Intro

     This romantic tale originates way back to the mid 40's when log yarding equipment was yet primitive. Old time loggers who toiled in those days are now often quoted saying “the men were made of iron and the spars were of wood but now it's the other way around!” Many of the old timers who survived saw huge technical changes to equipment and logging methods which of course changed a loggers’ regular work routine. Many witnessed a transition from steam to helicopter log yarding or hand falling with a double bladed axe and cross-cut saw to high speed chainsaws and even mechanical falling.
     Loggers are very adaptable persons which is a necessity for working within this unpredictable and ever changing industry. A notable trait of loggers is that many are quite inventive, especially if it can make their job easier or more comfortable. A love of nature and respect for the land are common qualities of persons who work in the woods. They must also quickly learn respect for the danger and risks that can end their lives in a split second.
     Now we move up to the late 50's and how the romance between Tommy Moore & Molly Hogan all started and.... how these two pieces of rigging earned their names. The Tommy Moore block (pulley) was in use in the 40’s but not named as such yet and the Molly Hogan wasn't either.

chapter one

     In the summer of 1959 Tommy Moore was 15 years old when he signed on to go in to an isolated coastal logging camp to set chokers, or snappin' snares, as the Push (woods boss) called it when he applied for and got the job over the phone. He figured it was high time he made his own way in life and had heard that a guy could earn as much as $8 a day logging; you just had to do what you're told–-do it fast and be kinda careful, because it could be real dangerous too. Tommy was solidly built, even at only 15 years of age; he was ruggedly handsome and had some ego to round him off good.
     The 'Push' had him sign some papers to say who his next of kin was and stuff, he told him a few words of wisdom necessary to be a good chokerman; "work hard–-do as you’re told–-do it fast–-and watch out."
"I can do that easy" thought Tommy. Then, just as he was thinking of his next and first day of work as a real logger, a beautiful young girl with flaming red hair set his heart on fire as she entered the office room where Tommy and the Push were talking. Tommy's ego was quickly deflated as the Push introduced Molly Hogan as his daughter and mentioned they were roughly the same age. Tommy's mouth was as if filled with sawdust when he attempted to speak.
     Molly's liquid blue eyes quickly surveyed young Tommy–the new Chokerman her father had just hired. She took a shine to him right off as her sly grin and batting eyelashes betrayed. Molly's mother had died two years ago now and her father refused to leave the camp where Molly was raised. Molly had looked after her dad, Frank, as best as she could because she loved him dearly and it helped her to not think of her mom. Frank was best relieved of his loss when he went to work logging every day and was occupied. During that same long part of the day was when Molly hurt the most, as she was alone then and thought of her mother often. But an odd thing happened the next day after she served her father breakfast and sent him off to work with a well stocked lunch bucket–-all she thought of all day was that new chokerman–Tommy Moore.

chapter two

     Tommy took in the stench of filthy socks and laundry as he settled into the bunkhouse where all the crew slept in one open room with bunk beds. John, the only other chokerman who was 28, took him aside and told him that Butch, the Rigging Slinger, would be his immediate supervisor but everyone else was his boss too. "Just work hard and don't whine and you'll make it kid." As Tommy tossed and turned in his saggy and itchy bunk fretting about tomorrow, his first day as a real logger, visions of Molly Hogan calmed him and made him grin wide as he nodded off to dreamland thinking of her flaming red hair.
     His first day setting chokers Tommy didn’t have any time to think of Molly or anything else, as he had a tough time to try and keep up to John, not to mention Butch, the tough Rigging Slinger who was a mean man as well. He constantly hollered at John and Tommy to hurry up and run or die as he was going ahead on the big turn of logs they’d just hooked up. John told Tommy they’d likely finish the setting they were on that day so then they’d tower down the steel spar and move it to the new setting, then rig-up in the new place tomorrow which would be hard work and lots of pulling strawline, whatever that was. John’s prediction was true and they did finish up and tower down, but then the word was that only the engineer and Hooktender would stay late to move the machine to the next setting. Tommy was wondering ‘how can it be any harder tomorrow than it is already’ but he’d find that out the next day.
     Over dinner that night Molly asked her father how the new chokerman was doing. Frank told her it was hard to judge that on a guy’s first day but he was still alive and why are you asking for anyway's girl? Molly sheepishly replied that “he just seems like a nice boy is all dad.” Secretly, Frank had a good feeling about Molly’s sudden interest in this young man as there were no other people her own age around camp and she’d seemed so sad and quiet lately. If this young Tommy made it as a chokerman he might be worth having around for Molly’s sake too.
     Just then there was a knock on their door and Molly jumped up and ran to it, normally she’d let her father answer as it was usually one of the loggers needing something but somehow she guessed it might be Tommy. As she opened the door she locked eyes with Tommy and they were both speechless for a full minute, until Frank hollered “well who the hell is it Molly?” Tommy stammered out “I, I, I, need to see your dad M’ M’ Molly.” Her face nearly matched her hair as she realized that he’d remembered her name, and then she invited him in and brought him towards her dad at the dinner table. The food spread on the table looked pretty tasty, compared to what he’d just ate in the cookhouse and he guessed that Molly was a pretty good cook as well as being such a gorgeous creature.
     Big Frank put on his gruff boss voice and asked Tommy “are you quitting already, can’t hack it eh’ young fellah?” “No” said Tommy “it’s real hard work but I’m not aimin’ to quit Sir, I actually wanted to see if I could get some extra work at night, I heard you got a blacksmith shop where you make those chokers and stuff or maybe the saw shop.” This was just an excuse Tommy had cooked up on the way over to the boss house, in order to see Molly. Frank, of course, saw through Tommy’s lame story but it brought back fond memories of himself courting his young wife, so he grinned widely. The Bullbucker won’t want you anywhere near his saw shack but “Old Bones” the smithy probably wouldn’t mind you hangin’ around the blacksmith shop, Molly sure likes playing around there all of her spare time. I think “Bones” kinda likes some company sometimes. Frank, testing Tommy’s motives said “this is a gypo outfit and I can’t pay you for just hanging around there but if you make some good chokers I’ll pay you for em’. Tomorrow Molly will show you to the Smith shop and “Old Bones” too.
     Tommy was beginning to wonder what he’d got himself into, he just wanted to see Molly again but it all seemed worth it. As he left the boss house he wondered “shit–-we’re riggin’-up tomorrow, hope it’s not going to be as hard as John said.” Molly’s warm smile was imprinted in his mind as the exhausted Tommy quickly went to sleep in his itchy, saggy bunk again.

