File:Annual report of the Forest, Fish and Game Commission of the State of New York (1899) (14753078144).jpg

Identifier: annualreportof6189919newy (find matches)
Title: Annual report of the Forest, Fish and Game Commission of the State of New York
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: New York (State). Forest, Fish and Game Commission
Subjects: Forests and forestry Fisheries Game and game-birds
Publisher: (Albany, N.Y. : The Commission)
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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comes. The skidways were formerlymade of spruce or balsam and left in the woods to decay. But now, owing toimproved methods, and the increased value of the timber, hardwood skids are incommon use. If it becomes necessary to use softwood skids they are cut up intologs and taken out at the end of the job. While on the skidways the logs aremeasured, or scaled as it is termed, the scaler taking the diameter of each log,within the bark at the top or smallest end, and jotting it down in his book, afterwhich a man with a marking hammer stamps the logs on both ends with the ownersmark. The scaler generally has an assistant ; for the logs in the large piles must bemeasured at both ends in order to determine which is the top, the body of thelog being out of sight. Crooked or rotten logs are docked in measurementenough to offset the defects. While the cutting and skidding is going on, the jobber, aided by another crew,is busy with the work of building roads leading from the skidways to the main
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O0 O WW &, W tinO < en FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 273 road, which in turn leads to the lake or river bank where the logs are to beunloaded. A diagram of the log roads on a big lumber job would resemble a treewith subdividing branches, although a somewhat crooked one owing to the curvesand windings of the ravines or depressions down which the roads must go. Thislaying out of the roads is an important part of the work, for upon the skill andjudgment exercised in it much of the profit in the job depends. All necessaryroads must be built, but unnecessary ones must be avoided. The jobber mustexercise no little engineering skill in selecting a line that will reach all his skidways,and at the same time preserve a practicable grade. It must be down hill all theway from the starting point, so that large loads can be hauled, and yet not so steepas to shove a team over the bank. Skill and experience are also called for in theconstruction of side hill or dugway roads, in bridge buil

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