Maine Logging video

[near horse]

With my departure from dial-up internet, I have found a whole new world – today, I found this archival video of logging in Maine – from the 30’s called “Stump to ship a 1930 logging film”. Shows a lot of good stuff – including skidding loads out. Over 20 minutes long.

http://www.archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.13585

[Ira]

Neat Film, thanks for posting it. Even the harness appeared to be unique!

[cousin jack]

That was great,not being an expert on Maine dialect, does he say at the end,

“The night was filled with music, and the cares that infest the day,
shall fold their tents like the Arabs and then silently steal away”. ?

I can answer my own question, yes he does, it was written by Maine born poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, those few lines are a fitting epithet to bygone era.

[mitchmaine]

thank you geoff, we still have dialup. so it took a half hour to see the first six minutes. we did that twice so now i am an expert on the first six minutes of the film. i can get it up here from northeast archives, and i will now. i just never have. there is another film called another day, another era. it’s some snips of this film, but interviews some of the loggers from that time. they are most 80 -90 years old but give a great account of the time. its a pretty interesting film too.

mitch

[OldKat]

@cousin jack 23174 wrote:

That was great,not being an expert on Maine dialect, does he say at the end,

“The night was filled with music, and the cares that infest the day,
shall fold their tents like the Arabs and then silently steal away”. ?

I can answer my own question, yes he does, it was written by Maine born poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, those few lines are a fitting epithet to bygone era.

Great film. Hearty folk. The narrator talks about the great quantities of food they consumed, yet everyone seemed lean and fit. Plenty of calories burned doing that hard work. Obesity didn’t seem to be an issue.

Aren’t regional dialects a wonderful thing? Sadly, just like the era that this film represents the unique dialects from around the world seem to be fading away. Too bad; they are really pleasant to listen to.

[simon lenihan]

Another good one from around that period is [ LUMBERJACK SKY PILOT ]. The footage was shot by reverend Frank reed during the 1930s while visiting adriondacks lumber camps. Simon lenihan. http://www.celtichorselogging.com

[jac]

Geoff that was a great film. The place must have been buzzing at that time. It was interesting to hear what the men ate… and how all the mill men owned their own houses….
John

[dominiquer60]

I enjoyed the fact that using their “methods of the day,” they had 3 good harvests out of one woodlot wihtin 25 years, and they used single horses to twitch with, “reducing the damage to the young growth.”

I plan on watching the whole film with the guys here, they will surely enjoy every detail the film has to offer.

Thanks for sharing Geoff,

Erika

[near horse]

I’m glad you all were able to enjoy that old film – I really liked it too. I thought it was pretty cool that the film maker identified the teamsters by name as they were hauling out loads. Nice bit of history.

Not necessarily DAP related but I have to add these 2 sentences that came from an 1904 book – “The Modern Blacksmith …..”

“Every smith should connect himself with a branch of the church and be punctual in attendance to same.”

“The danger for the smith becoming a drunkard is greater than for any other mechanic.”

Great stuff! I understand better why my daughter wants to be a librarian!

Whoops – I better go get something done!

[url]http://www.archive.o…age/16/mode/2up[/url]

[Scott G]

@near horse 23199 wrote:

…I thought it was pretty cool that the film maker identified the teamsters by name as they were hauling out loads..[url]http://www.archive.o…age/16/mode/2up[/url]

More awesome than that; the fact that the script was written for the narrator by Mr. Machias himself, the owner of the Machias Lumber Company . The fact that the “timber baron” had that much respect, admiration, and love for his guys is outstanding. Definitely not the norm back then & definitely not now, when workers are normally spoke of as human capital & human resource rather than family, friends, & co-workers.

[dlskidmore]

@Scott G 23203 wrote:

More awesome than that; the fact that the script was written for the narrator by Mr. Machias himself, the owner of the Machias Lumber Company . The fact that the “timber baron” had that much respect, admiration, and love for his guys is outstanding. Definitely not the norm back then & definitely not now, when workers are normally spoke of as human capital & human resource rather than family, friends, & co-workers.

Yeah, find an exec today running a big operation like that that knows every little guy’s job, and can go stand out on the logs with them. The other thing I found amazing was that he seemed to understand the historic significance at the time. He saw the operation shutting down soon and a need to record it.

[Author]

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