chapter three

     They arrived at the new logging setting the next day in the crummy, the big box pickup that the crew traveled to work in and Tommy eagerly looked around at all the fell and bucked timber which seemed to be endless and brushy. The rest of the crew said it looked like a ‘Dogs Breakfast,’ whatever that meant. Joe, the Hooktender and boss of the whole side, was looking all around the setting, who knows what for. Eventually he pulled Butch aside and started pointing here and there and said a few words to him, Butch nodded a couple of times. Joe got a chainsaw and hiked up above the road to start notching a stump, the upper front quarter. Tommy really didn’t know what the hell was going on, but remembered to 'do what you’re told and do it fast'. So he waited for instructions and as John had said ‘just shut up and don’t whine about anything or you won’t have a job.’
     When Butch came back from his little meeting with Joe the Hooktender, he laid out the plan for the rig-up with the chokermen, chaser and engineer. Each worker had an important job and certain responsibilities specific to the rig-up. In no uncertain terms Butch made this clear to all crewmembers, especially the chokermen, who in his eyes were the lowest form of life. One of Butches favorite sayings was that “a chokerman is created by masturbating on a hot rock.”
     Butch told Tommy that he was probably too useless to pull strawline so his job would be to take a strap and bull block, as it was called, to each guyline stump. He was to wrap the strap around the stump and hang the block in the eyes of the strap. Once he had this ready he was to hurry back and help the rigging crew that was pulling out the bight of strawline to put in the block, which would then pull out the guyline.
     John handed Tommy the kinky strap and the ugly looking bull-block, as the iron pulley was called. He was to pack it all over and hang it until all six guylines were hung and the rig-up was finished. The block was too small to pack upon the back and almost too awkward and heavy to lug at arms length, especially when also dragging that kinky strap that had sharp jaggers all along it. Before heading out, John showed him basically how to operate the block; where the strap eyes went, how the little pin held it all together and so forth. He showed him how they used a little green yew-wood twig about 3 inches long to hold the pin in place and from slipping out of the block, and emphasized that to make sure the yew wood twig was in there good, a little bent or it would fall out and you could lose the pin – that would not be good as the bull-block was useless without it. John reached in his pocket and handed him three yew wood sticks cut similar to the one in the block and told him to keep them for spares if needed. Tommy shoved them into his pocket.
    

