Document text
Spokane, Washington
January 20, 1937
Personal Narrative W. G. Leonard.
A personal narrative by W. G. Leonard, Carlyle Hotel, Spokane,
based on his experience and that of his father the late
Frederick Charles Leonard (1853-1932) in the timber business.
As told to Glenn H. Lathrop
Mr. F. C. Leonard began as_a common woodsman at Saginaw, Michigan shortly
after the Civil var. Working and living conditions, as compared to later,
were very primitive. The men were quartered in rough log houses with no glass
in the windows, and no staves just a chimneyless open fire hole, the smoke
from which escaped as best it could. The staple diet consisted of beans, tea,
salt pork, and flour for baking; no sugar or potatoes. For beds, hay was
strewn on the floor, and enouah blankets were sewed together to make a single
field blanket large enough to cover the men lying on their sides tightly
packed. If one man was lousy (and at least one always was) they all be-
came lousy.
Top wages were 30.00 per month. The hours were long, everyone turned out
at 4 a. in., and the teamsters in particular often did not get back to camp
until 9 or 10 p.n.
Single bit axes were standard equipment in Michigan.
In 1674, hr. Leonard went to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to run camp for the
Eau Claire Lumber Comtany, an early Neyerhaueser Company. At this time*
although logging had commenced about 1850 in Wisconsin, the territory adjacent
to the Chippewa River was virgin timber, a dense mass of trees with heavy un-
derbrush. Mr. Leonard often remarked that when they started logging operations
here he wondered if he would live to see the day it would be logged more than
two or three miles back from the river, for at this time the supply of timber
seemed inexhaustable.
Wisconsin white (or cork) rine was the timber to be logged. This white pine
differed greatly from western white pine. For example, a thousand board foot
of lumber made from Wisconsin -white pine, weighed about 1900 pounds; Western
white tine lumber about 2300 per Va
The land, timber and all, was purchased from the government. Top prices in
the early days were 50 to 6Cler V, for stumpage based on the buyer's own
estimates.
For a distance of about one -quarter of a mile back from the streams, the logs
were brought out by "go -deviling", (skidding with oxen). For greater distances
in from the streams, loggirg roads were made by clearing, brushing and grading;
swamps were corduroyed. Skid roads branched off the main logging road. The
logs were skidded to the mail road and there decked to await freeze-up. About
Christmas, after the roads were plowed of snow, they were rutted by plows and
sleds with blades attached to their runners. 'These were followed by sprinklers*
60 bbl. tanks mounted on sleighs with sprinkler attachments to ice the ruts. At
this point it is interesting to note that Mr. Leonard was the first man to use
double -runner sprinklers. Me was also the first to use horses for skidding.
He remarked in later years that if he had it to do over age7in.he would have
W. G. Leonard narrative Page 2
continued with oxen for the reason that their first cost was cheaper at that
time $100.00 per yoke, and they were far less susceptible to injury, but if
injured could be fattened for meat, and in the last analysis they skid nearly
as many logs as horses.
When the logging roads were sufficiently rutted and iced, the logs were loaded
on sleighs and taken to the river or lake landings to be piled on rollways.
Following the break-up of ice in the lakes and rivers, and when sufficient
water was in the dam the "drive" would start.
The camps and independent loggers inland along the tributaries of the main water-
ways would blast and *peavy* the logs from the rollways into the water and drive
to the main lake or stream* Upon reaching Clam Lake or the West Fork of the
Chippewa River, all logs were turned over to the Chippewa Lumber Boom Company's
(original Weyerhaueser Company) *corporation drive*.
