Life In A Redwood Logging Camp

It is a curious social life existing in these forest communities, the mernber ship of which is constantly changing and whose scenc is annually shiftec?. Á this earop there were only two families but they had nothing to do with th housing or feeding of the sixty or mor men (half Chinese), who messed b; themselves, and slept in slab shantie near by, the Chinamen having a grou] of well-mottoed houses totliemselves. John Chinaman is in forcé hero, a everywhere, for all help-work. Hi slight, wiry frame, with lts shoulder un der ihc lover, shows as muoh tougl Strength as that vt hu burly white neighoor, and hc grinds all da t. ]ie feed-cutter, or totés kegs of water, bal anced across his neck, up and down the rough declivities from morning til night, without seeming to tire out or over think of a holiday. His it is also to manage the kitchen of the camp. 'John, where can wo get something lo eat ?' we ask, as the sun begins to sent level beams between the ruday pillars o the soldierly sequoias. 'Heap catchum cook-house," he an swers, and following his beek, our ex perience sliows him a capital bread maker, and beef-roaster, but not a care ful washer of dishes. The men had gathered in the long wooden shed for supper, eating on wooden tables, but with an abimdance of furnituro and a plentiful bill of fare Supper was hurried through this even ing, for the men had on hand a frolic which had also the serious purpose o ridding the camp of au obnoxious ok boar that had acquired a troublesome taste for the blood of Mongolianshanks whoso shunken lines could ill spare the commodity. Re-enforced with great hcartinoss by the Chinese eontigent, the wholo camp therefore turncd out on a boar lmut, assisted by several dogs even more diverse in breed than their niasters. The approved weapons for this sort of chase, I understand, are rifles spears aud knives ; but here were to be seen only a club or two and some ropes looped with lassos, except that a valiant wielder of the brush brought up the rear with a six-shooter tightly clutchec in his red righthand. Theadvance was not incautious. That pig had long made himself respected to the extern that when he appeared every man nol only gave him the right of the road, bui hastened to climb upon a stump, so as to run no risk of incomraoding his swineship in the least by his presenco. It was not long, however, before a series of energetic grunts was hearc ahead, and the army stopped, the artisl mounting a very higli stuiup. He sak: hethought they had stumbledon.a bear, and he wanted to be where he eouki fire over the heads of all the men. Though only a black and bristling pig, a bear of the biggest kind could not have held the army at bay more thoroughl y. If he had charged, ï tremble to tliiiik what mig-ht have happened ; but he rushed away into the bushes and ran into a corner, whore he became the vic tim of straegy, and was presently bound and led forth in degrading captivity, followed by a possession of one artist, a score of grinning lumbermen, and a mob of chatteriug and dancing Chinese, for the intention was not te kill him, but only to eradicate his pugnacious propensities. This done, the painter put up his pistol, and we all adjourned to the big shanty, where soaie of the men pulled off their boots and stretched themselves in restful case upon their bunks, while others shufiled the cards for a 'little game,' ordidodd jobs of tinkering. It was a strange and interesting picture the interior of the big shanty made as the darkness of the outside withdrew all the light frorn withiu, and left the walls and the faces illumined only by a great fire of resinoua redwood chnnks built upon a raised earthen hearth that occupied the whole centre of the cabin, and the smoke of which escaped up a ig bell-hooded fire in the eeiling. The talk feil upon the enemy iguobly eonquered ; upon their work, and the n-obable plans of 'the old man,' meanng their employer ; upon some men who ïad just departed, which carried it away to Frisco, and drifted it upon the arniliar ground of reminiscences of the lance-house, the poker table, and the men who were always waiting to'get the Irop' on somebody, or watching that somebody didn'tget the drop on th cm Stiring stories some of them, but as unreportable as the vigorous metaphors in which they were protrayed. Many of hese men did not know the names of heir mates beyond a Sam or Jack to callthemby; and they had no special curiosity to know, this atmosphere rnakng a man tender about asking hisneigh)or personal questions, beingshy of disurbing the pleasantstewAoivhich rests ipon careloss ignorance. Would 'old ¦"olinsbee's daunter' have enjoyed the all at Poverty Flat, think you, and the etter for knowing all about her partner, when shc "Danced down the middle With tbo man that shot Sandy McGee !" think not. In California onelay his ourse by Mrs. Partington's philosophy, no longer trite : "Whoro ignorance is bibs, 'Twere the heieht oí folly to be otherwine."