      Tommy began lugging the bull block and strap up to the front quarter guyline stump that Joe had finished notching. By the time he got to the stump, every bone in his body seemed to be aching but he managed to wrap the strap around the big stump and started to hang the block. He then noticed that the little twig had just about wiggled out of the pin, but luckily hadn’t–-he’d make sure he bent the twig a little more next time. After catching his breath he ran up towards where the crew was spread out pulling on the bight of strawline up the hillside, about halfway between the yarder and stump.
     Butch was right at the front, sweating and cursing while pulling hard on the little line. He hollered at Tommy to get behind him and keep the slack pulled between them, but not so much that it piles up. Tommy nodded and did just as instructed, until he heard Butch yelling at him to move up, which he did until yet again he yelled at him to pull. Pulling the strawline seemed to be the hardest job he’d done yet, his arms ached. Finally Butch reached the stump and hollered very loud “LINE”, and then yelled for Tommy to get his ass up there.
     Butch seemed a little friendlier to Tommy when he was with him alone at the stump, even commented how he’d hung the block pretty good but just try and keep the strap out of the notch next time as the guyline had to go there. Butch had placed the bight of strawline into in the block and put the pin back in with the twig through it. He looked Tommy in the eye and said very coldly “make damn sure you don’t lose that pin boy! Most of the chokerman only make two or three rig-ups and they’re gone anyway–you’ll be lucky to even finish today, now get the hell out of the way of the haywire.” Then he squeezed a couple buttons on the signal device belted around his waist, they called it a bug, and the loud whistle at the spar tooted 3 short and 1 longer whistle, then in a minute the strawline started to get tight and pull the big guyline up the hill. Once the guyline end was right up to the bull-block, Butch blew one whistle on his bug to stop the lines. The two men wrestled the long kinky end of guyline around the big Douglas Fir stump and into the notch Joe had cut with his chainsaw. Then they fastened the big shackle over the bight of the guyline with the pin going through the eye, only this pin was like a big bolt with a big nut on the end. Tommy wondered why they didn’t have it like that on the bull-block but then thought it might be hard to get the nut off or may take too long. Anyway's he better not ask any stupid questions. Butch clicked his bug to sound a whole bunch of whistles and soon the big guyline tightened in the notch around the stump and then the strawline with the pass chain on the end of it went whipping ahead very fast towards the spar. As Butch headed for the landing he pointed across the hillside and told Tommy to “get going over to the top square lead with that block and strap and be quick about it.” Tommy unhooked it from the strap and was careful to put the yew twig through the hole in the pin then carefully bent it over good. He grabbed the end of the strap and headed over logs and brush to where he’d heard Joe earlier with the chainsaw again.

chapter four

     Meanwhile ... back in camp, Molly was busy setting up things for success later at the blacksmith shop. She carefully baked a fresh apple pie for ‘Old Bones’ as she knew it was his favorite. She thought she’d bring him a nice warm apple pie to sweeten him up for what she was going to ask him. Old Bones had a soft spot for Molly as he’d never had any children of his own, let alone a wife, so he kind of liked her tinkering around his shop and helping clean up.
     Molly took the hot pie over to the shop and placed it on a workbench, it wasn’t long before Old Bones smelled the mouth watering aroma and stopped his loud hammering. “Miss Molly yer spoilin’ me rotten again, I won’t be able to eat that cookhouse grub any more if you keep it up” Old Bones beamed as he took off his cap.
     “I was baking one for my Dad and thought you’d like one too” she said casually. “oh and I wanted to tell you there’s a new chokerman, his name’s Tommy, who wants to learn Smithin’ from you too and I might bring him over tonight if you’re workin’ and if it’s alright with you. He seems real nice and wants to learn about blacksmithing real bad”, she blurted all this out with a face almost as red as her wavy locks.
     Old Bones pondered this as he devoured the tasty apple pie in huge mouthfuls. Frank had already come in first thing in the morning and clued him in about giving the new kid a chance helping out in the shop. Now Molly was even here buttering him up so Old Bones figured out that she must like this Tommy a little more than casually. He thought if he was a young buck, she’d be just the kind of girl who he would have loved to find too but he never did. “Sure Molly, you bring him around tonight, I got a bunch of haulback block pins and chokers I have to get made, and I’ll check him out” he said.
     Molly tidied up the smith shop and then strolled around the crude camp with a huge smile on her face, knowing she’d set things up as best as she could. This would give her an excuse to be around Tommy after work hours and then maybe she’d get his attention.