The corporative drive on the west fork covered about 160 miles from Clam Lake
to Flambau farm. From this point many logs went on in rafts to LaCrosse, Wisconsin;
Winona, Minnesota; Clinton and Dubuque, Iowa. At Clam Lake the *Nanrigans* were
constructed from lumber "whip -sawed" from logs on the spot. Whip-sartng was a
process in which logs were placed on a frame erected an sunken posts high enough
to allow a man to saw from a standing position below, and saved to desired speci-
fications by hand. The *ffannigans* were the boats used to carry equipment. There
was the *Cook-Wannigan* and the "Tent-Mannigan*, each about 18 feet wide by 60 feet
long. The *Cookjiannigan* was equipped with two large 000king ranges and portable
tables and benches, as well as food supplies. Five meals a day were served; break..
fast.at 5 a. in., first lunch at 10 a. in., dinner at 12 noon, second lunch at 3 p. in.
and dinner at 6 p. 14 The "Tent-Wannigan* carried the tents, blankets, and per-
sonal effects of the men. Each *Wannigan* was handled by two men, one at a large
sweep in front and the other at a similar sceep in the stern. Of necessity these
men were very able rivermen. The *Wannigans* followed the drive to its destination
and than, their usefulness over for that year, were turned loose to drift dawn stream.
Many of these corporation -drive *Wannigans* could be recognized on the Mississippi
below St. Louis in use as house -boats enroute to New Orleans. When there was suf-
ficient wind at Clam Lake, the drive would get underway with the logs heading into
the west fork of the Chippewa. At strategic points along the river, *beats* mould
be patrolled with several men to each best. This to avoid jams. Logs halted by
a rock or other obstruction in mid -stream were described as a *ceiter jam*.
Logs obstructed on either side of mid -stream were "wing -jams".
A crew of about 180 men worked the rear of the drive. In the 19 years that Mr.
Leonard managed the drive, 1883-1902, 10 of these years saw one billion feet of
logs handled; while in one particular year the drive amounted to 1,250,000,000
feet.
It is interesting to note that at one time Mr. Leonard contracted to cut timber
and deliver logs a distance of some 13 miles, building his awn *tote* roads and
two large dams in the process, for a contract price of $3.35 per ;4
A sharp, but common practice of the time, among the smaller independent loggers,
was to acquire 40 acres in the center of a large tract of heavy timber, and then
to log it off in aver widening circles away beyond their awn survey limits. This
type :of tract vas called a "long -forty". The logs cut were the standard 16 feet.
When the land was clear of pine they allowed it to go for taxes.
W. G. Leonard narrative Page 3
Living and working conditions in the mods of Wisconsin steadily improved until
by 1895, although hours remained long and top wages had only increased to $50.00
and $60.00 per month, housing and food were vastly better. Mr. Leonard said
that the food supplies purchased were of the highest quality and in great variety.
In fact it was cannon practice to order a full mixed carload of choice hind
quarters of beef, pork loins, hams, pork sausage and bacon at one time.
The lumberjacks, themselves, for the most part, were either Anericans who had
followed the timber from Maine to Pennsylvania and thence to Michigan and Wisconsin,
or German or Scandinavian imagrants. Mr. Leonard, personally, considered the
Swedes hardier than the Norwegians, but they were all strong, rough and ready
specimans of manhood. They loved their work and took pride in excelling at
each task:assigned them. They were intensely loyal to their employers and
seldom quit a job before that job was completed. In fact, a man who made a
practice of quitting was soon blacklisted by both the lumberjacks and the employers.
As an example of their daring and hardihood, on one occasion two men working on
the drive for Mr. Leonard as the result of a wager between themselves rode logs
over a 60 foot falls at what is now Cornell, Wisconsin, then Little Falls. One
man was killed outright, but the other escaped with only a broken arm ,and bruises.
Most of the lumberjacks owned good 'store -clothes' but, except en rare occasions,
mare mackinaw pants, bright shirts, mackinaws and sashes. Wool socks were warn
with rubbers in the woods. On the drive a special driving -shoe made by. A. A.
Cutter at Eau Claire, was most favored. Each spring, after a winter in the
woods, about 5,000 of these men descended an Eau Claire for a riot of drinking,
fighting, gambling and women, in the matter of only two or three days a winter's
pay would be gone. From then until drive time the men would be "staked" by hotel
and saloon keepers' for rooms, drinks, meals and tobacco.
