The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-03-11
Colonial History of the Lumber Trade.

Colonial History of the Lumber Trade.
1t is not in set books denominated " Histories"
that the true progress of industry is 10 be found.
They tell you of Cabinet policy-of wars-but
little of the actual condition of the people.
Although all the New England colonies de.
rived wealth from their forests, none of them, at
any period, think, pursued the trade in lumber
for the same ends, or with the same results ss
Maine. In the one case, to cut off the trees was
TO opsn lands to husbandry; but in the other,
the heWers of wood " continued in the sam.
hops'ess bondage to and saws, generation
alier generation, and almost from century to CEN
tuTy. The fathers Of Plymouth shipped off "clap,
boards within three years of their CON ing The
first notorious pilferer in g the Massachusetts"
waG lumber thief; and though he was not ex-
actly hanged, he was dooned to give up his estate
TO those whom he had plundered, to be whipped,
TO be bound TO service for three years. and TO be
at the disposal Of the court at the expiration of
his bondage. Almost the first cuhhagration at
Plymouth that we rad OF, was that Of house,
made all Of clapboards.
Without entering upon an inquiry into the lum-
bering of the mother colonies generally, it may
still be remarked, that this branch of industry
Increased so rapidly, that trade was opened with
the West Indies early l641, and that, in
tract called New England's First Fr,its," pub.
lished in London about two yyars afterwards,
clapboards, hoops, pipe slaves and masts," are
enumerated among the staple commodities which
81 fetch money from other paris"
But the forests in some parts of the country
gave out; and so much alarm was felt, and the Ply
mouth colony become stratened for building
timber" that within half a century after the land
ing of the Pilgrims, certain kinds Of lumber
not allowed to be exported, except conditionaly.
In New Hampshire however, the trade in timber
was prosecuted with great zeal, during great part
Of the period which interviewed between the first
and last hours of submission to the crown. Taxes
paid in boards and staves at certain rates
and parcpls of the different kinds oF etahl le
wood, at time, passed from man to man. almost
currently the king coin, or the pine-tree
shilling pieces Of Massachusetts.
The action of Parliament with regard to taxing
lumber, or even encouraging its expectation by
bountles, eagerly watched by the owners Of
timber lands and saw-mills, in Maine. England
pursued all these courses at different times and
gave satisfaction, created discomfort among
them, as changes occurred in her policy; just as
she does now with the same class of her subjects
in New Brunswick and Canada.
Falmouth, (now Portland) and Boston, were
the great lumber marts. Bangor at the pres
ent moment the largest lumber market in the
United States, perhaps in the world, was
broken forest.
1t would seem that the term mast-ship" was
as distinctive in Maine, the " tobacco ship
in Virginia. At times it would seem, also, that
the former furnished the common, and occasionally
the only means of crossing the ocean. In letters
which have been preserved from one high colonial
Governors sometimes compelled to embark in
them,
So toe, in these clumsy, ill-sharen vessels, went
ladies' and lovers, to visit friends and sights in
Merry England" Merchandise, fashions, and
the last novel, had slow voyage back but men
and maideps were models of patience, and the
arrival of the " mast-ship,' after ten-weeks pas
sage gave much joy, when all was safe, does
that of the ten-days' "s steamer" " of our own day.
In port, while loading, the mast-ships" were
r IL Al
scenes of hilarity and mirth In curious old papers
and journals of the time, we read of Examinations,
and irngs OF cannon, Of feasts and frocs; and
from the same sources we learn that they brought
news of victories achieved by British arms, OF some
peace concluded, of some ministry dismissed, of
some act passed or repealed which bore hard upon
the lumber trade, or some measure which hurt CO.
lonial pride.
The lnast.trade was confined to England and
the transportation of spars thher and of the sawed
and shaved woods required by the planter, to
islands in the West Indies possessed by the British
crown, were about the only lawful modes oil ex-
porting lumber for long period. By the statute
book, the King mark F" much to be
dreaded by the mariner and ship-owner, as by the
" logger " and mman." But the revenue off
caused less fear than the surveyors of the
woods and their deputies, until fleets and armies
were employed to aid them; when the interdicted
trade with the French and Spanish slands-en-
joyed for time by sort of prescriptive right
was nearly, If not entirely, broken up. No enact
ments of England operated to keep down Northern
industry so etlectually, poorly as they obeyed
as the navigation and trade laws; and on none did
they bear more severely than upon the people o.
Maine, whose position necessities left them nc
choice of employments. There some-nol
were they few-who were obliged to cut pines ane
them up into marketable shapes, or starve
and attempts to alleviate the burdens of oppressive
parliamentary leg islation upon this class persons
were made in Ma ssachusetts long before whis
per of discomfort was elsewhere uttered in al
America. S.
Eramin CHAM. EehrnnrY ID 1851.