chapter five

     Back up at the logging setting, the crew nearly had all the guy-lines strung out now; both front quarters, both square leads and the top back quarter and they were now working on the final lower back quarter. Tommy was working real hard at staying ahead of the crew, getting the block and strap set up quickly and then running over to help pull on the strawline and thought he was even gaining a little respect from Butch, the rigging slinger.
     Tommy was just forty feet from the last guyline stump when he heaved the bull-block up onto a nice fir walk-log above him. When he got up onto the big log he noticed the goose-neck of the block was hanging open and the pin was not there. Although in a panic, he reasoned that the pin must have popped out and fell over the other side of the big fir when he slung it up there. When he looked down at where the pin would have landed, he gasped as it was at least ten feet deep of thick brush and branches and quite obviously little chance of ever finding the pin–-like looking for a needle in a haystack. He looked around for it and quickly realized it was hopeless so he packed the now useless bull-block and strap up to the notched stump.
     Then he ran up to where Butch was in the lead pulling the strawline bite down to the stump and he blurted out “the pin must have fallen out and was lost in a huge brush-pile”. Butch stopped pulling on the line and threw his tin hat on the ground in disgust. Tommy stepped back as he thought the older man may try to hit him as he was really cursing and swearing. Tommy thought it best to just stay silent, no dumb questions now, and maybe Butch would cool off soon, maybe not. John, the other chokerman now arrived at the stump site and asked what all the hollering was about. Butch pointed at a anxious looking Tommy stating “this cull lost the god-damned pin”. John shrugged his shoulders and suggested maybe it was just “Murphy’s Law”. Butch, still in a state, hissed that “Murphy ain’t here today–-only this cull”. Tommy figured that John was trying to make some excuse for him but it didn’t help much. He wanted to know who this Murphy was and what the law was all about but thought he better hold those dumb questions for now, he’d ask John later.
Butch snarled out that this BS will cost them an extra hour rig-up time so Frank wasn’t gonna be too happy about that and would probably send Tommy ‘down the road’. Tommy didn’t need to ask what that meant and knew he’d probably be fired. He’d heard loggers talking in town before and saying they’d “pulled the pin” which now sort of made sense as they had quit–-so if you lost the pin you were likely fired.
     Tommy, trying to gain a few points, offered to run up to the landing and get a spare pin. Butch sarcastically pointed out that there weren’t any spares left as the Smithy hadn’t been able to get any of the right size iron stock to make any more small pins. John asked Butch if he wanted to just burn or siwash the strawline bite around the stump to send the guyline out. “No we ain’t” ranted Butch “or the haywire will look like a pig’s tale when we’re done and Frank would really be fuming then. We’re gonna pull the god-damn thing out by hand now–-thanks to this cull”. Butch blew whistles with his bug again, three short and one longer toot and the strawline went back into the landing. Then he told Tommy to “pack that riggin’ up to the landing and make it fast kid!”
     When he reached the landing, Tommy passed the rigging over to Trond, the big Scandinavian chaser. He hung the bull-block on a big iron hook and was shaking his head at Tommy as he muttered “yah, we tot you musta lost dat pin”. Tommy looked over at the Steel Spar Engineer who was on the lower deck adjusting a bunch of levers, he only received a disgusted leer from him.
     Joe, the Hooktender was in the landing directing the Engineer when he spotted Tommy and waved him over. Tommy kind of knew he was going to catch some hell from Joe now too. What a rotten day! Joe said “Kid, you cost us a heap of headaches with that screw-up, now you best get over with the rest of us, we gotta pull that guyline out by hand now. You better pull on that son of a bitch like you’re pulling a rapist off yer sister”. Tommy was getting kind of used to the verbal abuse by now but Joe didn’t really seem that mad, he might have even grinned a bit Tommy thought. He got right behind Butch who had the end of the big line and they all began to pull it out to the stump together. The engineer was revving up the engine but it still seemed almost impossible to pull the slack from the machine winch even with all four men pulling hard at the same time. Butch finally yelled ‘LINE’ when he reached the stump but by then they were all soaked in sweat, which seemed to attract even more of the hungry little black flies. Tommy realized how much extra work that he’d caused for the whole crew now as he was gasping for breath and all of his muscles felt as if they were on fire. Butch attached the guyline to the stump and they all headed back up to the landing.
     They hung around the landing catching their breath for a minute while Joe directed the engineer to lift the tower until it stood straight up, a hundred feet high. It was starting to get dark by now and Joe told the engineer to ‘dog it up as we won’t have time to get the lines up the hill now, we’ll do it in the morning’. Tommy was dead tired but he knew in the back of his mind that they would have been logging in the morning but due to his losing that pin, they’d still be rigging up. The exhausted crew loaded into the crummy for a bumpy but quiet ride back to camp. The young chokerman felt the icy stares he received from some of the crew and would have now even preferred more ravings of Butch. Tommy noticed that the rest of the guys were nodding off, thankful that no attention was on him for the moment, he quickly fell into a deep sleep too.
     The crummy bumped to a stop outside the bunkhouse and the crew groggily got out and headed inside. Tommy flopped onto his bunk and shut his eyes but visions of Molly crept into his head again. He remembered that he was to meet her at the smith shop after dinner. He wasn’t much looking forward to that now, knowing that her dad was probably going to fire him that night or maybe even sooner.

chapter six

     Molly had a great supper spread ready for her dad that evening; tender Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, carrots and fresh bread, Frank’s favorite meal. He smiled affectionately at his daughter “lucky for me your mom taught you to cook so good honey”. Now reassured that her dad was in a cheerful mood, Molly quietly asked “how’s that new chokerman doing so far?” Frank swallowed a large chunk of steak before he commented “I wasn’t out to where they were rigging-up today, as I don’t like to interfere with the crew too much with rig-ups but I heard that the kid lost the pin for the bull-block. It cost us quite a bit of down time and we’re not logging up there yet on account of it. I think I’m gonna have to send him packing, only I don’t have a replacement yet so he’s got a couple days and then he’s gone. Are you kind of sweet on that young fellah daughter”? Frank shoveled another fork loaded with mashed potatoes into his mouth.
     Molly said she thought he was nice enough and seemed to want to work hard. Molly’s jaw had dropped open and she asked her father if perhaps he could give Tommy one more chance. Frank stated flatly that Tommy had until a new chokerman arrived so at least he’d make enough money to pay for his boots, rain gear plus board and room. Molly asked if he’d still be allowed to help Old Bones out until he had to leave. Frank, sensing his daughter was upset by now, said that’d be fine and he’d still pay him for any good riggin’ he produced at the shop. Frank was thinking, maybe he could keep the kid on as Old Bones’ assistant as the old guy was getting on in age too. He’d think on it some more and see how things went, sure couldn’t hurt Molly’s outlook any. Only thing bothering Frank was that if he kept the kid on that way, the crew would have no respect for either of them as they’d think it was on account of Tommy going out with his daughter. “Murphy’s Law” thought Frank.

