HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 6-15-13

THE LUMBER CAMPS – part 3

Another good story out of the lumber camp days of 1905-10 was the one about the train. This was not one of the large trains that carried my grandfather from one job to another, but one of the smaller trains used to haul the cut timber out of the woods to the lumber mill where it was dressed down to workable sizes. Apparently he had worked his way up to a position of responsibility and was the engineer of one of these trains. There was only a two man crew – the engineer and the fireman whose sole responsibility was to keep enough wood in the boiler to keep the engine running at peak performance. The financial set-up was for each man to receive $1.50 a day to make 2 runs out of the woods to the camp. If they made an additional run they received a 50 cent bonus. However, if they failed to make the required 2 runs, they were docked a full dollar. He proudly declared that he always made 3 runs, thereby earning the bonus. He said he was highballing it one day and the excessive speed caused the train to jump the tracks and imbed about half the engine into one of the sand banks put there for that very purpose.Grandpop and his fireman walked back to the camp and informed the boss that his train was in the sand bank. The boss told him that there were 2 shovels in the corner and for him and his fireman to start digging it out. This would have entailed a lot of work with no pay. At this point he told his boss again that HIS train was stuck in the sand, and he left to find another job. Apparently, they didn’t check resumes in those days and a job could be had by any man for just showing up and “fogging the mirror”. Advancement was made by way of your work performance and he was seldom outworked by any man, a trait learned early and practiced throughout his entire life. He worked 6 twelve hour days every week for the next 60 years.

(This is part 5 of a 7 part story of my grandfather’s life – part 6 next week)