138 LOGGING 
have a slight down grade in order to facihtate starting the 
sleds. 
Logs may be decked on level ground to a height of from 20 to 
30 feet. They are elevated by means of the crosshaul, operated 
by animals. A "decking" crew may comprise four or five men 
and one team. The equipment comprises four cant hooks, two 
pole skids 6 inches in diameter and from 8 to 10 feet long, and a 
f-inch crosshaul chain about 40 feet long with a grab hook on 
one end. The logs are brought to the rear of the skid way and 
are then rolled by a ''tailer-in" to the base of the logs already 
decked. The end of the chain carrying the hook is then thrown 
over and under the center of the log to be decked, after which 
the hook is fastened to one of the decked logs just below the spot 
where it is desired to place the new log. The free end of the chain 
passes over the skidway and, if the pull is to be straight away, 
is attached to a hook on the double-tree. After adjusting the 
chain, skids are placed against the decked logs, and the team is 
started. Two "ground loaders" guide the log straight up the 
skids using cant hooks for this purpose. Logs with taper, crooks, 
large knots and similar defects seldom roll straight and the ground 
loaders must be on their guard continually. A "top-loader" 
who stands on top of the pile of logs directs the log to its place, 
frees the grab hook if necessary and also directs the teamster. 
The direction of pull may be modified to meet special conditions. 
For instance, instead of attaching the chain directly to the double- 
tree it may be passed through a block fastened to a tree directly 
behind the skidway. This enables the team to pull at right 
angles to the direction in which the log is traveling and is of es- 
pecial advantage when brush, boggy ground or other obstacles 
prevent a straight-away pull. The chain may also be passed 
through a block and brought forward over the skidway so that the 
horses pull on the same side on which the logs are being decked.^ 
This may be desirable where there is a bad bottom or other phys- 
ical hindrances to the usual method of operating. 
Decking also may be done with the skidding horse or team in 
the following manner. A block is rigged on a tree at the front 
of the skidway along the main road and another block on a tree 
along the skid road. The decking line passes through these 
blocks, one end being attached to the parbuckle, and the other 
1 See Fig. 24. 