After the drive was completed usually early suer another celebration was
in order. Many of the men would go to Minnesota and the Dakotas for the har-
vest after which it would be time for another celebration; thence to the woods
for fall and winter logging, and the cycle would be completed.
The lumberjacks, for all their hardiness, were rarely -able to keep up the old
pace of work and dissipation past the age of 50. Mr. Leonard's theory is
that working in water did as much damage to their health as dissipation. During
the early spring drive while working in ice-cold water they seemed to experience
few ill effects, seldom had a cold or sore feet. But, when the water became warm
colds, stiffness, and sore feet developed.
Veneral diseases, in many cases, took their toll also. In Eau Claire, 80 eases
of syphilis were traced back to one French Canadian lumberjack, Gonorreah was
very common. In fact many of the lumberjacks who mould go South for the Louisi-
anna hardwood logging in the minter held a belief that gonorreah was a good
vaccination against yellow and malaria fevers and would deliberately becAme in-
fected before going South.
Mr. Leonard quotes Frederick Neyerhaueser, the founder of the Neyerhaueser
enterpri,es, to the effect that he (Neyerhaueser) was a German immigrant oar
renter who got his start in the lumber business by purchasing logs at Rock
island, Illinois which had been hijacked and rebranded. Mr. Neyerhaueser could
purchase these logs at a fraction of their real worth. Be would take building
Mr,, G. Leonard narrative Page 4
contracts and saw these logs to his awn specifications. From this enterprise
the Weyerhaueser interests grew until today they are perhaps the largest time.
ber and lumber corporation in the world.
By 1910, the great stands of white pine in the Chippewa River territory was,
with the exception of two tracts, virtually exhausted. In 1900, however, the
Weyerhaueser interests sent Mr. Leonard into the northwest to inspect and pass
on timber and mill sites. It was on Mr. Leonard's recommendation that timber was
purchased and a mill put into operation at Bonners Ferry, Idaho the first
Weyerhaueser operation in the Pacific Northwest.
Some Isolated Items of Interest
Mr. Leonard tells that, one time 'when the log drive was in progress on the west
fork of the Chippewa river, his father had assigned him to help with the Wannigams.
That particular evening, the cook mannigan tied up at what had once been an Indian
battleground. Mr. Leonard vent ashore to prepare a bean -hole (a hole in which a
oastiron beanpot is placed and covered with earth over which a big fire is built'
thus slowly cooking the beans). After digging down some eighteet inches, Twr.
Leonard unearthed an iron tomahawk with the initials N.B. (Hudson Bay Co.). and
with 20 or 25 notches filed on it. There was never a Hudson Bay Post in that
particular territory, so Mr. Leonard's theory is that it was brought in by the
Sioux or possibly Northern tribes on one of their periodic mar raids against the
Chippemas.. Nr.,Leonard states that the Wisconsin Chippemas were a branch of the
original Algonquin tribe that had migrated westward. They, as a type were only
of medium height 5' 8" to 5* 10", but were very powerful, having broad shoulders
and heavy muscular development. Mr. Leonard's opinion is, that for native in-
telligence, they were superior to the rank and file of mh3te men. They were
wonderful woodsmen and comparatively peaceful except for their perennial fued
with the Sioux of the Minnesota prairies.
As a particularly good example of Chippewa pride and psychology, Mr. Leonard cites,
the following:
Once a roadhouse was established along a road near to the operations of Mr. F. C.
Leonard's crew and it was getting to be a nuisance as the men were purchasing liquor
there. This was causing trouble in the camps as will as affeoting the amount of
work accomplished. Determined to be rid of this illegal nuisance, Mr. Leonard
proposed to have someone whom he could trust purchase a bottle of whiskey with
marked money and with the evidence thus obtained prosecute the operators of the
roadhouse. Mr. Leonard selected for the job a trusted Indian who had been with him
for years, Alec Nhitefeather by name. When the proposed plan was explained to
Mhitefeather, he slowly shook his head and replied: "Mr. Leonard, I am sorry
that I am not a white man so that I could do this thing you ask of me; but I
am not a white man. I am an Indian and I just can't do such a thing as you ask."
