Mural #1 Steam Donkey

For the steam donkey and its crew, hauling a log from the forest was an obstacle course of the worst kind, fighting rocks, gullies, and stumps every inch of the way.

Charlie, the line horse waits patiently in the background, ready to pull the 20mm cable to the next felled log.

The steam donkey was invented by John Dolbeer in 1882. This particular one was built by Murray Bros, in San Francisco and started work for the Victoria Lumber & Manufacturing Company in Chemainus in 1885. The painting is based on a photograph from 1902. The man controlling the lever on the steam donkey is Herbert M. Olsen, who was later to become prominent in world-wide lumbering ventures.