The times., 1899-08-28
BANGoR'S DEAL TRADE.
A Once Prosperous Industry in the
Old Maine Town Revived

Once Prosperous Industry in the
Old Maine Town Revived.
BANGOR. Me-. Aug. 27.-Bangor's deal
trade, after many years. has come back
again, and today there are scenes along
lions of Penobscot logs, sawed into thick
planks, were shipped away every year to
the ports Of the United States and all over
continental Europe-the times when prices
of lumber and everything else were high,
and when the Yankee wooden sailing ship
was still queen in the fleet aud winner
IN the race for the worlds deep water
commerce. AS Annie Pixley used to sing
with tender regret of The days of 40"
so the Bangor sailorman and lumberman
sings in his heart of the days just before
or those after the war, when ships we're
many here and business brisk
Away back before the war Bangor did
smashing business in lumber with many
ports in four continents, and after the war
the business was revived to some extent
Countless millions of feet of deals were sent
TO the United Kingdom, and vast quantities
OF % by stuff to South America, while
the wealth of Penobseet's clear and wide
white pine was scattered all over the West
Indies. Prices were for the most part good
wages high for stsvederes, freights also
high. and sailors pockets were seldom
empty. Times were flush in the port Of
Bangor in those days.
The vessels that used to come to Bangor
in that time for foreign loading were among
the best specimens of wooden construction
ever turned out anywhere, and the fleets
that used to gather at High Head docks
were delight to the sailors eye and a sat
isfaction to the hearts of all patriotic Amer
leans. In recent years there have been
some notable sea congresses at these same
decks, but there is a vast difference btWeen
the old fleets and the new. Nowadays the
foreign trade is done almost entirely in
foreign bottoms, and even the foreign sail
ing vessels are being crowded out by British
and Norwegian tramp steamships that carry
so much at load and go quickly and
cheaply. Never again does Bangor expect
10 see such splendid American ships as the
Belle of Bath, the Conqueror the William
H. Conner. the Reynard, and the ships OF
the great McGilvery fleet: they never come
here now, and, indeed, few of them are left
| in any trade.
But Bangor is shipping deals again, with
lot of other stuff, to foreign ports, and
| is glad of it, even il the business is done
| in foreign steamers. For some years the
| tramp steamers have been coming here.
| but not until lately in the deal trade.
| They have been engaged till now in the
transportation of spool wood TO the Scot
| tish mills and ground wood pulp to various
parts of the United Kingdom and the Con-
| tinent Last year 20.600.000 feet of deals
were shipped and this year the expectation
| will be as much or more. Some OF the
| steamers take as much as 2.00o,0 900 feet,
| others from a million TO million and half.
| One of last years fleet carried away
! 5000, 900 feet.
| The tramp steamers load quickly. carry
a big cargo. and cross the water in about
| fourteen days They carry few men, have
no repairs that can be made here and leave
| little money in the port. which is one
reason why they are not liked. Some
| times as many as four or five OF the deal
! steamers are here at a time. loading or
waiting for cargo. and strangers are sur
prised to see such big ships so far up a
| fresh water river. Some of the steamers
are of 900 tons, gross, and draw twenty
| three and twenty-four feet of water loaded.
| But the Penobscot is deep river, and with
the expenditure of a moderate sum for
| dredging could be made safe for almost
| any vessel of the navy, here at distance
| of twenty-five miles from the head OF the
haV