Harvesting Wood
This is just a few notes to start...
Walker states that, at the Hopewell Furnace, on average approximately 2-2.5 cords of wood could be chopped down in a single day. [1] However, Crandall notes that, in the Hanging Rock District, "Rueben Bevery, who was a reputed to be a champion chopper of this region and who, it is said, could cut, split and rank eight cords per day indefinitely... his name was as familiar as was that of a lad who cut down the cherry tree." [2] Crandall also indicated that he personally had "known many expert wood choppers who could chop, split and rank from four to five cords a day"[3]
A cord of wood is 4 foot lengths of wood stacked 4 feet high and eight feet long.
Woodcutters could cut anywhere from a few cords to more than 1000 cords. Many woodcutters were farmers who supplemented their income in the offseason. [4] for example, between 1851-1853 Edwin Gault was paid for 1993.5 cords.[5] However, one must remember that he may have had helpers, who he then paid.
Woodcutters sometimes delivered the wood to the charcoal pit, called "wood in the rank". They were paid $1.75 for this wood.[6]
References
- Crandall, Elias. 1906. “Reminiscences of the Hanging Rock District.” The Iron Trade Review, July, 20–23.
- Walker, Joseph E. 1966. Hopewell Village; a Social and Economic History of an Iron-Making Community. Philadelphia,: Univ. of Pennsylvania Press.