This was published in the Weekly Times on January 1, 1916, in the 'Young Folks' page, edited by Aunt Connie. It was written by my grandma, Eva Rouse (nee Weatherhead) She was the youngest child of Horatio and Eleanor (nee Hunt) Weatherhead (read about them here)
Eva's letter about Sawmills
Weekly Times January 1, 1916 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121101109
The use of a sawmill
Dear Aunt Connie - I will take for my subject ' the use of a sawmill' A sawmill is used for converting logs into into timber, to be used for building purposes. The trees are cut down in the bush by men, who saw them into the various required lengths. The logs are hauled, by means of a jinker and team of bullocks or horses, or sometimes a traction
engine, to the mill, where they are barked, and made ready to put the saws through. The first saw used is the 'breaking down' saw, which splits the logs into pieces that can be conveniently handled by the sawyer. These pieces are put on to the skids and turned over to the 'running out' saw. This saw, which is usually smaller than the 'breaking down' saw, cuts the pieces into boards, or the timber required. The boards with defective ends have the defects cut off by the docking saw. The timber is then put on a truck, wheeled out, and loaded on to a waggon, or another truck, and taken to its destination by bullocks or horses. The machinery in a sawmill is driven by a steam engine, which burns up all the waste timber. The sawdust is all wheeled away and put in a heap, while the bark off the logs is burnt. My brother, who was in the Seymour camp, was shifted into the 4th F.A. He sailed on November 18. We had a letter from my brother who is at the front. He had narrow escape. A shell landed about nine feet from him, and alongside his mate. The mate was killed, and my brother knocked down and dazed, but not hurt. Thank you, Aunt Connie, for your kind wishes regarding my brothers. T wish 'The Weekly Times" every success. Please may I write again?
[Thank you, dear, for your good wishes. Yes, write again. Aunt Connie.]
This is Eva, aged 14 - taken 1915.
She was born on August 30, 1901 and she died on February 8, 1982.