Mr. Leonard tells of a 5 franc gold piece found by Alec Bell, one of their camp
matchers, who presented it to Mr. Leonard. Bell found it while spading garden
at a camp on the east bank of Lake Court Oreille, the site of one of Pierre
Marquette's Missions. From the date on the coin it could have been lost by the
Marquette expedition.
Read and approved by Mr. G. Leonard.
G. H. Lathrop
Page 5
Personal Narrative W. G. Leonard
(Continued)
By 1904, the large scale timber operations in Wisconsin were ripidlY diM
iniebtAgand the big operators were searching far afield for new timber
spsoultiticats.
The trend of migration was towards the Pacific Coast, but Dan McLeod of Eau
Claire went southward to examine the timber possibilities in Florida. On
the west coast of Florida, in the Blanes river country of Lafayette county,
Mr. McCloud was offered 242 thousand acres of mixed timber which he promptly
optioned at a price of $2.75 per acre and returned to Eau Claire to interest
others in the deal. Thus, eventually, the Putnam Lumber Company, now the out-
standing firm in its particular field, was organized. Mr. F. C. Leonard MUA
elected /Ice President of the concern; Billy O'Brien, President. Others among
the original investors were, H. C. Putnam and Son, Judgeitarsh, George Howe,
Al Lammers and George Lammers (uncle and father respectively of Mi. Roy Lammers,
now an official of the Me Goldriok Lumber Company, Spokane).
To arrive at anything approximating an aoourate appraisal of a given tract of
standing timber, it is first necessary to *cruise" it. The term cruise means
to travel through the timber lands progressively surveying it into blocks and
estimating the amount of standing timber, logging conditions etc., Until the
entire tractsis covered.
Due to the oommon practice of bribing the cruisers, it is often difficult to
obtain a man whose ability and integrity are both above question. Bo, to
eliminate any doubt on this score, the stockholders of the new company insisted
that Mr. F. C. Leonard make a personal cruise of the entire 242 thousand acres.
Consequently, Mr. Leonard spent the winters of 1904-05, 1905-6, and 1906-7,
cruising the tract. During the two latter winters Mr. W. G. Leonard assisted
his father. This work:was done only in winter as they could not stand the
summer climate of that region.
Mr. Leonard states that many "squatters" were found to be living on the company
lands. Squatters, as the name implies, were so designated from the fact that
they were living on and in many eases farming land without authority of any
sort to do so. Most of thistle squatters were English colonists who had settled
in Georgia very early in the ocentryls history but had retained most of their
typically English characteristics of manner, habits, and speech. To escape
civil war service they had fled to the Florida backwoods. But, even here,
generations later, they were still typically English in many ways.
One squatter in particular is recalled by Mr. Leonard Tam Gornton was his
name. The Leonard's came upon him living in a little clearing far back in the
woods. Here Gornton had a small, roughly construsted unehinked log cabin, a
lean-to shed which sheltered an old horse, some razor -back hogs, a few chickens,
three pecan trees, and a patch of corn.
Gornton was at first quite stand-offish but, when assured that they did not
intend to molest him became quite friendly. When questioned as to why he re-
mained in such an isolated spot, he explained that he was making a good living
from the three pecan trees. The trees in question were apparently either wild
or had sprung from seed.dropped by an earlier passer-by. At any rate they
were there when Gornton first arrived. They had never been pruned or given any
attention whatsoever and, as a result, had grown to the size of large elms.
W. G. Leonard narrative (Continued)
Page 6
But, nevertheless, they supplied Gornton with a yearly income of $90.00, whioh
was the figure the commission man paid for the nuts while still on the tree.
The oommission man supplied the nut -pickers, so Gornton did not raise a finger
in return for the income, and the $90.00 raised his status to that of a "man
of means*, as his cash outlay was insignificant. Gornton wore only a hickory
shirt, black cotton jeans and a straw hat. His wife wore the cheapest of cotton
garments, and those of the ohildren who sore anything at all were dressed accord-
ingly.
