Tweeter Felion: The Old School

Lester Felion, known to all as “Tweeter,” is by all accounts one of the last of “the old school.” Born in Leicester, one of 11 children, Tweeter started logging after the 8th grade when his family could not afford high school tuition in neighboring Brandon. Sixty years later, he’s still at it. His crew hasn’t changed much—brother Ron for 40-plus years, son Lester Jr. for 30-plus years. Nor has his Yankee frugality—his bulldozer and skidder are well past being senior citizens of the forest. What makes Tweeter, Tweeter is his longstanding woods ethic: “Leave the woods better than you found them.”

 

“I Know What Hard Times Are” 

I was born in 1937 right after the Depression. I’m the oldest of 11 siblings, so I know what hard times are. When I started working on the cross cut with the old man, I was small and couldn’t bear on it. He’d pull that handle so hard that the blade would fly by and almost hit me in the head. And then I started with the axe, splitting wood, so my father wouldn’t have to when he got home. His axes were always sharp and if you messed up on ‘em, you’d get some good bruises to show for it. “Tweeter” Felion
 

“The Old School Looked to the Future”

The old school looked to the future. They took out the trees that were big enough and had to come out. Then they’d go back in 20 years and do it again. So you always had regeneration. The old school knew you left it better for the next guy. There wasn’t so much of a rush then and guys still made money. “Tweeter” Felion