190 LOGGING 
struction of a logging railroad. They may be used to transport 
logs direct from the stump to the mill for distances of from 2 to 
4 miles, although they are most extensively used to haul logs from 
the stump to a railroad, stream or chute. The average length of 
haul in the flat and rolling pine lands of the South is from j to ^ mile. 
Mule Carts. — In the Coastal Plain region, a type of 4-wheeled 
wagon called the "mule cart" is used on the uplands for hauling 
logs to the railroad. It has two pairs of trucks, the wheels 
of the forward pair being 4 feet, and the rear pair 6 feet, in diam- 
eter. The forward trucks have a straight axle and are equipped 
with a tongue of the usual length for a wagon, while the rear 
pair has an arched axle and bunk to which a tongue is attached 
which replaces the reach in an ordinary wagon. When the 
mule cart is loaded this tongue is chained down to a ring on 
the bunk of the forward pair of wheels. The logs are swung 
under the rear pair of wheels and only the forward ends of the 
logs are raised from the ground. The forward pair of trucks 
may be detached and used for skidding purposes, in which case 
the log is suspended under the axle by means of grabs, or tongs. 
Mule carts do not possess any special advantages over a wagon, 
but are preferred because laborers are familiar with their use. 
The usual maximum length of haul is 500 yards, but it is 
sometimes extended to 1 mile or more in scattered timber. 
The average load per cart varies between 200 and 400 board 
feet, with a daily output of from 3500 to 5000 feet for j mile haul. 
Four-wheeled Wagons. — These are strongly constructed, with 
from 32- to 38-inch front wheels and from 34- to 40-inch rear wheels 
of wood or steel, from 3- to 6-inch tires, ^ extension reach for 
handling logs of various lengths, heavy bolsters with adjustable 
blocks, stiff tongues for oxen and drop tongues for horses and 
mules, and cast or steel skeins, or steel axles. They have a rated 
carrying capacity of from 5000 to 15,000 pounds and range 
in weight from 1300 to 2000 pounds. Spikes are used on the 
back bolster to prevent the logs from sliding forward when haul- 
ing in a hilly region. Steel axles are not as popular as skeins, 
because of the difficulty of repairing them in the camp blacksmith 
shop. 
Log wagon wheels are sometimes boxed with boards to keep 
1 Some loggers prefer from 3- to 3^-inch tires for two animals, and from 4- to 
5-inch tires for four animals. ' 