Their diet consisted of such pork as the Irazor-back hogs produced; whatever vege-
tation that could be used for greens, a sort of hominy they called *grits*, and
bread made of corn meal.
The timber on the Putnam tract was heavy but scattered in bunches with open
palmettograss covered lands between stands to give a park -like appearance. The
geology of the country was vary unusual. Mr. Leonard thinks that it was coral
formation. The soil was a sort of white dust and the whole seemed to be -over an
underground river or sea. While working through these woods it was necessary to
watch closely for sink -holes. These were two to four feet in diameter, going
straight down, and very similar to hand -dug wells. The water table in these
holes was usually thirty to forty feet below the ground levet. One hole encountered,
however, contained water which seemed to rise and fall like a tide; in high tide
it came almost to the ground level. Fish could be seen fran time to time in
these holes.
The Leonard cruise of the 242 thousand acres reported, 1,250 million feet of pine;
550 feet of cypress and 150 million feet,of hardwood, mostly gum of the type used
for barrel heads. There was also a scattering of pencil cedar which was so val-
uable that later guards had to be employed to protect it against poachers. Mr.
Leonard states that a piece the size that could be carried on a man's shoulder would
net -the poacher as muoh as a day's wages at other work.
The pencil cedar was sold to the Dixon pencil peeple for $100,000.00. Mr. Leonard
estimates that this firm recovered a million dollars worth of cedar wood.
The Putnam Lumber company is still cutting and manufacturing the timber on this
tract. At the present rate of outting Weill take some years yet to completely
liquidate it.
As a side -light on the Florida prison system, Mr. Leonard states that prisoners
who were not employed by the authorities themselves were leased to private oonoerns.
The Putnam Lumber company some three or four years prior to logging a given area,
would sell the turpentine concession. The turpentine could be extracted for about
this long without jeopardising the quality of the wood.
It was a practice of the turpentine men to employ leased penal labor in the woods.
The prisoners so employed were usually grossly mistreated, underfed and overworked.
If they shoved indications of shirking their work; they would be beaten. In the
course of one of these beatings, a youthful prisoner lost his life and relatives
pushed the matter with the final result that, as the turpentine men were not fin-
ancially responsible, it cost the Putnam Lumber company some $20,000.00.
Spokane, Washington Page 7
Febriary 15, 1937
Personal Narrative W. G. Leonard,
Continxed:
THE DIETZ CASE
The case of John Dietz is in many ways similar, from the standpoint of plblic
reaction, to the celebrated Tam Mooney case. The Dietz controversy had its in-
ception in 1901 and was front-page for two years thereafter.
Mr. F. C. Leonard, as a manager for the Weyerhaueser Lumber interests, had hired
and stationed a man named Billy Trombly, at a Weyerhaueser dam and camp on the
Chippewa river. When the drive was on and logs were being sluiced through the
Trambly received drive wages of $2.50 per day. At other times Trambly's
duties were merely those of a watchman and his pay was by the month at the rate
of $30.00.
Trambly was supposed to stay right on the job at all times but, as his family
lived in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Mr. Leonard overlooked Trambly's occasional visits
to town.
Just prior to one of these periodical visits, John Dietz asked Trambly for per-
mission to camp in the warehouse while deer hunting in the vicinity. Trambly
readily granted the favor and shortly afterwards left for Rice Lake.
Upon Trambly's return in several days, Dietz, who stood about six feet and
weighed in the neighborhood of two hundred pounds, informed Trambly that he
might as well go back to town as he, Dietz, was taking his job. A fight ensued
in which Trambly, who was only of average size, was severely beaten.
About this time, Mr. Leonard had resigned as Weyerhaueser's manager and was
showing his successor, Jack Ryan, over the "works". When they arrived at the
dam clap Trambly put the matter up to Mr. Leonard, who referred it to Mr. Ryan.
Mr. Ryan after hearing both sides, said that as Dietz had proven himself the
best man in the combat he could retain the job.
