The Process Of Sawing. The log is drawn from the mill pond by means of a carrier, or log jack, operated by the power of the mill. Arriving at the proper point, by suitable mechanism the log is rolled upon skids in a position near the carriage, and then by the movement of a single lever is thrown upon the carriage and fastened. As the carriage goes forward toward the saw, the first outside piece, or slab, is cut. On the return of the carriage, mechanism operates to move it sidewise by an amount sufficient to allow the log to clear the saw. The log is turned a quarter of a revolution, after which another slab is cut. In this way four slabs are taken off, leaving the log nearly square in section, though the thickness of the slabs is not sufficient to allow the meeting of the plane surfaces produced by their removal. The squared log is then sawed into planks or boards. From the carriage, these land on revolving rolls, which carry them to the "edger," in which they are trimmed so as to give the widest possible planks with parallel edges. From the edger, the lumber moves on rollers or chain conveyors to the "trimmer," where it is made to pass saws which are set to cut the pieces to standard lengths. It is then thrown on a platform, from which it is trucked to the yards for storage or to the cars for shipment.

When the slabs leave the saw they are conveyed by revolving rolls to the "slasher"; in this machine they are cut into lengths, usually of four feet, conveyed to the lath machine, sawed up into laths, and bound into bundles. All short pieces are sorted by hand, and some go to the shingle machine, while the rest are converted into stove wood. The sawdust and fine refuse help feed the furnaces of the mill, and the coarse stuff that cannot be used, even for fuel, is burned to get it out of the way.