74 BULLETIN 440, IT. S. DEPABTMENT OF AGBICULTUEE. 
The log hoist enters about the center of the front end of the mill 
building. A log deck slopes either way from it toward the sides of the 
mill; one for the left-hand and the other for the right-hand saw. Each 
log deck is about 30 feet long and 12 or 14 feet wide. One man is 
stationed at the head of the log hoist to operate the jack works and 
scale the logs. Where a log slip is used he also operates the steam log 
kicker, an appliance that shoves the logs out of the slip onto one or 
the other of the decks. 
One side of the mill, that with the smaller saw, is commonly selected 
for sawing the smaller logs. Thus the small logs are kicked out on 
the deck on that side, which for the sake of convenience may be 
considered in this description as the right-hand. Usually two men 
are kept on the log decks to clean the logs and remove all dirt, gravel, 
etc., from the bark. As the Togs roll down the decks they are stopped 
and held until ready for loading on the carriage by the steam log 
stop and loader. The actual loading and turning of logs on the 
carriage is done by a steam log turner on the left-hand deck and a 
steam nigger on the right-hand, the latter having the more rapid 
action and therefore being better adapted to handling small logs. 
The left-hand carriage is equipped for handling large logs and has 
two headblocks about 10 feet apart. It is usually propelled by 
steam (shotgun) feed. The other carriage is usually lighter and 
equipped with a faster feed, which may be either steam or a cable 
operated by a twin engine. The right-hand carriage often has three 
headblocks, spaced 10 and 5 feet apart. Both carriages usually have 
the same kind of set works, which may be either rope drive or steam, 
the former preferred. Three men are required on each carriage, the 
setter to operate the set works and two doggers to set the dogs at 
each end of the log. 
The sawyer is stationed directly between the log deck and the saw. 
He exercises general supervision over the sawing of the logs, instruct- 
ing the setter as to the material to be cut from each. He operates 
with one hand the lever which controls the movements of the car- 
riage, and with the other the lever which directs the work of the 
steam nigger or log turner. He controls the log stop and loader by a 
foot lever. One sawyer is required for each band saw. 
Band mills consist of an endless saw revolving upon an upper and 
a lower wheel. The wheels are usually 8 feet in diameter for the 
smaller saw and 9 feet for the larger, the combination of 9 and 10 foot 
mills occurring in but few instances. The sawing is done at a point 
between the two wheels. The bands used in this region have but 
one cutting edge, thus but one board is removed at each forward and 
backward movement of the carriage past, the saw. The saws com- 
monly used in California pine are 14 gauge and are swaged to cut a 
kerf of five-thirty-seconds inch or scant three-sixteenths inch. The 
