CEDAR SHAKE BOLTS — 1939 (By Carl Hemstrom) The hay barn roof here on the farm was shot in about 1939. I believe the barn was built in about 1890. I told Jake that there were some cedar snags and some logs upriver just a bit above where Worth Creek dumps into the Pilchuck. At that time there were thousands of acres of land round about~~bought and logged by the big Companies and then left. A few years later there were sales by the County as it was taxible. The large Companies purchased most of it and started their so called tree farms. The left over timbers on these lands were salvaged by one and all where ever they could be reached. One morning Jake and I set out up the trail upriver. We had along an 8 foot cross-cut saw, 9 pound sledge, 8 pound wedge and double bitted axe. We cut 34 inch shake blocks far two days near the river. We fell a couple of the burned out snags and there were some logs that were dry laying up high and dry. It rained and the river was up a bit, but we bravely dumped the bolts in the river. We had hoped to get by the Menzel Lake Bridge above Lories, but about a half mile up from the darn I hollered at Jake. We had to go home. The water was swift and when you tried to pike pole a bolt the current would lift you off your feet. Jake had cork shoes and my Dad had put some hobnails in my boots. We, of course, had heavy underwear on but from hour one, had no feeling from our knees down to the rest of our body. Also, on none of these days did we carry a lunch. So next day at dawn we were at it again. Most of the bolts over night had gone by Madden’s and we caught up with them at about the Menzel Lake Bridge where we didn’t want to be seen. Overnight it had cleared and turned cold. Icicles 3 feet long were hanging on the hardpan bank above the bridge. The WPA crew was down the road, huddled around a dinkey fire. Jake was under the bridge and I was down below when one of the men on WPA came down and asked Jake from the bridge if it was cold down there. About this time my Dad showed up. He had in his younger days driven shingle bolts in the Stillie for Spothill Shingle and for Chapel’s in the Canyon Creek. We had no pike pole for him. He went up and borrowed one from Frank or Bob. They couldn’t find it but to show what neighbors , Author: , Accession/Object ID: 2007.2.2, Object Name: Short Story, Title: , Description: A short story written by Carl Hemstrom, titled "Cedar Shake Bolts", OCR Text: CEDAR SHAKE BOLTS — 1939 (By Carl Hemstrom) The hay barn roof here on the farm was shot in about 1939. I believe the barn was built in about 1890. I told Jake that there were some cedar snags and some logs upriver just a bit above where Worth Creek dumps into the Pilchuck. At that time there were thousands of acres of land round about~~bought and logged by the big Companies and then left. A few years later there were sales by the County as it was taxible. The large Companies purchased most of it and started their so called tree farms. The left over timbers on these lands were salvaged by one and all where ever they could be reached. One morning Jake and I set out up the trail upriver. We had along an 8 foot cross-cut saw, 9 pound sledge, 8 pound wedge and double bitted axe. We cut 34 inch shake blocks far two days near the river. We fell a couple of the burned out snags and there were some logs that were dry laying up high and dry. It rained and the river was up a bit, but we bravely dumped the bolts in the river. We had hoped to get by the Menzel Lake Bridge above Lories, but about a half mile up from the darn I hollered at Jake. We had to go home. The water was swift and when you tried to pike pole a bolt the current would lift you off your feet. Jake had cork shoes and my Dad had put some hobnails in my boots. We, of course, had heavy underwear on but from hour one, had no feeling from our knees down to the rest of our body. Also, on none of these days did we carry a lunch. So next day at dawn we were at it again. Most of the bolts over night had gone by Madden’s and we caught up with them at about the Menzel Lake Bridge where we didn’t want to be seen. Overnight it had cleared and turned cold. Icicles 3 feet long were hanging on the hardpan bank above the bridge. The WPA crew was down the road, huddled around a dinkey fire. Jake was under the bridge and I was down below when one of the men on WPA came down and asked Jake from the bridge if it was cold down there. About this time my Dad showed up. He had in his younger days driven shingle bolts in the Stillie for Spothill Shingle and for Chapel’s in the Canyon Creek. We had no pike pole for him. He went up and borrowed one from Frank or Bob. They couldn’t find it but to show what neighbors , Granite Falls Historical Society,Documents (articles, clippings, letters, papers),General Articles & Documents,General Articles,General Articles 08,Short Story (2007.2.2),Short Story (2007.2.2) 1, Short Story (2007.2.2) 1