Lumberjack

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Lumberjack

A lumberjack is a tradesman in the logging industry, who performs the initial harvesting of trees for lumber and pulpwood. The term is somewhat archaic, having been mostly replaced by logger. When the term "lumberjack" is used, it usually refers to a logger from an earlier era before the advent of chainsaws, feller-bunchers and other modern logging equipment.

Historic

The lumberjack worked in lumber camps and often lived a migratory life, following timber harvesting jobs as they opened. Being a lumberjack was seasonal work. They usually lived in bunkhouses or tents. Common equipment included the axe and crosscut saw. Lumberjacks could be found wherever there were vast forests to be harvested and a demand for wood, including Scandinavia, Canada, and parts of the United States. In the U.S., many lumberjacks were of Scandinavian or Finnish ancestry, continuing the occupation of their parents and grandparents. American lumberjacks were first centered in northeastern states such as Maine and then followed the general westward migration on the continent to the Upper Midwest, and finally the Pacific Northwest. Stewart Holbrook documented the rise and eventual westward migration of the classic American lumberjack in his first book, Holy Old Mackinaw: A Natural History of the American Lumberjack, and often wrote colorfully about lumberjacks in his subsequent books, romanticizing them as hard-drinking, hard-working, no-nonsense and wild characters.

The division of labor in lumber camps led to several specialized jobs on logging crews - such as whistle punk, chaser, and high climber. The whistle punk's job was to sound a whistle as a signal to others on the crew controlling the movement of logs and act as a safety lookout, and a good whistle punk had to be alert and think fast as the safety of the others depended on him. The high climber (also known as a tree topper) used iron climbing hooks and rope to ascend tall trees, where he would chop off the limbs as he climbed, and finally chop off the top of the tree. During this era before modern diesel or gasoline powered equipment, what machinery existed was steam-powered, and animal- or steam-powered skidders could be used to haul harvested logs to nearby railroads for shipment to sawmills. Another method for transporting logs to sawmills was to float them down a body of water, and the art of log rolling - staying on top of a floating log while "rolling" the log by walking - was another skill much in demand among lumberjacks. Spiked boots known as "caulks" or "corks" were used for log rolling and often worn by lumberjacks as their regular footwear.

The term "skid row", which today means a poor city neighborhood frequented by homeless people, originated in a way in which harvested logs were once transported. Logs could be "skidded" down hills or along a corduroy road, and one such street in Seattle was named Skid Road. This street later became frequented by people down on their luck, and both the name and its meaning morphed into the modern term.

Lumberjacks, especially in the Pacific Northwest, incorporated many terms from the Chinook Jargon into their language including such terms as "skookum" (excellent or impressive), "muckeymuck" (executives or higher-ups), and "hooch" (liquor) which are still familiar today. Lumber camps were the sites of many militant labor disputes and strikes during unionization efforts in the early 20th century.

In popular culture

In popular culture the cliché of a lumberjack is a strong, burly man who likes to brave the natural environment. He is depicted wearing suspenders, a long-sleeved plaid flannel shirt, and heavy boots. He is often depicted as being very hungry and eating a large stack of flapjacks or pancakes. He works by cutting down trees with either an axe or with the help of another lumberjack, a crosscut saw, as opposed to the modern chainsaw.

The most famous depiction of a lumberjack in folklore is Paul Bunyan. Several towns claim to have been the home of Paul Bunyan and have statues of Bunyan and his ox "Babe" in the town.

In Monty Python, a popular skit is "The Lumberjack Song" known for its refrain "I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay / I sleep all night and I work all day".

Johnny Cash recorded a song about lumberjacks titled "Lumberjack", which appeared on the Ride This Train album.

School mascots

The lumberjack is the mascot of many schools and universities including:

The modern logger

Modern technology has changed the job of the modern logger considerably. Although the basic task of harvesting trees is still the same, the machinery and tasks are no longer the same. Many of the old job specialties on logging crews are now archaic.

Chainsaws, harvesters, and feller bunchers are now used to cut or fell trees. The tree is turned into logs by removing the limbs (delimbing) and cutting it into logs of optimal length (bucking). The felled tree or logs are moved from the stump to the landing. Ground vehicles can pull, carry, or shovel the logs. Cable systems can pull logs to the landing. Logs can also be flown to the landing by helicopter. Logs are commonly transported to the sawmill using trucks. Harvesting methods may include clearcutting or selective cutting. Concerns over ecology have led to controversy about modern logging practices.

A recent Wall Street Journal survey on the best jobs in the United States ended by listing being a logger as the "worst" job ^*, citing "work instability, poor pay and pure danger."

Loggersports

Modern lumberjacks are found in the exciting world of loggersports. Originally started as a competition in the old lumber camps to see who was the best lumberjack, today these competitions are used to keep old forestry and logging traditions alive. This is reflected in the events at these competitions. Many colleges have woodsmen teams or forestry clubs, which compete regionally, nationally, and internationally, while there are also professional competitions in which anyone can enter, along with the highly selective STIHL Timbersports Series which airs on TV. Events may include old-time logging skills such as log rolling and high-climbing. There are also lumberjack shows which tour the United States, demonstrating these old time lumber practices to the general public. Loggers rodeos are also held in some towns which demonstrate these events to the public.

References

Holbrook, Stewart H. Holy Old Mackinaw: A Natural History of the American Lumberjack, 1938.

External links

United States Logrolling Association
University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Darius Kinsey Photographs Images from the period 1890-1939, documenting the logging industry in Washington State. Includes images of loggers and logging camps, skid roads, donkey engines, loading operations, logging trucks and railroads.
University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Clark Kinsey Photographs Over 1000 images by commercial photographer Clark Kinsey documenting the logging and milling camps and other forest related activities in Washington State, ca. 1910-1945.
University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Industry and Occupations Photographs An ongoing and expanding collection devoted to the workers in the Pacific Northwest from 1880s-1940s. Many occupations and industries are represented including the logging and lumber industry.

Forestry occupations | Logging

Holzfäller | Bûcheron | Houthakker | Tømmerhoggar | Lumberjack

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