Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-04-13
How the Logs are taken care Of-Life D
the River-ExciIementO OF River Driyin
The Hardy Rivermen.

In former article, we traced the coarse Of the
logs cut about the headwaters Of the Kennebec
during the winter, until they reached tidewaters
About hundred million feet more or less, were
cut, and we propose to follow them while longer
We have seen that they were driven down to Au
gusta at the expense Of the Log Driving Co.
henceforth each owner must collect his own
Therefore he has picked crew, (some have two,
which he employs at a certain price per log, to col
lect and raft them to their place OF destination
These men called collectors, crew genci-
ally consisting of five " it'll cook. Each crew
has a vessel called house boat-a gondola shaped
craft, with a large cabin built over it, having am
pie Accommodations for all concerned. They have
nice cooking convenences, sleeping berths, Ia
bles. ice chest &c. sometimes showing great
taste and comfort. OF late years these collector:
have associated themselves into company
with officers ETC., for mutual benefit to all con.
cerned
When the ice has left the river, they get a boom
| ready on the shore opposite Hallowell, owned by
Gov Cobuln, into which will be introduced the
logs from up river. In days gone by, each man
that owned piece oil shore, and wished to 90 into
the business put out his private boom OF modest
dimensions, and as the logs came down, caused
them to be towed in This as is well remembered
was done with skitis each generally having three
| men, two to row, and one to hook on to the logs
and guide the boat. Men and boys, who did not
own in booms perhaps were employed by thcse
| who did, and were paid three cents apiece ioi
every log caught. When the river was high and
| the current swift, this was very exciting work
full as interesting as the skull races OF the present
| day, and far more useful. iacc between sever.
al boats for log, was common, and III this school
| were trained many OF Names most hardy sailors.
| Those who learned TO pull an oar" here, were
afterward often seen, in far distant oceans, pulling
with equal fearlessness on to some mighty whale
| Those logs were much larger then these seen now
| a-days The boats used were often CONSTRUCTED
| out of them, and call ed canoes They have en-
tirely disappeared now, and can only be seen III
| southern rivers, where they are made Oh cypfcs
| logs, and called pirogues.
| Logs were then turned out to collectors at II
cents apiece. Now, all is changed; by law pass
ed, when we don't know, no private individual :
allowed to catch or boom logs above Gardiner
Bridge So the collectors have contrived what
! they call a "stff boom at Augusta on the west
| shore, consisting of double rev OF logs, each
breaking joints, and firmly bound together Inc
upper end is secured to the shore, and the Iona
| line of logs floats down river with the tide. Ol
the lower end floating platform, on which Is a
windiass attached is a stout warp leading to M
| anchor on the east side
The boom opposite IIallowell being ready, witt
a long arm running nearly up to, and interseetint
this lower end of the stiff boom, and the logs com
mencing to run down from above, men stationed
| at the windlass heavc away, and the lower enc
| of said stiff boom is swung diagonaiy across th'
river, and the connection is complete.
Then the kcnnebec is virtually closed to float
inc matter, the peaceful logs are now iperceptei
| in their quiet Journey, and told by Mr.. STIFF Boon
to 90 over to the east side and down into the grea
| IIalowell Boom, and there they are in trap
| No need of towing logs now. But this Is uncle
Sans navigable waters, and vessels pass up an'
| down. If it is a steamer, she blows her whistle
and no less person than Capt. Jake Brett, th'
veteran sea dog, who lies hard by, and who Is IL
charge here, Stacks up the warp, the boom imme
diately swing back out of the channel, the war;
| sinks the vessel passes, and Capt. Brett heaye
Justify away, (hails the vessel in true nautical par
lance till the boom is swung across to ITS ap
pointed place. But IIallowell Boom soon gets full
and after that, while the collectors are busy Sc
lectng their "marks" perhaps, as was the cast
last year, the still boom is discarded, and tn
logs pursue their way for while down river.
Now they fall into the hands of the kennebe
Log Driving Co again. Seven and one half year
ago the company built monster boom at Far
| mingdale enclosing Browns Island reaching from
| the o Id Hallowell line below the Island by cor
don of immense piers to it, thence up the wester
edge of the channel to what was once known a
Woods Pt. in all over half mile long, and com
prising about three tifths of the river.
Into this, most OF the logs are sure to go, an
FORTY or fifty thousand of them can be lodged here
We left the collectors at Chelsea, opposite Halo
well. If we 20 back in the accommodation trair
conductor Holmes will sing out, "Steam Mi
Crossing" and a number of rivermen, will jun
off with rigging and oars, beats Will be ready an
soon they will be rowing across to the scene c
their labors. Strung along the opposite shor
will be seen dozen or fifteen ofthcir Home Boats
their white cabins against the green foliage of tn
shore, making an exceedingly picturesque appear
ance.
Here they (the rivermen) may be said to hol
court. Conspicuous among them will be founC
the veteran Libbey from Augusta, Dudley froi
Uallowell, collecting for Mlliken, Kennedy {
Chelsea collecting for the Kennebec Land an
Lumber Co, Foster and Eastman, Oliver an
White and Morgan from Farmingdale, Marsto
from Gardiner, Moulton's crew from Pittston, Foo
ter's from Richmond, Hebson's from Wiscass'
and Lawrence Bros. from SO. Gardiner, wit
many more. In all, at times, from seventy five
hundred men.
Tall, robust, hearty fellows they are, full OF mu
oil md afhlefic forms and nlClu