LOGGING IN THE DOUGLAS FIR REGION. 213 
The cost of constructing the spur lines was below the average, 
since the surface of the country was relatively smooth and little 
down timber and brush had to be contended with. The soil, how- 
ever, drains poorly, which made it necessary to ballast most of the 
spur railroad with rock ballast. This had to be blasted out of solid 
rock, broken up by hand, and hauled about 2 miles upgrade. When 
ballast was not used, the upkeep of the spurs was abnormally high. 
A 45-ton geared locomotive worked between the camp and the 
dump, about 3 miles, hauling about 6 loads per trip and making 
about 6 trips per day. A 45-ton geared locomotive hauled on the 
spurs, bringing in three loads at a trip. The spur railroad hauls, of 
course, varied in distance, but the average haul was about 1J miles. 
The adverse grades on these lines did not exceed 4 per cent. A 
24-ton rod engine was used to haul the men to and from their work ; 
also to haul supplies, ties, steel, oil, etc. 
The cost is based on a year's output of 50,300,000 feet. A portion 
of the salaries of the foreman, bookkeeper, and timekeeper, and all 
the salary of the civil engineer, are prorated against the labor cost. 
(a) Operation (labor) : Three locomotives were operated, with 
train crews as follows : 
Per day. 
Engineer $5.00 
Fireman 3. 25 
Head brakeman 4. 50 
Second brakeman 3.75 
Engineer 5. 00 
Fireman 3. 25 
Brakeman.: 4. 50 
Fireman '. 2. 75 
Engineer 3. 25 
The tracks, main and spur, were kept in better condition as to sur- 
face and alignment than is ordinarily the case. No great amount 
of time was lost in unloading, a train of six cars being unloaded in 
about eight minutes on the average, sometimes in five minutes. The 
main locomotive traveled about 36 miles per day and the one on the 
spurs about 30 miles. From 200,000 to 225,000 feet of timber was 
hauled per day. The volume of the average load was 5,000 feet. 
(b) Maintenance of line (labor) : This segregation includes the 
labor cost of "keeping all railroads in good condition as to surface 
and alignment, keeping ditches open, and taking care of slides. 
It also includes the cost of considerable ballast The total mileage 
maintained at any one time did not exceed 5J miles, so that the cost 
of this work seems excessively high. It should be explained that 
the main line was used for the first time at the beginning of 1917 and 
that several rather large slides occurred during the year. 
