
Striped Peak looking SE, January, 2009
The jargon for logging overlaps a bit with pornography. For example, I’m now aware that ‘donkey punch’ has meaning quite different than ‘donkey puncher’- the guy that ran the donkey, a steam operated yarder. Live and learn! I wasn’t going to mention it, but though some might assume I was trying for some unintended metaphor in my previous post. But we wont speak of it again.
In this lesson we intend to instruct you sufficiently in the language of the woods to enable you to carry on an intelligent conversation with the bull cook or other high company officials. Now bear in mind that the Big Three of logging are donkeys, lines and blocks. When you are able to ‘punch’ a donkey, ‘buck’ 2000 feet of straw-line and ‘hang’ a block you’ll be a man, my son, for a’ of that. To the untutored brain, punching a donkey might seem like a ticklish occupation. However, once that you have discovered that the donkey is not one of the long-eared variety the situation becomes less involved. The much-cussed and discussed species of steam engine known to the profession as a ‘donkey’ is to the logging game as the mainspring is to your dollar watch. You will find that actual logging operations are carried on by whistle signals relayed over the wire from the ‘whistle punk’ in the brush to the donkey engineer on the landing. The whistle punk is usually about 16 to 18 years old and the hardest boiled egg in the outfit. He is usually deaf, dumb and blind, according to a report in ‘The Hooktenders’ Gazette.’ An important part of your education is to learn the whistle signs. For the present, however, it will suffice to know that a long and a short whistle means quitting time. This is the most important signal.
-D. D. Strite, How to Become a Logger: A Complete Treatise in Six Lessons. Details: Bare Understory, Windstorm