chapter seven

     Tommy lay in his bunk for a while but his mind had so much flashing through it that sleep was impossible. He got up and sauntered over to the cookhouse, although he didn’t feel like eating much. He got a plate of stew and sat down where the crew was already eating. The chatter talk ceased as soon as he sat down, he felt like an outcast so he quickly wolfed down his stew so he could get away from there. He wandered over towards the blacksmith shop feeling beaten and guessing that it was pointless to be going but he should tell Old Bones thanks for his offer anyway's He was hoping that Molly might come over to the shop too, even though he thought she wouldn’t think much of him now, being fired before he even got a week of work in.
     Tommy entered the shop with his head hung down and went over to where Bones was hunched over a big anvil and beating on the end of a haulback block pin with a hammer. Old Bones stopped hammering and looked up at the boy “looks like you got a lot on yer mind son. I’ve seen that look before. Anything I can help out with” he asked matter of fact. Tommy’s reply came slowly “I don’t think so Mr. Bones, we were rigging up today and I lost the pin for the bull-block. The crew figures I’ll be let go as soon as Frank catches up with me but I ain’t seen him yet. Sure was stupid of me but I didn’t mean to lose it, it just fell out. So I guess there ain’t no point in you wasting yer time showing me stuff here but thanks anyways”. Bones’ immediate thought was ‘Murphy’s Law’ again. Bones nodded his head thoughtfully and said “yea I don’t think they got any spares up at the yarder either as I been having trouble to get any of the proper size stock in for them little pins. Guess I’m gonna have to do it the old way for now so they at least got one pin for now. Got to heat this thicker size haulback block pin up white hot and then keep beating it all the way around evenly until it’s down to the right size to fit the bull-block. Maybe you’d like to help me with that tonight while I make a few new chokers up”. Bones thought the kid was OK and everyone has a bad day every now and then so hammering on some hot steel would take the boy’s mind off things–always worked for him. Tommy smiled at Bones and said “sure would, at least I’ll be able to replace the pin I lost then”.
     Just then the shop door opened and Molly walked over to where they were standing by the old stove. Tommy hesitantly started telling her about what happened, knowing that she probably wouldn’t have any respect for him either now. She stopped his explanation in mid sentence, telling him that her dad had already told her. She said he was to be released as soon as a replacement arrived but he was still able to help Bones and even get paid some for good smith work until then, if he still wanted too.
     Tommy was feeling a whole lot better now that he realized that Molly hadn’t changed her attitude towards him at all and was even more beautiful in his eyes. “I sure will work here at the shop until I have to go, Mr. Bones needs help here and he’s gonna show me how to make a new pin tonight” he said excitedly. “Are you gonna stay and help out here too Miss Molly”? Old Bones, sensed the awkwardness between the two youths, so he suggested she stay as the garbage cans were full of bits of line and metal so they needed to be cleaned out and sweeping could be done too. She smiled warmly at Bones and picked up the shop broom, she turned to Tommy with a toothy grin and said “well lets get to work then”.
     Molly began sweeping up around the shop while constantly stealing glances at Tommy and listening to them talking. Bones got a piece of round steel about 4 inches long and placed it on the bench. He instructed Tommy to put on a big pair of thick leather gloves and use a set of tongs to set the steel in the furnace. He had to wait for it to become white hot before holding it with the tongs over the flat part of the anvil and hammering, then turning over and over again. Eventually the pin was getting thinner and still pretty much round. It was hard work and he had to keep returning it to the oven every few minutes to keep it hot enough to work the steel. After a few minutes Old Bones said that he seemed to have the hang of it and might even be Smith material some day. Tommy beamed at the compliment and Molly, looking over his shoulder said it looked real good too. Bones left him to continue on his own as he went about the making of the chokers.
     Tommy took an hour to pound the pin down to size as he had been working on the opposite end every time he took it out of the blast furnace. Old Bones examined it carefully and checked the new diameter in several places with a gauge. He pronounced that it was “bang-on but you’re not done yet–-you have to heat up and flatten one end a bit so it can’t slip through and then drill a little hole across the other end. Tommy knew that it was the hole the little yew-wood stick went through–-the little stick that had caused him so much grief. He smiled over at Molly who was busy across the floor, then got started again with his new instructions from Bones.

