PRACTICAL PAPERS—COMMUNICATIONS. 
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be for the work. Next follows the making of wide and smooth roads from 
the timber to the bank of the river where the logs are to go; and the better 
the logger, the better his roads, thus saving much flesh of teams and break¬ 
ing of harness and sleds during the winter. 
When these things are prepared, the men with the teams and supplies 
go in to their quarters, and the work commences. With the first light of 
morning the choppers start out, and soon the pine trees are heard falling in 
quick succession. When cut down, the trees are marked off into any de¬ 
sired length, all the even numbers between twelve and thirty-two being 
used. The sawyers follow with their cross-cut saws, and cut the logs into 
the lengths indicated. At the same time another set of hands, called 
“ swampers,” are engaged cutting away the brush and old logs, making 
roads for the skidding teams. During the early part of the season before 
snow comes they are cut and skidded up. For this purpose spry and 
active oxen are generally used, driven by a teamster skilled in hauling and 
rolling logs to the skid-ways or upon the sleds. When the timber is near 
the stream, and not more than a half mile to haul, the logs are usually 
hauled on a crotch or travis, called sometimes “ go-devil,” to which a team 
is hitched with a chain, one end of the log dragging upon the ground. 
Later, when the sledding is good, additional teams are brought in, with 
wide sleds which will take on 1,000 or 1,500 feet each load, and one pair of 
mules, horses or oxen take six or eight of these loads each day from the 
skid-ways to the roll-ways on the river. Here the scaler lays on his rule 
and takes the number of feet board measure as the logs are unloaded, and 
stamps with a hammer stamp each log upon the end. A bark-mark is 
put on the side with the axe, and the logs are then rolled over skids and put 
regularly upon the roll-ways on the bank of the stream, where they remain 
until the high water of spring. While sledding is good in the winter the 
teams are loaded, as they say from the stump, the logs being rolled directly 
upon the sleds. This saves the labor of drawing upon the skid-ways. Two 
teams are kept busy most of the winter hauling in hay, feed and supplies 
for the camp. It is busy work, and every man and team, while daylight 
lasts, are constantly in motion, making the w r oods echo with the sound of 
their axes and voices. It is also healthy work, and most of the men come 
out fat in the spring. They are well fed with plenty of good pork, beef, 
bread, potatoes, beans, butter, tea and coffee—the meals are more desirable 
and better got up than most of the hotels furnish—and no whiskey. There 
is good order, and quarrels among them are now rare. So long as snow 
and timber lasts, all continue to work, and the average quantity put in by 
each camp is two to three millions feet. Late years there has also been a 
change in the working and handling of teams; now they are well cared 
for, do better work and come out in the spring, after a big winter’s job, in 
fine condition, and ready for continued work. 
The cost of logs on the river bank varies according to their quality, from 
$3 to $5 per thousand feet, with $1 added for stumpage or timber. 
