Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-09-23
CLEARFIELD, PA, SEPT. %, 1857.

The numbering business Of Clearfeld county, I
as all here know, is immense. Away from /
those places with which the trade comes di-
rectlv in contact, it is not known that the epo-
rations OF this business are felt in so wide
range as is actually the case. For instance,
1t is not generally known that the spars which /
are placed in the waters of the Susquehanna |
in the upper part of this county, are tioated to
Norfolk. Virginia, or to Bangor, in the State
of Maine and yet this is really the case, and
at cheaper rates, we believe, than they can be
procured from anywhere else. The ship and
boat yards, and manufacturing mills of Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, New York, and other i'm
portant points, receive large supplies of square
timber, decking, keels, plank, &C., from our
Iumbermcu, and scarcely wharf, bridge, or
building of any considerable size, along the
Susquehanna and in our large cities, erected
for some years past, but what contains more or
less material procured in this region.
About half century ago, the rafting busi-
ness was commenced by the few persons who
then dwclt along the West Branch and its trib-
utaries in the counties of Centre, Elk and
CIcarfield At that time, the bed of the
stream over which the turbid waters dash at
frightful speed during freshets, was full of
rocks which endangered not only their prop
erty, but their lives. in navigating this part Of
the Susquebanna and but comparatively few
RATS reached market. Besides this, the coun-
try was a wilderness, destitute of roads and
means of communication by land with other
parts and the hardshps of the returning RATS
men, clsmberiDg the rugged hili-sides over
narrow paths through dense forests, are almost
inconceivable. At an early day, these hardy
and enterprising settlers adopted measures to
remove the distractions in the river bed, and
accordingly, at their own expense, blasted
huge rocks to pieces and rolled them out of
the stream. By such means, and by s'becom-
ing more familiar with the navigation. they
were enabled to continue the business, and
thus struggling with poverty, abandoning for
weeks the ties of home, risking their health,
and laborug with yigOr, they finally succeeded
IN improving the navigation so to render 1t
comparatively safe. About the year 1850 the
attention of the shipwrights and lumbermen
of the scaboaTd was attracted by the inexhaus-
tible forests of timber, particularly of Clear
field and Elk counties. The business began to
our lumIeT at market scarcely compensated
the manufacturer for the labor expended upon
il. The population had gradually increased,
and our citizens looking forward to a brighter
period in the pine timber market, engaged in
the business with an energy and zeal worthy of
their undertaking. In 1915 and '46 the pri-
ees obtained gave the lumbermen full remu-
nerstion for their toll, and since that period
the general improvement of the lumber region
has gradually been advancing. The proceeds
OF this article of expectation have been deyo-
ted to the purchase of timber lands, originally
owned principally by non-residents, and to the
erection of substantial saw mills In 1856,
there were nearly 400 saw-milIs in the region
of the counties named, erected at cost of not
less than 81 900 900, and the entire rafting
business for several years had exceeded two
millions of dollars annually.
AS the timber is taken off, the land is con-
verted into farms, and if the inhabitants were
permitted to carry on their business in the
usual way, the proceeds would enable those
who have purchased lands to pay for them,
clear up their farms, erect buildings, and thus
contribute to the general prosperity of the
county. During the last few years, however,
the safety of the descending navigation has
been seriously endangered by the erection oi
boons in the river, and by a system of bust
ness known as ''iog-foating." Rats, con.
structed of square timber, boards, &C., are
usually from 300 TO 240 feet in length and a
bout % feet wide, and are managed by oars
placed at the ends of the craft. Thus any one
can at glance see that when the stream !,
filed by immense numbers of logs, which are
thrown loose in the water and permitted tC
float about at random, obstructing the current
and getting under RATS, that their safety j.
imminently jeopardized. a few years eSpe
rience has fully demonstrated the fact, which
is acknowledged also by the log -ioaters them
selves in a series of resolutions passed by then
at Lock Haven on the 2lst Feb. last, that th,
two systems Of iumbering-log- floating anC
Tatting-cannot be carried on successfully to
sether, and efforts have been repeatedly mad
tc have the Legislature pass bill tc restric
the floating of loose iogs-to require the float
eEs TO 'sT-it-up', otherwise manage thei
logs SO as not to interfere with the safe nayi
gation Of the West Branch by rats. This
all that is asked Of those who are engaged il
Hoaiius-of the fs,r capitalists who carry Q,
that business, TO the detriment OF tie man
who are mainly dependent upon the raftin
business a. a means of subsistence and as In
main source OF realizing money TO nav fo
their lands, for their goods purchased in III
ei.ie, farming implements &c
uS6 thrre could an doubt possibly arise