The Hellacious Loggers

The Hellacious Loggers

Art and Tony were buddies living in Rockcastle County Kentucky in the late 1970’s. Art was in his sixties while Tony was about eighteen years old.

After Art and me had talked for a while, I asked, was he planning to “try out his shotgun when squirrel season come in?” Art said, “Well Tony, I wanted to but where I generally do my squirrel hunting, the hellacious loggers has went in and cut down all the trees. Where once there was big Hickory nut trees and acorn trees now is just briar thickets. Tony the loggers has destroyed the forest. Why they are cutting down trees that ain’t no bigger than a broom handle. There ain’t going to be nothing left for the squirrels to eat.”Then he went on to say that he hated what the loggers were doing to the forest. He said, “There ought to be a law against logging the way they are doing it nowadays. Tony two or three loggers can walk into the woods with chainsaws and create an eyesore for everyone to have to look at. Why they do that just for the all mighty dollar. Tony I absolutely hate what loggers has done to the forest.” Then Art stopped talking.I don’t believe I ever heard Art talk so long about the same thing before. I could almost see fire in his eyes as he talked about what the loggers were doing to the trees. After he had stopped talking I said, “Art I agree with you, but Art we have a lot of kin folks that is loggers you know.”Art looked across the table at me and said, “I know that Tony, but they’s a right way to do anything and there’s a wrong way to do anything. And Tony I know deep down in my heart that clear cutting timber is wrong.” Then he went on to say that loggers used to go in the woods and pick out the very best logs and get them out and then they would leave all the little trees alone and let them grow but now they are taking it all.
From The Butcher Knife by Tony Smith Livingston ,Kentucky
Copyright 2004