[Illustration: To Doctor & Mrs. M. G. Slutter with cordial greetings of
the author, Geo. H. Warren
Minneapolis, Aug. 19, 1919]
[Illustration: Geo. H. Warren]
THE
PIONEER WOODSMAN
AS HE IS RELATED TO
LUMBERING IN THE
NORTHWEST
_By_
GEORGE HENRY WARREN
MINNEAPOLIS
PRESS OF HAHN & HARMON COMPANY
1914
Copyright 1914
By George Henry Warren
I DEDICATE
THIS BOOK TO THE MEMORY OF
WILLIAM S. PATRICK,
GUIDING FRIEND AND HELPFUL COUNSELOR
OF MY EARLIER MANHOOD YEARS.
Foreword.
The aim will be to take the reader along on the journey of the pioneer
woodsman, from comfortable hearthstone, from family, friends, books,
magazines, and daily papers, and to disappear with him from all
evidences of civilization and from all human companionship save,
ordinarily, that of one helper who not infrequently is an Indian, and to
live for weeks at a time in the unbroken forest, seldom sleeping more
than a single night in one place.
The woodsman and his one companion must carry cooking utensils, axes,
raw provisions of flour, meat, beans, coffee, sugar, rice, pepper, and
salt; maps, plats, books for field notes; the simplest and lightest
possible equipment of surveying implements; and, lastly, tent and
blankets for shelter and covering at night to protect them from storm
and cold.
Incidents of the daily life of these two voluntary reclusionists, as
they occurred to the author, and some of the results obtained, will be
told to the reader in the pages which are to follow.
Table of Contents.
Chapter Page
I. Sowing the Germ That I Knew Not. 13
II. Preparations for the Wilds of Wisconsin. 15
III. Entering the Wilds of Wisconsin. 18
IV. Surveying and Selecting Government Timber Lands. 22
V. Gaining Experience--Getting Wet. 28
VI. A Birthday Supper. 33
VII. A New Contract--Obstacles. 40
VIII. A Few Experiences in the New and More Prosperous Field. 47
IX. Tracing Gentlemen Timber Thieves--Getting Wet--Fawn. 56
X. Does It Pay to Rest on Sunday? 63
XI. Indian Traits--Dog Team. 69
XII. Wolves--Log Riding. 73
XIII. Entering Minnesota, the New Field. 77
XIV. An Evening Guest--Not Mother's Bread. 94
XV. A Hurried Round Trip to Minneapolis--Many Incidents. 101
XVI. The Entire Party Moves to Swan River. 117
XVII. Methods of Acquiring Government Land--An Abandoned Squaw. 125
XVIII. United States Land Sale at Duluth--Joe LaGarde. 129
XIX. Six Hundred Miles in a Birch Canoe. 135
XX. Effect of Discovery of Iron Ore on Timber Industry. 142
XXI. Forest Fires. 159
XXII. White Pine--What of Our Future Supply? 174
XXIII. Retrospect--Meed of Praise. 178
Illustrations.
George H. Warren. _Frontispiece_
Facing Page
W. S. Patrick. 16
The "V" shaped baker is a valuable part of the cook's outfit 22
"The almost saucy, yet sociable red squirrel". 28
"I found several families of Indians camping at the end of
the portage." 34
"In the Vermilion country, dog trains could sometimes be
advantageously used." 40
S. D. Patrick. 44
"There were many waterfalls". 52
"We succeeded in crossing Burnt Side Lake". 58
"We started out with two birch canoes". 64
"The party subsisted well, until it arrived at Ely". 70
"My three companions and I ... had gone to survey and
estimate a tract of pine timber." 74
The journey had to be made with the use of toboggans. 82
"Our camp was established on the shores of Kekekabic Lake". 88
"The memorable fire ... which swept Hinckley". 94
"The fire ... destroyed millions of dollars worth of
standing pine timber". 102
This illustration kindly loaned by
Department of Forestry, State of Minnesota.
"One of the horses balked frequently". 106
"Our camp was made in a fine grove of pig-iron Norway". 112
"These little animals were numerous". 118
"We saw racks in Minnesota made by the Indians". 122
"The roots of the lilies are much relished as a food
by the moose." 130
"We have seen the moose standing out in the bays
of the lakes." 136
"White Pine--What of Our Future Supply?" 142
"He motors over the fairly good roads of the
northern frontier." 148
"Friends whom he had known in the city who are ready
to welcome him." 154
"He camps by the roadside on the shore of a lake". 160
The midday luncheon is welcomed by the automobile tourists. 166
"Here he brings his family and friends to fish". 172
"Prepare their fish just caught for the meal, by the
open camp fire." 178
"He continues his journey ... to the very source of the
Mississippi River". 182
THE PIONEER WOODSMAN AS HE IS
RELATED TO LUMBERING IN
THE NORTHWEST.
_By_ GEORGE HENRY WARREN
CHAPTER I.
Sowing the Germ That I Knew Not.
"This superficial tale is but a preface of her worthy praise."
Early environment sometimes paints colors on the canvas of one's later
life.
Fifty years ago in western New York, there were thousands of acres of
valuable timber. The country was well watered, and, on some of the
streams, mills and factories had sprung into existence. On one of these
were three sawmills of one upright saw each, and all did custom sawing.
My father was a manufacturer, especially of carriages, wagons, and
sleighs. There were no factories then engaged in making spokes, felloes,
whiffletrees, bent carriage poles, thills or shafts, and bent runners
for cutters and sleighs. These all had to be made at the shop where the
cutter, wagon, or carriage was being built. Consequently the
manufacturer was obliged to provide himself with seasoned planks and
boards of the various kinds of wood that entered into the construction
of each vehicle. Trips were made to the woods to examine trees of birch,
maple, oak, ash, beech, hickory, rock elm, butternut, basswood,
whitewood, and sometimes hemlock and pine. The timber desired having
been selected, the trees were converted into logs which in turn were
taken to the custom mill and sawed into such dimensions required, as far
as was possible at that period to have done at these rather primitive
sawmills. Beyond this the resawing was done at the shop.
Thus, almost unconsciously, at an early age, by reason of the assistance
rendered to my father in selecting and securing this manufactured lumber
from the tree in the forest to the sawed product of the mill, I became
familiar with the names and the textures of many kinds of woods, the
knowledge of which stood me in good turn in later years.