
Beaver dam, 
there is nothing in its path, like a 
branch or a stick. Stand so that if 
the blow is deflected the blade will not 
drive toward your feet. Remember 
there is no doctor within many miles 
of you and that carelessness may spell 
ruin. Practice alone will not make a 
good axeman, there is a knack to it 
that only careful study and close ap- 
plication will bring the desired result. 
Try to hit where you aim with a steady 
swing and don’t use all your strength— 
make the weight of the axe count. 
N starting your cabin, clear all the 
ground in a level spot, preferably 
near good water and with abundance 
of good dry wood conveniently near. Cut 
a number of logs of a sufficient length 
to allow two feet at either end for mak- 
ing the corners. Lay two logs repre- 
senting the sides of the cabin, then 
two for the ends across these first ones. 
Marking out the proper space, notch 
the upper log so that it will fit down 
to about half its thickness on the other. 
Sometimes it is necessary to notch both 
upper and lower log. Try to notch 
your logs so that each one will fit 
snugly against the other, this will save 
a lot of work in chinking with moss or 
mudding up the cracks. Each set of 
logs, two end logs and then two side 
logs, are laid alternately. If you want 
to make a pole floor put some joists 
across the two first logs, notching them 
in at the ends, blocking them in the 
center and then lay your poles or split 
logs on them. If you are not acquainted 
with the axe a rough job will result 
but it’s far better than the dirt floor, 
in my mind.” 
Page 13 
* 
The busy little engineers always maintain a fixed water level and repair 
breaks very quickly 
When the walls have been raised to 
a certain height cut some deep notches 
in a log near where the top of the win- 
dows will come, this will make it easier 
to cut out the desired space. The same 
thing applies in cutting out the door- 
way. The problem of window lights 
may seem a sticker but a square of 
clean white cloth, heavy enough to keep 
out the cold, will let in sufficient light 
and at night a coat or piece of blanket 
can be hung over it for additional ex- 
clusion of frost. 
While notching the corners. it’s a 
good idea to fill in with pieces of wood 
if you have cut out too much. The 
roof will require more attention than 
would naturally seem, for, above all, it 
must be watertight. In the north 
country it is often hard to get any 
wood that will split up into shakes (sub- 
stitute for shingles). In consequence 
the roof is first covered with poles, moss 
is placed in the cracks and the whole 
covered with several inches of dirt. 
This makes a warm roof but if there 
isn’t quite a pitch to it the water will 
soak through during a heavy storm. In 
these western mountains you can find 
larch or tamarack trees from one to 
three feet in diameter from which ex- 
cellent shakes can be split. One will 
need a quantity of small nails for fast- 
ening them down of course. 
HERE shakes are to be had a shed 
roof is simple and will serve just 
as well as the gabled roof (pitched from 
both sides to.a higher center). But 
the latter is best if one must resort to 
the use of dirt. The ends are built up 
by sloping each log off to the pitch 
desired, tying the ends 
together with long poles 
or roof joists, laying 
the smaller poles on 
each side tightly to- 
gether and _ covering 
with moss and dirt as 
previously directed. 
The smaller poles may 
be split and laid, flat 
side down on the joists. 
This serves the double 
purpose of making 
them go twice as far 
and the clean fresh 
side showing from the 
inside of the cabin helps 
out considerably with 
the light problem, mak- 
ing the cabin appear 
more cheery. If one 
has the time to peel the 
logs inside it will add 
to their life and bright- 
en the interior much 
the same as fresh paper 
imparts a cheer to an 
, old smoky wall. 
The construction of the door will pre- 
sent quite a problem and it is best to 
split a couple of planks out of a size- 
able log, hewing them down to a thick- 
ness of two inches or thereabouts. 
Hinges and fastener may be made of 
wood and the construction will be 
greatly augmented if one has an auger 
in his outfit. 

‘T HE auger, say an inch or a little 
better in size, is handy for boring 
holes in the logs where convenient peg's 
can be driven, and for making furni- 
ture. A table, couple of bunks, wash 
and waterstand, stools and various 
small articles can be fashioned by the 
ingenious worker with nothing to aid 
him but an axe and hunting knife. A 
small plane is surely appreciated for 
smoothing up the table top, stools, etc., 
besides being invaluable when it comes 
to making stretchers. 
The construction of the side camps 
does not call for so much work and 
care. Hither a small log cabin or a 
combination cabin and dugout will an- 
swer the purpose admirably. The chief 
requirement is that they be warm. 
These side camps don’t need floors and 
one can even get 
along’ without 
light in them. A 
man _ generally 
gets to his stop- 
ping place shortly 
before daylight 
ceases and by the 
time he has 
(Continued on 
page 58) 

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