St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-04-30
st. Johnsbury's Industries.
THE SAW MILL.

Inc saw mill, situated at the neau OF
Portland street, in Summerville, near
the highway and railroad bridges, and
Hovey, was built by Jonathan Law
renee and the late James Harris of this
town in 1854. This mill being central
ly located, with a good water power
upon Moose River, has done large
business in past years. 1t now being
the only mill nearer than Passumpsic
or West Concord, and, scarce as the
timber is getting to be, it receives a
good deal of custom.
This industry depends largely upon
what kind of winters we have-the
better the shedding and the longer it
lasts, the better is the business at the
mill. Unless it be at the depot in this
place since the two railroads have op-
Grated together in the shifting of cars
and general yard work, we have seen
no place IN town manifesting more life
than we have seen here in the busy
season. This industry not only requires
skill and care in running the machinery
but 1t is one requiring severe manual
labor. Our school boys or even our
harder meated farmers sons can hardly
realize what the labor is in taking away
the lumbe from a fast running circular
saw. To handle n green hemlock
plank l5 inches wide and 20 feet long,
requires strong muscles and a stiff back
bone. Yet in a mill like this, some
one has to stand ready to sieze each
piece as it falls By the saw. whether il
Oe llSht OF heavy, and cary it away to
pile by itself. The practical sawyer
and his assistant, though it must take
much energy and strength, soon ac-
quire skill in the handling of lumber ;
they will do this quickly and with COM
paratlve ease, while the novice will be
working at disadvantage and wasting
his strength. 1t will be seen by this,
that while a saw mill may not be a
proper place to learn craftsmanship or
the fine arts, yet it is place of great
Importance in American industry, be-
ing a trade in itself requiring it's own
peculiar skill and knowledge.
Timber of all kinds, and logs of all
sizes, length and shapes and
rough, smooth and straight, are drawn
into the mill by machinery and placed
upon the carriage for saving. Right
here the skill of the sawyer is tested.
To know in just what position a log
should be placed, so as to save as much
and to waste as little of the lumber as
possible, is great acquisition A poor
sawyer Is like a poor reaper, he can
waste enough every day to pay an ex-
ira hand good wages.
The slabs, that years ago were of but
little value, are now of considerable
Importance. In the old fashioned way.
farmers would chain them to the axle
tree of their OK carts and drag them
home, making use of them as wood, or
perhaps for floor of the "high beams''
or for the roof of some temporary clean
to-" Now he makes no account of them
and the sawyer does they are cut in
to stove wood as fast as they are made.
which is usually sold as summer fuel,
adding largely to the revenue of the
mill. 1t is understood where a mill is
doing good custom business, it is We
ry profitable.
Mr. Moses E. Barrett, who commence
ed to work in mills from the time he
was seven years old, and who was
brought up practical sawyer. came to
this place in 1854 and run the mill with
Jonathan Lawrence four years. At the
end of this time Mr.. Barrett took tbe
business and formed partnership with
the late John S. Parker, and with the
combined energy and labor of these
two men, this industry assumed a new
aspect. The business was greatly in
creased, and there was life and activity
everywhere. Not only did they have
heavy run of custom, but they bought
timber lots, hired men to cut the lum-
Der, bought teams, both horses and OK
en-, to draw the same into the mill yard.
They not only worked all of the day.
but very often all of the night. They
found ready market right here for
their lumber, which amounted to from
100000 to 100000 feet per year, and in
this way these two men worked for 10
years, and until disease and death de-
manded one of them for sacrifice.
There has been cut at this mill from
5000 to 1900 feet of lumber per day.
5000 feet is considered a good davis
work. The sales of lumber and the
saw bills of Barrett and Parker amount
ed to from $4,000 to $1,000 annually.
The mill thus we'll established, has con-
tinued to do good business ever since.
Since it has been owned by E. L. Hov-