St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-06-11


gregate amount of lumber received at
the yards the past year has been near
ly three millions of feet and the mon
ey paid for it for the past few wears has
to from $35, 900 to $50. 900
The business is SO managed here
that Mr.. Carpenter can tell at very
short notice any of the particulars re-
garding it. He keeps book for eyery
particular thing, and we are told that
every load of lumber that has been
bought for the last 26 years can be ac-
for. He is intrusted to pur-
chase what his judgment dictates as
best, but in all heavy contracts proper
ly consults with members of the firm.
The firm tenement houses, including
those of Sir Thaddeus Fairbanks, now
number about 75, and lumber that goes
to any of these for repairs or other pur-
poses, can be told by Mr.. Carpenter
very readily, as the houses are desig-
mated by number, where they are locat-
ed, and placed upon book for refer
ence.
Lumber is occasionally sold to out
siders in small quantities. Most of it
is drawn in the winter with their own
teams, and some of it is contracted to
be drawn by the thousand. OF certain
kinds of lumber it is known about how
much will be used yearly, which mat
ter, of course, is easily and quickly set
tied. 1t is not so easy to determine the
amounts needed of the various other
kinds. Should it be found that more
than years supply was on hand, not
so much would be.ordered for the next
year; and should it be found that the
supply was short, more could be order
ed at any time. Owing to the crowded
state of the yard, it is often found nee
cessary to pile some of the lumber on
the grounds below the foundry.
Close by the lumber yard is a brick
dry-house, so situated that trestle
work, upon which there is track, runs
directly to the upper story of the build
ing, and into which car of lumber can
be run for drying. Six of these cars,
containing $500 feet of lumber each, oil
1900 feet in all, can be accommodated
in this house at once. In the lower
story are stoves by which the heat is
produced, and it takes from four to six
days to dry car of green lumber.
1t will be impossible for the outsider
to realize the amount of labor it takes
to handle all this lumber. We traveI
the little streets between the piles, that
are from ten to twenty feet high, and
- moot 4h-9 ,'.-..-
spectacle-lumber, lumber, lumber
And here are some of the men whom
we well know, who have strength ant
endurance, and know as we'll how tt
handle heavy birch plank, as an or.
dinary man would a seasoned fence
board. The dissipated man can no
work here. The constant strain of the
muscles in handling lumber, requires
not only men of good health ant
strength, but men of temperate habits
Here is Jason III. Barrett, who wa
brought up in a saw-mill, if he was no
born in one. His apprenticeship ha
been thorough, and he knows what h,
is about when he lays his hand upol
a board or a stick of timber. Here il
George Wright, who has been here fo
several years, a steady, upright man
and who has become familiar with al
the operations of the yard work. Their,
is also James Church, who understand
the ropes well, and is considered frs
rate hand in this business.
Though Mr.. Carpenter is seldom
away for any length of time, yet he ha
men under his charge whom he cal
trust with the yard business, should
be necessary for him to be away. Ant
by the way, we are informed that tn
foremen of this industry, are men VIII
are nearly always at home. They ar
men who feel that trust is reposed il
/, them, and no personal pleasures are al
lowed to interfere with accepted duties
J Even one of these men informed us tina
he learned more of Paddock villag
from perusing our papers upon the in
dustries there, than he had known fo
, years, by any personal inspection
] From what we have written of tn
, scale industry, the reader cannot hav
f failed to see that it is business of vas
importance, though we have onl
, touched upon some of the main pointi
To write such history of it as it dc
serves, would require a good deal {
time, and more ability than the write
: processes to have. In closing thes
sketches there is one thing we fet
specially impressed to say, which
t this: In all communities there are pee
, pie who are naturally sour, crOss-grair
ed, fault-fnding, and critical, who al
e never satisfied with public men, meal
ures, or industries, unless every iron
< hammered upon their own anvils, an
r erything bows and bends to their ow
! narrow, selfish dictation. If there l
e any such in this community, who som,
/, times indulge in uncharitable sent
: ments, because this great firm does NJ
! do this, that, or the other to suit the
particular notions, we would say
5 them, that in SO doing they do then
selves no honor, nor are they apparen