| All the Smith men were part of the logging industry for some part of their lives. Pa went off to work for Hillcrest Logging, for a week here and there probably back in the mid 20s. Nels became a “donkey” engineer in the ‘20s and the other boys (Henry, Freddy, Gordie and Les) aspired to follow his lead. Gordie met his death running an engine and the war interfered with the others. After the war logging changed. The industry moved to diesel and tractors. Freddy and Les stuck with the industry in one way or another. Laura’s husband, Gus Bergman, was also a steam engineer but plied his trade on the logging locomotives. Both Murray and Les remember taking trips with him when they were in their teens. As Les remembered, “It was hot and almost terrifying. |
| The Mill Whistle (Carrie Smith story)
Gordie’s wife Pat had a brother, Bob Swanson, who earned a reputation with the early industry. He designed and build the great Hillcrest mill whistle. It was blown at work start and close-down late afternoon. It was clearly audible over all that part of the Cowichan Valley and at the farm (maybe 5 miles away as the crow flies). You could tell time by it; it was an institution!! |
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| Les Smith spent time as a fireman
before the war. The following was collected from conversations
with
him between 1999 and 2003. Donkey engines were massive, steam-driven winches mounted on two giant logs, which were dragged into the logging site. In the early days (30's), the terrain was relatively flat since they were hauling from valley bottoms or gentle, shoreline slopes. The engine was trucked to the edge of the site and a long heavy cable was hauled in the direction to be logged, usually uphill. The cable end was anchored and the donkey winched itself across the terrain toward the anchor spot. A huge Douglas Fir log was hauled near the engine and two or three Chinese labourers bucked and split two foot pieces. The pieces were handed up onto the engine floor where they were stacked and handled by the fireman. His job also involved lubrication and tarring of the gears. A night watchman kept the fire hot so the boiler wouldn't have to be reheated each day. ‘Punching the tubes’ was the worst maintenance job. The boiler was cooled and men went inside the fire box to clean out the "tubes" that extended up into the boiler. The tubes improved the efficiency of heating the water since they were directly connected to the fire box but they were great collectors of soot and other burning by-products. A dirty job! The engineer stood inside the operating "cab" which was usually sheltered by a corrugated iron roof. Operating was a very busy, never stop concentrating type of job. The operator was constantly moving between the winch levers and dials in front, and the whistle pull a step or two back. |
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| Nels maintained a diesel donkey in
the 1940s |
| Murray writes: I think in July l934 I stayed with the Bergmans at Kapoor for a couple of weeks. What a dismal place. As far as the eye could see it had been clear felled and burned off. Gus took me one day in the Lokie to the logging area maybe l5 miles away. A rough and hot trip to pick up a string of log loaded cars to take back to the mill. These locomotives burned slabwood. Laura, Edward and I had got there in their snarling straight-8 Chrysler over a tortuous narrow, road west from Shawnigan Lake. Laura was a pretty aggressive driver as well, but safer than Gus who sometimes forgot he had to steer a car (not like his lokie). |
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| The
6 Log Load On Mt. Brenton opposite Chemainus, Les and Freddy bought timber in an area of huge spruce. This famous load had 6 enormous logs, mainly peelers, three on the main truck and three on the trailer. Peelers were the elite of logs since they had very few knots and could be "peeled" by the giant lathe at a plywood plant. |
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| Early logging camps were amazing
to behold. Gus Bergman and his wife,
Laura, (Smith) lived in the camp at Kapoor for a period. Gus was
an
engineer on a steam-driven logging train like the one shown here.
It
was highly paid but rugged, uncomfortable work. |