Log Scaling

By A. H. SANFORD


NN the first article of this series a
  brief sketch of logging operations
was given, but more detailed de-
scriptions were made of the sorting
and rafting operations on the lower
Black river. In the following article
the system under which the logs
were marked was explained. An-
other important subject is the pro-
cess of scaling logs, which was an
essential step in the logging and
rafting operations, wherever they
were carried on.
  Pupils in the   grammar    school
learn that lumber is measured in
terms of board feet, the dimensions
of a board foot being one inch by
one foot by one foot. The scale rule
used in estimating the board feet
contents of logs and still in use for
that purpose is about four feet long.
It consists merely of a rule, one
end of which is a handle while the
other end terminates in a projection
faced with metal, intended to hook
around the end of the log that is
being measured.

  In accordance with the Scribner
system of log measurement, which
was enacted    by   the legislature,
there are three scales on each side
of the rule. On the side most com-
monly used are marks indicating
board feet for twelve, fourteen and
sixteen foot logs; on the other side
are marks for use in scaling logs
that were longer. The scaler put his
scale rule across the small end of
the log with the projection at the
end against its farther side. The
mark on the rule which indicated
the diameter of the log gave tne
number of board feet in accordance
with the log's length.
   Some scalers became so skillful
at their work that they could esti-
mate logs almost as accurately with-
out as with a rule. In sealing allow-
ance was made for waste in cutting
the lumber, also    on   account of
crooked or defective logs. A skilled
scaler could tell by tapping a log
with his rule whether it was likely


to be rotten in its core.
  C. P. Crosby, who wrote a series
of articles for The Tribune in 1926,
has some interesting facts bearing
upon this matter. He says that logs
twelve inches in diameter and six-
teen feet long would have eighty
feet of lumber, allowing one-quar-
ter inch for "sawkerf"   for   each
board. The banid saw was only one-
eighth inch for kerf. Quoting Mr.
Crosby: "A log eight inches in di-
ameter and twelve feet long would
scale twenty feet, though the fact
was it would saw out a four by six
inch twelve foot piece, which would
be twenty-four board feet, also two
boards one by six and ten feet long
and two boards one by four and
twelve feet long, amounting in all
to forty-two board feet."

  The difference between the scale
measure and the lumber measure
was the "over-run." In the case of
small logs, like that illustrated, the
over-run -was much more than it
was with large logs. Mr. Crosby
said, "In buying a raft of logs the
buyer always took into considera-
tion the amount of over-run that he
could expect, and it was often all
the profit he could look for."
  The state government had an of-
fice of lumber inspectors at Madison.
District scalers appointed  by the
governor (there   were   twelve of
these scalers in Wisconsin in 1880)
had charge of this work in different
sections of the state. They appoint-
ed the scalers, since they must be
impartial as between the owner of
the timber and the contractor or
purchaser of the logs. It was also
necessary to have accurate and im-
partial records upon which could be
calculated the fees due to the Black
River Driving association, which
provided crews   of  rivermen who
drove the logs to the  main   piers
above Onalaska. This association at
one time maintained and operated
the flooding dams on the tributaries
of Black river.