The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-23

owner who has been running his man
ufactured lumber off by either rail or
water is as well off as he would have
been If he had allowed his mills to
stand still, as most of them are now
doing, and he has no right to think
he is to have any better result in the
future. The competition from the
West, of the lower grades of pine, to-
gether with the prejudice against hem
lock covered with dirt and oil, has rem
dered all efforts in the present manner
almost hopeless.
What is then wanted to introduce
this better way of manufacturing hem
lock lumber is to secure from the Leg
islature of Pennsylvania a law .au-
thorizing logs to be thrown into all the
streams emptying into the Allegheny
river, under such conditions and re-
straints as will not materially inter-
fere with any of the uses at present en-
joyed, but will, at the same time, fur
nish cheap highway for all logs to pass
down these waters until they become
navigable by boats. In addition to this
general permission there should be
formed log-driving and booming COM
panies for each ofthe principal streams;
or, what would be far better, there
should be one general company to be
known as the Allegheny Log Driving
and Booming Co." which would in
include all the tributary streams. Be-
pany which has been source of great
profit to few monopolists, we should
not be deferred from having another.
Indeed, the unfortunate experience in
regard to the Williomsport boom would
enable us to ask for such form of legis-
lation as would be sure to avoid the
monopoly features of that one. Iven-
ture to think, availing ourselves of the
experience and even the forms of char
ter granted in the State of Maine, that
company could be formed with it's
capital so distributed, and with such
limitations as to dividends, that it
would be equally acceptable to lumber
men and boom owners.
PRACTICAL WORKING OF THIS SYSTEM.
The hemlock logs would be either
thrown into or placed on the banks of
all the tributary streams. Each own
er's logs would have a registered mark.
Generally these logs would be bought
up by the mill owners or large opera
tors, for it would be undesirable for any
one man to handle his own logs down
at Pittsburgh unless he was a large
| holder. But, however this might be,
the log driving company would give
notice of the day their drive would
start from given points-say at Ridg-
way on the Clarion-for this company
would not, as rule attempt to go up
the small streams for their drive, but
would confine themselves to streams
having volume of water enough to
easily float the largest logs in any ordi-
nary high water. The Storage" or
"booming" need not be at any one
place, but might be at a dozen or more,
wherever the Clarion or large tribu-
tary rivers, within ten or fifteen miles
of the mills might favor. From these
booms logs could be loosely RATED and
towed by small steamers or tugs to the
mill booms, as they were wanted, and
according to the marks and ownership.
The log driving companies of Maine
deliver each mans logs in the "mill
booms;" either this could be done as
there during the season of saving, or
the undertaking on the part of the
company could be confined to the
booms along the erivers, without under
taking to deliver at the mills. There
can be no difficulty in moving logs in
the Allegheny anywhere below where
the Clarion enters, and somewhere
ftom this point to Pittsburgh, no
doubt, it would be found expedient to
place the mills, which should be at
such point on the Allegheny river as
can be reached by small steam tugs
and flat boats during most or all parts
ofthe summer season. The large trade
these mills would build up would JUS
tify the strongest competition for their
presence. A population as large as
Williamsport would result almost inn
mediately from the influence of these
mills, for, although the aggregate
amount of lumber manufactured, in
money value, would be less, the
amount of labor toproduce it would be
quite as great as at the latter city, and,
when we consider the amount of flat
boat tonnage which would be required
to carry this lumber down the river,
we may safely assume that this indus
try would be ample for a new city on
the Allegheny.
is THERE DEMAND FOR THIS LUMBER
l am credibly informed that new,
fresh hemlock lumber, sawed to order,
would sell at present for nine dollars
per thousand in reasonable quantities,
but at six dollars per thousand there
would be much increased demand.
The practical questions, in conclu-
sion, are these: Shall the hemlock
timber of Northern Pennsylvania,
which is now lying in the woods rot
ting be sent down the rivers to con-
sumers that will be greatly benefited