The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-25

apiece when delivered here on the cars.
| There Is great difference in the nature
OF the wood from these different locali-
ties. In the early days, if one of the
great white pine masts that grew in
Malhe OF Canada. began to rot after ten
year OF service, it would have been de-
| clared rotten when first placed in the
vessel. Mr.. bradford has seen many Is
years old as sound as when felled in the
forest. But the Susquehanna and Miuhi-
| gan masts frequently had to be replaced
after four years. The Oregon masts how
ever are declared to be imperishable.
They do rot sometimes, but nevertheless
pine of Maine
The following incident illustrates
something of Mr.. Bradford's business
methods in the early days. He made his
profits by buying his mast timber at
good bargain. During the winters he
spent most of his time il the woods in
Cumberland and York counties getting
learned that some Saccarappa lunbermen
had bought forest lot in Bridgton for
$40 a Thousand. He found that among
| the trees were an unusual number of
| masts. He offered the men $50 thous-
| and for all the "masts'' on the lot. They
agreed. He was to exercise the usual Gus
| tom of discarding a tree after it was cut
49, . y oAo Aop pAotO SultCsOiO AL q i11uSo. =
was of no consequence to the owners
| the lot since all but the masts was TO be
sawed into lumber. Another man took
the contract to cut thettimber and haul 1T
out 20 SebagO Lake to be RATED across
and sent down the Presumpseot Mr..
Bradford felt that he must look after
this man or he would lose many of hi
masts. for the reason that it is very much
easier and cheaper to haul tree if cut
up into sections than in one entire piece.
He went to -Bridgton and found, just
as he expected, that the man was cutting
up the masts with the rest and hauling
them out to be sawed up by the mill.
bis protests were in vain. and since he
couldn't stay there and watch him he
knew very we'll that the other had the
better of him.
"See here, Goodrich said he. ''you
know I've contracted to buy all the masts
in this lot, and that can't help your
QUITTING them up, because it's cheaper for
you to haul out the timber in that way
I'll give you $3.50 if you'll save my
mass"
Bradford. Pill do it, said Goodrich.
This illustrates how valuable and how
| scarce mast timber was even in those
early days. Mr.. Bradford made an ex-
cellent bargain when he bought, those
Bridgton masts for $50 thousand.
1t remains only to be said of Mr.. Brad
AOIk UuSluoSS lllt tudU ne D6Chm0 Ill
extensive owner in shipping by taking
his pay for masts i'll shares OF the vessel
and at one time owned il ten different
ships, and also that during his six den-
AIDES of extensive operations he was never
embarrassed in a single instance. He
has been somewhat prominent in munich
pal politics as Republican in years
gone by and served two years il the city
council. He WAS also one of the board of
overseers of the poor for many years.
To be q leading man in a great indus
| try for 10 years. to always conduct BUSH
ness with perfect uprightness and SUCH
| ability as never to be financially embar-
raised is surely business record to be
proud Of, and business life of great
| value to any community. None of the
white pines of Maine or the red giants
of Oregon chat he has prepared for SER
vice has ever been more substantial
pillar for the good ships safe progress
than has he himself for the business in
terests of Portland.