chapter eight

     Molly had swept the shop floor so clean that you could eat off it, if that were ever necessary. She knew it’d be just as dirty again in a day or two but Bones seemed to really appreciate it. She always liked to do a job as best as it could be done, as had been instilled in her by her parents. She started cleaning out the scrap bins and found a single strand from a piece of strawline, it was cut to about 3 feet long. Molly had always been a little amazed at how a single wire strand was so wavy and crooked, yet when it was raveled around the other 5 strands of a wire cable, it would fit right into place. Often she would play with cable around the shop, raveling and unraveling the strands.
     As she was looking over at Tommy and wishing that he didn’t have to leave camp, she picked up the wire strand just to occupy her hands and held it out by both ends. She took and crossed the ends over each other then tied it into a single knot. Now she had a large circle with both ends hanging out the opposite sides of it. She pulled on both ends and could feel the line snapping and locking into place the more she pulled. She kept pulling on the ends until the circle eventually had 4 rounded corners and was only about a few inches across with long ends hanging out either side of it. Then she took one of the ends and continued to wrap it around the circle in the same direction it was pointing, wrapping it around until only an inch was left hanging out. She repeated the procedure with the other end, only wrapping in the opposite direction now until there was only 6 inches of end left. She now had a perfect circle of line that was the thickness of a normal full piece of strawline. Not quite sure what to do with the circle, she stuck the end through her belt loop then wrapped the end into the circle a couple of times. She thought about giving it to Tommy so he might remember their time together at the smith shop … when he was gone.

chapter nine

chapter ten

     The next morning, right after breakfast, John caught up with Tommy as he was skipping back to the bunkhouse. “heh Tommy, how is it that you look so damn happy for a guy who’s supposed to be gettin’ the axe any day now?” Tommy looked at him with a wide grin and said “well, at least I won’t have to listen to any more Butching at me!” Both young men burst out laughing hysterically at this mutual private joke. Tommy continued “I did like working on the rigging John, especially with you but I guess I really screwed up losing that pin. Last night though, I worked at the smith shop with Old Bones and he showed me how to make a new pin – the old way. Frank’s daughter Molly was there too and she sure seems nice,” he concluded with a goofy grin. “Oh, I see what’s goin’ on,” said John, “yer smoozin’ with the boss man’s daughter” he concluded with a disappointed look. “It wasn’t like that at all,” stated Tommy firmly, “we were just workin’ there and I think we came up with a good idea too, an invention I’m gonna show you guys when we get up to the landing.” John nodded saying “sure, an invention–-I think yer just sweet on the boss man’s daughter, she is right cute though.”
     Tommy, now wanting to change the subject asked “hey John, I wanted to ask you who this ‘Murphy’ guy is and his law that you were talkin’ about yesterday when I lost that stupid pin?” John snickered a bit before saying “well ‘Murphy’s Law’ says that anything that can go wrong–will go wrong and it sure seems so in this gypo loggin’ stuff. I don’t really know who this ‘Murphy’ guy was but he probably always had bad luck. I heard some guys sayin’ that ‘Murphy’s’ always lurking in the woods, so if you think something might go wrong–then assume it will–so do it differently. “I think I get you now” said Tommy, “so you think ‘Murphy’ might of made me lose that pin–but actually it may be the best thing that ever happened to me!” John looked at him, shaking his head in confusion and said “let’s go get our gear and get in the crummy before you completely lose your mind.”
     Frank, meanwhile, was in no hurry after breakfast, to get up the hill and check on the new set up of the spar. More importantly he wanted to talk to his now sullen young daughter and he wished his wife was there to do it instead, as she’d know how to comfort her better. Molly turned to her dad abruptly and asked “when is that new guy coming into camp?” Frank hesitated then said, “I called the Logger’s Hiring Agency in the city yesterday and they say they’ll have a guy here in two days. How did that Tommy do out at the smith shop last night?” Molly’s face brightened at the memory and said excitedly, “Dad, he made a really good new pin and …” she caught herself before continuing, thinking for some reason that she ought to leave out telling about the circle … let Tommy do that himself. Frank pried a little “and … what else daughter, you didn’t finish what you were saying?” Molly stated curiously, “I guess it don’t matter, it might to the new guy but you should go up and see the pin he made, Bones thought it was worth some money maybe.
     Frank ambled out the door of his house in time to notice the crummy leaving the yard to go to work. He ran into Old Bones as he was heading over to the blacksmith shop. Frank queried him right away “how’d that kid make out last night–-he any good?” He added “Molly sure came in late from the shop.” Bones carefully answered “yea those two really get on well together and they helped out plenty. That Tommy seems to have the knack and might even make a smithy someday, with some training–-have a look at the pin he made when you go up to the spar today.” Bones didn’t let on about the circle as he thought he’d let Frank see it for himself and the way Tommy used it with the pin. After Tommy showed him the trick with the circle at the shop, Bones could picture a variety of other uses for that circle too.
     Frank now had some sound reasoning for keeping the kid hired on and yet it wouldn’t appear as if it were for Molly’s sake. After all, they really were due to break-in a blacksmith because experienced ones just couldn’t be had any more. Frank looked at Bones thoughtfully and said “I’ll think on you breakin’ the kid in, if you got the patience that is Bones. I’ll let you know as soon as I can as he’s supposed to be heading back to town–-he didn’t cut it on the riggin’. He was working hard but he lost a bull-block pin and that means ‘down the road’.” The old timer answered quickly “well I can sure use him here Frank, he’ll learn quick” Frank nodded and went over to get in his pick-up to drive up to the steel spar.

