Fig. 4.—Felling a Tree.
(B.) If a lumber concern desires to begin operations in one of the great forest areas, a “land-looker” or “timber-cruiser” is sent to spy out the land, and to report upon the probable yield of timber within certain areas, and the conditions which would aid or retard the work of getting out the logs. If the report is favorable, the standing timber may be purchased by “stumpage,” which means that a certain price will be paid for each thousand feet of lumber cut, or the land may be purchased outright, though in the early history of lumbering cases have been known where these little formalities were omitted.
Fig. 5.—Cutting Small Branches from
Felled Spruce.
Camps are located at convenient points throughout the boundary, roads are made through the woods, and foundations, or “skidways,” built at right angles to them, to receive the logs as they are hauled down the “travoy” roads, which are narrow trails cut through the woods at frequent distances for this purpose.
(C.) The above preparations completed, the work of felling the trees is begun (Fig. 4); this part of the work requires nice skill and judgment, as it is necessary that the tree should fall so that it will cause the least damage to itself and to surrounding trees. After the tree is down, the branches are cut close to the trunk (Fig. 5) and carried to one side so that they will not be in the way of the horses. The trunk is then sawed into logs, twelve, fourteen, sixteen, or eighteen feet in length, as the imperfections and the length of the tree trunk may allow. Longer or shorter logs are rarely cut except for special purposes.
(D.) One end of the log is placed upon a drag, or is gripped by a pair of tongs, and hauled to the nearest travoy road and skidway, where it is piled (Fig. 6). (E.) From the skidway the logs are loaded upon trucks, cars, or sledges (Fig. 7), and carried to the cable (Fig. 8), which is a method of hauling logs used in some parts of the country, or to the railroad (Fig. 9), or floated down a river (Fig. 10). If either of these latter methods of transportation is employed, the logs are generally piled upon another skidway until there is enough for a train load, or until the conditions upon the river are favorable for them to be floated to the mill.
Fig. 6.—Skidway of Spruce Logs.