LOGGING IN THE DOUGLAS FIR REGION. 243 
In the case of the works shown in figure 83, the cost was about $1,500, 
the piling costing $4 per pile in place. 
The maintenance of sorting and rafting works depends for the 
most part on the life of the piling. In the case of the $1,000- works, 
the piling has a life of about 4 years ; in the other case, 8 years. This 
means that the annual maintenance cost amounts to $250 and $188, 
respectively. 
Outside boom sticks are from 75 to 82 feet in length ; swifter sticks, 
from 66 to 70 feet. They are straight, sound, have a little taper, 
average about 16 inches at the small end, and have holes bored at 
each end for the insertion of boom chains. The average cost of an 
outside boom stick, with holes bored, is about $11 ; the average cost 
of swifter sticks similarly prepared, $7.50. Boom chains for out- 
side sticks, made of 1-inch iron and weighing 80 pounds, cost about 
$4.50 per chain. A swifter chain, made of a little lighter iron, 
costs about $3.50. These chains are from 6 to 8 feet long and have 
a ring at one end, a toggle at the other. Standard light driving 
peavies are used in rafting. They cost about $2 each. The pike 
poles, which average about 24 feet in length, cost about $5 each. The 
total cost of boom sticks and chains for a complete raft is as follows : 
31 outside boom sticks at $10 $310.00 
10 swifter sticks at" $7.50 75.00 
31 boom chains at $4.50 139. 50 
10 swifter chains at $3.50 35. 00 
Boring holes for 41 sticks 41. 00 
Total $600. m 
The life of boom sticks averages from two to three years. Boom 
chains have about the same life. Of course, in fresh water this equip- 
ment lasts much longer. 
Sorting and rafting in the Columbia Kiver and Puget Sound re- 
gions are ordinarily done by the logging operators with day labor. 
In a few cases it is done by separate companies at fixed rates per 
thousand feet. The rates in one case in the Puget Sound region are 
35 cents per thousand feet for western red cedar and 25 cents per 
thousand feet for the other species. These rates include the unload- 
ing as well as the sorting and rafting of the logs. The logging com- 
panies furnish their own boom sticks. 
In the Grays Harbor region logs driven or dumped into tidewater 
or the Chehalis Kiver are generally rafted and sorted by separate 
companies at fixed rates per thousand feet. The sorting and rafting 
company operating at the mouth of the Humptulips River charges 
the following rates: For catching, sorting, rafting and delivering 
at the boom, 50 cents per thousand feet on logs or other timber 
products under 40 feet in length; 15 cents per thousand feet extra 
