The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-25
JOHN BRADFORD.
Death of One of PortIand's Oldest and Rest
Known Citizens.

Known Citizens.
Mr. 0onn Bradford, who died at his
residence IN this CITY yesterday. was one
OF Portiand's best known, and Oldest
citizens. he was spar maker by trade
hrst receiving as good an education as
the common schools of his native citv
Afforded. But the father died when Mr.
Bradford was but sixteen vears of 400
anu 1or Tour years the lad worked at his
trade for other parties.
Mr. Bradford possessed unusual exeou-
tive ability rs we'll as untiring industry
ana natural caution. His business in
creased steadily year by year and when
the Atlantic and St. Lawrence railroad
project was agitated in 1914 he was in a
position to subscribe literally for the
STOCK. de Was in sympathy with the
project not only because it promised well
for the city, but because itswould be mar.
tloulaTly advantageous for him. Bv thar
time mast timber was very scarce in tbis
vicinity and the railroad would open up
the forests of Canada. His bushes in
creased. Along in tine f1fties he was en-
ploying from twenty to thirty men in his
yard, and was the leading sparmaker in
the city. At that time his old account
books show that he was "sparringn every
year from twenty to thirty OF the little
briggs and barks and ships then en-
gagged in the West Indiu trade. Reckon
ing twenty five spars to vessel. gives a
total of from 500 to $50 huge forest giants
to be hewn into shapely columns. At
the least estimate it cost the owners $500
to have vessel spared which gives
total of from $40, 900, to SIS, 900,
worth OF business annually, to say moth
ing of the extensive repair work and
various other accessories; and that
amount meant more then than it does
today
Eleven years ago Mr.. Bradford retired
from his business, after sixty years of
unremittingand successful devotion to
it. His son, John E., almost an old man
himself now, has taken his place at the
old shop. Now there is not even an aver
age of one vessel s.sparred'' in year.
"4iOh0 uhC O1ooE OOllu bfdQlOrQ COulu
once see from his shop door six shipyards
close at hand on the shore, each with q
vessel in process of construction, that he
was to complete with his shapely spars,
tho younger John Bradford sees none at
all. But when he does "spar" vessel
now it means more than in the olden
time. Our great schooners are bigger
than the ships of before the war and
their masts are of almost fabulous
value compared to prices of that time.
The last vessel SPARED in Portland
was aboutsfour years ago. 1t was four
masted schooner The "sparring" cost
the owners $1,000. For the four masts
themselves without the topmasts, Mr..
Bradford paid $780, They came from
Oregon and were "a feet in length and
~ inches in diameter. There is little
incident about them. During the great
fire on the Berlin Mills lumber wharf
they lay at the head Of the wharf. Every
body advisediMr. Bradford to roll them
into the water and many men proffel I'D
assistance, but he refused to do so. The
docks were full of blazing timber and be
knew that the great logs would he spoiled.
Left where they were (they were too i'm
mense to be hauled away they might
escape. And they did, as the fire did not
reach them.
Since MIR. Simonton removed from the
city five years ago. Mr.. Bradford has
been the only spar maker here. For a
deoada hofore that thare puaro oplv those
two. The work now is only repairing
and not very much of that. Tho son en-
ploys but three men where his father
once employed thirty. Across the harbor,
on the Cape shore, is another spar shed
that has not been used for twenty years.
Once the son directed the labors of fifteen
men there while his father had as many
more on the other side. But to return
to the life of the elder John Bradford.
Although he was a military man in his
younger days and as captain of the old
Portland ARTILLERY Co., ordered to hold
himself in readiness to take part in the
Madawaska war, he WAS over fifty years
of age when the Rebellion broke out and
did not go to the front. During the war
there was great deal Of ship building
and as prices were high his business was
more prosperous at that time than ever
before or since. Masts brought $3.50
apiece then, that sold for only $3.50 after
ward.
During Mr.. Bradtord's go years of spar
making be has seen the forests stripped
of mast timber from one side of the con-
tinent to the other; that is, has seen the
source Of his supply of raw material
change froa Scarboro, Gorham and
Bridgton to Oregon. In the beginning of
his business back in che thirties, he pro-
cured his timber in the forests. surround
ing this city. In the next decade he be.
gan to look to Canada for supply and
before the war he sent to Pennsylvania
after the Susquehanna masts, so called,
Since the war the forests of Michigan
have been stripped Of mast timber and
now the j0fitv of tho mast, 80