56 BULLETIN Til, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
PRIMARY LOG TRANSPORTATION. 
TYPES OF POWER USED. 
HAXDWOKK. 
In 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 vehicle over 
the skid road to the mill, drivable stream, or railroad. Horses were 
introduced at about the 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- 
