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

much significance outside of the works
proper. AS the scale industry has in
creased, more men have had to be en-
ployed-many of them having families.
This. of course, has increased the de-
mapd for tenement room, which has Of
ten proved inadequate in desirable
proximity to the works. The scale
firm and its members in their private
capacity, have for several years been
building tenement houses for their
workmen, as well as adding largely to
private enterprises, all of which has
made the lumber department grow in
magnitude, and caused it to be, not
only one of great responsibility, but
about the busiest quarters outside of
the shops.
To know something of this depart
ment, which seems to be almost a
whole business of itself, we call upon
Mr.. Daniel Carpenter, who has been in
the service of this company for 26
years. And here it is again,-the fore
man life long friend and servant of
this industry! We cannot help in
dulging in the reflection, what is the
marvellous secret of all this What is
it that causes laborer and proprietor to
jog along together, so harmOniously
and so long? When many portions of
the country were discontented, and Ia
Dor strikes were frequent and disas-
trous, why didinot these men become
imbued with the same spirit2 Why
has not uneasiness, disaffection, and
hate, crawled into the ranks here, and
caused noise and trouble at home and
abroad? To be plain about it, have
not the proprietors been honorable
men, and have they not sought to ele
vate and bless those who have been in
their employ? The fact is, the firm
have taken personal interest in the
general welfare of their employees, and
the men have had good sense enough
to know it; and should distress or dis
|
firm, they would find that the first help,
and the deepest sympathy would come
from the hands and the hearts of their
workmen. Here, then, is the secret of
this lifelong friendship-the mutual
good will and interest each bears to
the other; one labors honestly and
faithfully, the other appreciates, and
pays literally for it.
But Mr. Carpenter is going to pilot
us around. With him we go to the
yards, situated upon the banks of
Sleeper's river, occupying three or four
acres we should say, where we see great
niles of lumber arranGAd ~itl,I+i.n d,,-
greatest order and regularity. These
piles are built with two tiers in row,
while the fronts, which are laid perfect
ly plumb and straight, face each other
with a wagon road between them
There are about half dozen of these
roads, or streets, running parallel with
each other. There are heavy square
timbers, laid about as high as the axle
t tree of wagon, as bookings upon
which the lumber is piled, with suffi-
cient inclination for'the water to run off
Everything is done with system here
for it would not do to overhaul whole
D pile of lumber in order to find some Of
a special kind. The different grades
with their different dimensions, arc
piled by themselves, so when any o
them are wanted in the shops or else.
where, they can be readily reached
There are spruce, pine, bass, birch
oak, cherry, butternut, hemlock, etc.
: laid up in their proper quarters, aut
the loading hands in the yard know
just where to look for them. Upol
the grounds are three or four larg,
sheds, where seasoned lumber is KEEP
in stock. The great piles are constant
ly going up and coming down. On,
= team is kept running all the time be
e tween them and the shops. Men com
e mence at one end of pile to TAX
: down, and follow this system up unit
Y all in that tier is used; at the sam
: time if new lumber is to be put up, the.
e commence to pile where the other wa
a taken, and so on, always in regular or
t der.
e OF the spruce lumber, consisting o
S boards and dimension timber, larg
e amount is used yearly. OF the beard
o about two-thirds go into boxes and tn
It remainder into building purposes. O
/, this grade, we find by actual figures
e that l,65l 900 feet were received th
is past year,-500,00 of it being manu-
e factured at the company's mill in Wal
: den, the remainder bought of differeu
parties east of this place, which cam
IF by the Portland & Ogdensburg railroad
e The pine, consisting of boards an
'f plank, has its special uses. The bes
e of it goes into sash, blinds and doors
Is the rest into scale cupbOards and fc
= building purposes. The best pin
= comes from Burlington, and about I25
= 900 feet are used yearly. OF hemloc
'e 10000 feet yearly are used, some fc
$ packing large scales, and a good des
r, for general purposes in and around th
d works. The bass is bought of farmer
e and came in this year from 80 differ
d eDt parties. 1t usually comes in sma
y lots, to the amount of $4,000 feet yeal
d ly, which is used for small boxes, sign
t and building purposes. Of butternu