chapter eleven

     The crummy had reached the landing and the spar and loader operators got out to start up their machines. They’d let the machines warm up until daybreak while they went back to the crummy to a hot coffee and the morning BS session with the crew. Tommy slipped out of his seat and went outside, anyone would just think he went to relieve his bladder from the rough ride to work, but he actually went up to the softly idling steel spar. The bull-block was still where Trond had hung it so he picked it up and packed it back to the crummy, the operators had already returned and were sipping hot coffee.
     Tommy stood on the step just inside the crummy door and placed the bull-block on the floor where they could all see it. The crew looked at the block, some with confusion and some with agitation. Butch sneered out, “what are you gonna do with that thing, you cull, practice losing more pins?” John piped in helpfully “have you got something to show us Tommy?” hoping that he did have something good as he’d said earlier. Just then Frank pulled up and came over to the crummy door, he asked “what’s going on here?” Idleness was not a trait that gypo bosses liked to see much so the crew began to shuffle and make moves to exit the crummy to begin the work day. Tommy looked right at Frank and stated “Mr. Hogan, last night I was at the smith shop makin’ a new pin and came on to somethin’ even better that I wanted to show the crew.” There were a few snickers from a couple guys as they knew all too well in gypo camps that production was priority–not talkin’–especially when the boss man’s about. To their surprise, Frank firmly stated “lets hear the kid out–those logs out there aren’t going anywhere! Sit down.”
     Tommy had everyone’s full attention now as he pulled the new pin from his pocket and slid it through the collar and goose neck of the bull-block. To his relief, the pin fit perfectly as Old Bones had promised. Frank, looking at the pin commented dryly “looks like a great job you did on that pin kid, but it don’t quite make up for the down time and anyways …”Tommy cut him off before Frank could finish telling him about his plans for him at the shop. Tommy stammered a little as he continued “sorry for interrupting Sir but I was just gettin’ to the good part.” From his back pocket he pulled the circle, which he had wrapped the ends all the way in and he held it up for all to see. Trond, the scandanavian chaser spoke up first “how the fook did you make dat fooking strawline go in a circle like dat?” It was passed around and everyone had a curious look at the circle and then returned it to Tommy. Joe, the Hooktender was getting a little anxious, still sitting around while the boss was around, it just didn’t feel right to him, even if Frank was the one directing the stoppage. Joe stated “Tommy that’s the neatest trick I ever saw but whats it got to do with logging, we got to get some logs in now. Joe was a good logger and knew it was his responsibility for his crew to get good production.
     Tommy now held up the circle and said “I’m gonna show you all now” as he unraveled the one end out of the circle four wraps which now left an 8 inch end exposed. He took the end and stuffed it through the little hole in the pin and then wrapped the end back around the circle 3 times. He slid the bull-block over on the floor towards Butch and challenged him “try knocking that pin out now.” Butch pulled hard at the circle and pushed the pin around and finally grinned and stated flatly “ain’t no way that pin can come out and it don’t look like that circle would get in the way much either!” He looked Tommy straight in the eyes with a new found respect and Butch added “I wonder why a real logger didn’t come up with this thing a long time ago, maybe you ain’t such a cull after all!” Tommy’s ego and pride had been restored with this simple comment from Butch as he would have never expected it. The rest of the crew all had interesting comments too, one was that ‘a lot of good men have gone down the road for something that probably wasn’t really their fault–-if this circle existed they’d probably still be loggers’, an operator suggested that they’d be able to use these circles in all the different type blocks they had … if they knew how to make them that is.”
     Frank took a minute to quiet down the now chattering crew, he’d never seen them so excited in the crummy before. He could see that the kid was more than accepted by the crew again and his plans about breaking him in with Bones would not be perceived as bias now. Firmly Frank began “look Tommy, I’ve hired a new chokerman and he’ll be here in a couple days but I’d like to offer you a job breaking in as a smith with Old Bones. You’ll be able to start by making some spare pins and a bunch of them circles, once the new guy arrives.” Tommy looked happy yet dejected at the same time as he pled “I’d sure rather stay on the riggin’ Mr. Hogan but I’d take the job with Bones if I can’t.” He reasoned that at least he’d still have a job and still be able to be with Molly. Joe asked Frank “what’s this new guy’s name anyhow; maybe one of us has worked with him in another gypo camp?” Frank closed his eyes to remember then said “his name is Pat Murphy and they said he’s green yet.” Butch immediately broke in with “Murphy!–-that sounds like a name we can do without on the side hill and anyway we’d sooner keep this kid here!” The whole crew chided in together “NO Murphy –- NO Murphy!” Frank, being a long time believer in ‘Murphy’s Law’ agreed “I kinda got a creepy feelin’ when they said his name too and I don’t think we need any more ‘Murphy’s’ around here. Tommy it looks as if yer needed more on this crew but can you still make that riggin’ up, some pins and more of those circles.” Tommy readily agreed and the crew cheered their approval.
      Frank, getting ready to leave said “well I better get down to camp to cancel that order for the chokerman but I’m just wondering now what you call your circle thing?” Tommy hadn’t really thought of naming it but he knew right then in his heart what it should be. “Sir, I think it should be named the “Molly Hogan” after your daughter cuz she’s the one who actually invented that circle last night and then I could see how it would work real good with the bull-block pin.” Frank was speechless for a second as this sunk in and he thought ‘I’ll be damned, those two really are a pair. I think this is what Molly started telling me this morning and now he’s telling me it was her idea, they must really love each other like me and her mom did.’ All was quiet in the crummy as Frank pondered this, the guys were wondering about this new revelation that Tommy hadn’t actually made the circle although he had developed its purpose. Frank finally spoke up “I know Molly would be honored if we named that circle after her and I think that we ought to change the name of that bull-block to ‘Tommy Moore’ seeing you two came up with that gizmo on account of that block. What does everybody think of that?” The crew agreed unanimously that the new names couldn’t be better for both pieces of rigging.
     Frank reflected to himself how this morning was getting on to nearly lunch time now and they still hadn’t yarded any logs yet, but it had been one of the best days he’d had in a long time. He held up his hands up and said happily “those logs still haven’t gone anywhere and they’ll still be there tomorrow too. I say we all head down to camp, I got a few cases of beer I’ll bring over to Old Bones’ shop and we’ll all get to see how that daughter of mine makes up those ah, ah, ‘Molly Hogans’. I’m sure she’s gonna love the news and she’ll show us all how to make them for ourselves. I think its been a fine day that deserves a fine ending so lets head in to camp.” The crew hadn’t seen Frank this happy since his wife was still around and they sure weren’t going to complain about drinkin’ beer in the blacksmith shop either. Joe spoke up “we’ll be right behind you Frank!”
      The crummy ride back to camp was a lively one this time, everyone seemed to be talking at once. The guys were all back-slapping Tommy and praising his idea, even Butch was happy he was staying on. Tommy openly thanked them all for their support and now knew the feeling of being part of a tight crew. The crummy pulled up to the bunkhouse and everyone except Tommy headed over to the smith shop. He went straight over to the boss house and knocked loudly on the door as he seen that Frank’s truck was already over at the shop.
     Molly opened the door, she had an apron on and her long red locks were flowing about her shoulders. Tommy couldn’t speak at first as he was so excited so he held her tightly and planted a long warm kiss on her lips. Then he blurted out “Molly I love you and its been the best day ever thanks to you and your circle thing. I get to stay and keep my job and everything, yer dad was up there today and said no “Murphy” is coming here and the whole crew’s come down to get you to make circles, and they’re calling the circle a “Molly Hogan” after you cuz you invented it and they’re callin’ that block a “Tommy Moore” too after me cuz my idea fixed the problem of it and, and …” Molly cut him short “whoa–slow down Tommy, I’m just happy yer’ stayin’ … here with me … and I love you too.” He kissed her again then said “we better get over to the shop, the whole crew is waiting for us there. Molly slipped the apron off and grabbed a large basket of warm pastries she’d just made.

