In this fashion they worked they"re way all the way to the northwestern United States. Here they found much bigger trees the Redwood, and Douglas firs, which grow to enormous proportions. All the way up to the twentieth century the logging companies cut trees without regard for the future. At this point most of the old growth had been cut for immediate use without any regard for any future need (Encarta, Logging history). In all the forestry industry in the United States cleared one half of its forests by 1900. Of the 583 million acres left 2/3 are owned by commercial logging companies. The other 1/3 is tied up in Federal and State parks and preserves, according to the article "Forestry Industry" in the Encarta encyclopedia.
The early loggers had a difficult job in cutting down the trees that were hundreds of times larger than they were. These men were charged with finding quick, efficient and safe ways of removing the trees. The early methods relied mainly on physical force of the loggers and their animals. To accomplish this the loggers would prepare the camp for the year before the September start of the logging season. They would cut paths and roads through the trees, and also set up they"re essential buildings such as sleeping and eating quarters. Usually the early loggers usually used one of two animals horses or oxen, they would harness the animals and use them to move the heavy fallen lumber (logging book). The tree cutters would work in pairs they would use poorly sharpened saws and axes to chop or cut the trunk of the tree, allowing it to fall where it may. After this they removed the branches and other protrusions from the tree. Next another member of the logging team attached the tree, by way of harness, to their animal; finally using the paths they drove the animal to the nearest waterway. After placing the log in the water they then drove them downstream to the sawmill (lumber industry Encarta).
