Pride of the woods crew was the operator of the steam donkey. Because of the remote location of many cutting sites, these men were responsible for watering, fueling, relocating and repairing their often balky machines. Equipped with winches of tremendous power the steam donkey pulled itself into the woods when the operator attached its cable to a standing tree, then hauled cut logs from the felling site to the railroad landings.Here is a typical logging scene in Humboldt County. This was a very dangerous job as many operators were killed or maimed during these operations, for the strain was great on both the winch and cable. When either failed, the ensuing whiplash of flying steel was easily capable of severing a limb or snapping bones.