chapter twelve

     The shop was noisy with happy chatter as the two stepped in and Molly put the basket on a bench for the crew. Most of the guys had already downed a couple of beers but they all looked at her with respect, as she was Frank’s daughter and she’d invented that circle. Some dug into the basket of pastries as the smell was so good and different from the cookhouse grub. Frank boldly spoke up "now daughter, you didn’t tell me about this wire circle thing but now I think I know why. Tommy here got his idea of using it in the pin across to us but says you made it. Two minds workin’ together can do a lot more than one–just like this here crew can when they all work together as a team. Anyway, we all agreed with Tommy that the circle ought to be named the “Molly Hogan” and you should be right proud of it because it’s going to save a lot of men’s jobs. With his idea of using it in the pin we all agreed to rename that bull-block and we’re calling it the “Tommy Moore” from now on.”
     She looked at her dad affectionately as the room filled with warm laughter and clapping. Her dad said “now we need you to show the crew here how you make them “Molly Hogans” so they can make them right at the landings.” Old Bones passed her another strand the same as the one he’d seen her use the night before. Molly was a little embarrassed with all the attention while the crew watched in amazement but she went to work on the wire and had one made again in less than two minutes. Bones had laid out several of the strawline strands on a bench and now the guys grabbed them and started to fashion their own Molly Hogans. She helped a couple of the guys a little but most of them picked up on it right away. After several hours the beer was running out and they had a whole bucket filled with Molly Hogans. The group gradually left and drifted over to the bunkhouse. Everyone was satisfied and it had been a different kind of day that any of them had expected. While Frank and Bones chatted privately over by the forge oven, Molly and Tommy slipped out the door and wandered over behind the cookhouse for some privacy…
     Once they were alone, on that warm afternoon on July 30th of 1959, several passionate kisses took place before they finally broke apart, both gasping for air. Molly caught her breath then said “Tommy, when I first made that circle I was thinking of you and the ends of wire being us, all wrapped around each other. You’ll probably think I’m silly but I thought of it as our circle of love when I gave it to you.” Tommy smiled broadly and said “I don’t think it’s silly at all Molly, I love you and your circle. When I put it in the block pin and locked it in, I was thinking of us too. That circle gets wrapped around so tight that no one can pull it apart, just like us.” They wrapped their young bodies tightly together in a loving embrace that couldn’t be separated with dynamite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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