Forest Life and Forest Trees: comprising winter camp-life among the loggers, and wild-wood adventure.: with Descriptions of lumbering operations on the various; rivers of Maine and New BrunswickSpringer, John S.
History
Forest Life and Forest Trees: comprising winter camp-life among the loggers, and wild-wood adventure.: with Descriptions of lumbering operations on the various; rivers of Maine and New Brunswick
Springer, John S.
Lumbering -- Maine; Maine -- Description and travel; New Brunswick -- Description and travel; Trees
What is called a team is variously composed of from four to six, and
even eight oxen. During the months of November and December, after
the ground and swamps are frozen, and early snows fall, our team
is attached to a "long sled," loaded with provisions, tools, &c.,
accompanied with a new recruit of hands. Leaving home and the scenes
of civilization, slowly we move forward to join those who had preceded
us to make preparations for our reception. After several days'
journeyings, putting up at night at places erected and supplied for
the convenience of such travelers, and at suitable distances on the
route, we finally reach our new home. Our arrival is no less agreeable
to ourselves than welcome to our comrades. But there are incidents
scattered all the way along, and seldom do we perform such a journey
without experiencing something worth relating.
On one occasion, late in the fall, we started for our winter quarters
up river. We had traveled about one hundred miles, passing along up
the military road, then south upon the Calais road to Baskahegan Lake,
which we were to cross, our camps being on the opposite side. We
reached the borders of the lake late in the afternoon. The ice was not
so thickly frozen as was anticipated, so that the practicability of
crossing seemed exceedingly problematical. Having been long on the
way, we were anxious, if possible, to arrive in camp that night. The
shores of the lake were so swampy that it was deemed impracticable to
perform the route around it, and it was finally determined to make an
effort to cross upon the ice. We had twelve oxen, which were disposed
of in the following order: the lightest yoke of oxen was selected and
driven in yoke before to test the strength of the ice, and, in case
the loaded teams should break through, to be used to pull them out.
These were our reserve. The next in the line of march was a pair of
oxen attached to a sled, with hay, &c. Next in order was a four-ox
team; these were also attached to a sled, loaded with hay and
provisions; and, finally, to bring up the rear, still another four-ox
team, with a loaded sled--all of which were strung out at suitable
distances, to prevent too much weight coming upon any one point, thus
rendering our passage more safe. The word was given, when we all moved
forward, intending first to gain a point which ran out into the lake,
covered with a thick small growth. The ice cracked and buckled beneath
our feet at every step. Proceeding in this way, we gained the point in
safety. It had by this time become late, and the last rays of the
setting sun gilded the tops of the towering pines, which peered far up
in the air above the surrounding forest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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