Mr. Leonard had always instructed the timekeeper to pay Trambly each month while
on the monthly scale and to pay him whatever he had coming at the "drive" rate
of pay just as soon as the drive was over. Mr. Ryan neglected to issue similar
instructions to the timekeeper regarding Dietz.
Dietz worked for over a year and had not asked for a cent. Then he quit and put
in a claim for straight time at the rate of $2.50 per day which, of course, amoun-
ted to much more than the amount he was entitled to. However, after muchbicker-
ing, the company paid his claim to end the matter.
Dietz's success in holding up the great Weyerhaueser company went to his head
and he turned out and out radical.
On the Thorns:Rae river, the Daniel Shaw Lumber Co. had constructed the Cameron
dam under a state charter. It so happened that one corner of this dam extended
F. G. Leonard narrative (The Dietz Case) Page 8
to a government 40 acre block. .When the Shaw Lumber Co. ceased operating, they
sold the chartered dam and other improvements to the Weyerhaueser Co.
Dietz, in the meantime, had quietly had his wife file for homestead on the 40
acres at the dam site, and had put up some log buildings and did enoughlork
to secure the title.
The Weyerhaueser Co. was bringing a drive down Thornapple Creek. When they
got to their dam they were met by Dietz who demanded 200 per thousand feet to
allow the logs through and backed his demand with a gun.
The Meyerhaueser Co. held up their loge until they received a court order per-
mitting them to use their own dam. Sheriff Fred Clark of Sawyer county, who
was friendly with Dietz, went out to serve the court order. To avoid any
trouble he vent unarmed. He and Dietz sat on a log and discussed the matter.
Dietz informed Clark that, friend or not, if he attempted to enforce the court
order he would kill him.
By this time public interest had become aroused. Newspaper men, anxious for
copy, egged Diets on in his stand, dubbing him in their columns, "The Hero of
Cameron Dam".
Frederick Weyerhaueser told Mr. Leonard that for $50.00 he could have Dietz
killed, but, as that wasn't his may he would leave it to the Courts to deal
with him.
Six men in National Guard uniforms went to Dietz's camp to arrest him. Dietz
opened fire and in the ensuing gun battle several of the men were wounded be-
fore they retreated.
A private detective, Billy Elliott, had an idea that he could walk right into
Dietz's camp, tap him on the shoulder any say "come with me". He got to the
camp all right but did no shoulder tapping. Close shooting by Dietz chased
him into an old cook -house where he remained until he could beat a retreat
under cover of darkness.
By this time the Dietz case was on front pages of newspapers throughout the
nation. Public sympathy, accelerated by distorted newspaper accounts, was
with Dietz for daring to make a one-man stand against a big corporation.
After much argument and general fuss and ado, the State Government of Wisconsin
declared the whole thing a public disgrace and insisted that it be cleared up.
Finally, a determined move to get Dietz, got under -way. TWO, hundred woodsmen
were deputized and given a bench warrant for his arrest. When they had his camp
surrounded a priest, who was friendly with Dietz, went in to persuade him to
surrender. Dietz let him in his cabin. The priest was amazed at the defense
preparations. The floor had been dug down two feet below the ground level and
loop -holes had been cut at strategic points. Many types of fire -arms with a
prodigous supply of ammunition was distributed about the loop -holes. The priest
failed to persuade Dietz to surrender but he was allowed to move Mrs. Dietz to
safety. Dietz's two grown sons and his daughter elected to stay with their
father and fight it out. When the priest, with Mrs. Dietz, had reached a
point of safety, the deputized force laid a terrific barrage of rifle -fire on
the cabin. Their fire was vigorously returned for a time until suddenly
Dietz made a dash to his barn and barricaded himself in the loft. The barn
was immediately surrounded but in the maneuver a woodsman named Harp (Oscar
Harp), was killed. Dietz wounded, and realizing that fight was hopeless,
surrendered, was tried and sentenced to life imprisoment.
Page 9
His two sons and his daughter went on a vaudeville tour.
Dietz served twelve years of the life sentence. Upon his release, he too,
went into vaudeville, but died in a short time.