10 per thousand feet. One spar 

 tree being used to yard on both sides of the track, the number of 

 yarding engine moves is reduced. It does not take so long to change 

 ends. The cost of the yarding lines is a little less, possibly 25 per cent. 

 The cost of fuel and other supplies, the maintenance of equipment, 

 as well as the amount written off for depreciation, is about the 

 same with both systems. 



OVERHEAD YARDING. 



With the passing of the timber from the lower lands, logging oper- 

 ators in the region are confronted with the problem of handling 

 logs — in many cases smaller logs — on rougher and steeper ground 

 and over greater distances from the spur railroads. To do this work 

 at the cost of past logging or less another method was necessary. 

 Resort is being made, therefore, to an overhead or tight-line system. 



While overhead logging methods have been employed for many 

 years in the east, it is only within the last few years that they have 

 been used to any extent by loggers of the Pacific Northwest. During 

 a relatively short period they have reached the stage of dependable 

 rigs, the output of which can be predicted with some degree of cer- 



