In late March, some of the men left the shanty to return to their farms once the cutting was over. They took their pay (up to a dollar a day) and bought seed and implements for their farms while the others remained to work on the drive. Some men were brought in especially for the drive to Quebec. Getting the sticks down the tributaries to the cribbing grounds was not an easy task. The men with their peaveys and poles would wade in waist-high water, clearing the small streams of sticks to prevent them from being beached or jammed. This activity was known as a sweep. Too much time in the icy water could result in "black leg", a severe case of arthritis. Life on the drive was different from shanty life. The demanding activities, the pace, and the dangers created a constant tension which the men frequently vented in Ottawa or Quebec.
Courtesy: Macnamara Collection, Public Archives of Ontario
