Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-14
STATE HOUSE.
Contrast Between Methods Of
Handling Lumber.
LADY Bemis" the Captured Moose,
Goes to Merrymeeting Park.
School improvement League Has $4,000
Members Gossip Of the Departments.

The speed with which lumbcrmen
now do their work in comparison with
their former methods Of working was
brought out, yesterday, in a talk with
one Of the best posted men at the State
House. The history Of the former
methods Of working is familiar to
every one. That was when the lumber
was cut, hauled to the river ana then
driven down the streams to the places
wanted. In some places in the state
a more expeditions method is now
used. In one particular place the COM
pany built a railroad into the heart
of the numbering country. Instead Of
using carefully selected cedar ties, logs
Of suitable size We're cut anywhere and
any kind of timber was used. With
the rails laid on these, a car was used
that was simplicity in itself. and on
these the logs are hauled to a place
where they can be shipped to 4 mill.
So that instead of the lumbermcn
hauling their logs to the streams and
then the logs being sawed months after
being cut, the delay being necessary
on account Of waiting for weather con
ditions ana the streams to be cleared
the logs are shipped by rail ana in \
few days after being cut are at the
I,ils l.id-, sawed. While the expense
cr transportation is very great in com
parison with former methods. vet
there is 4 shorter wait ana the inter
est on the money invested is thus
saved. In addition there is less IF 4
danger Of 4 losing venture by the
logs being carried out to sea nv
freshet
The same matter was recently dis
cussed in a similar manner by Phila-
delphia man who is Interested in ana
familiar with Maine numbering opera
tions. He then made the prediction
that it would he but a comparatively
few years before the lumber would "
shipped by rlil ana that the lumber
would be brought out Of the woods w
rail instead Of being driven a. most
Of it is at the present time.
To support this argument II" called
attention To the flct that on the upper
Kennebcc and especially in the Sandy
river region it is not possible to get
a large amount If the most valuable
spruce out from the fact that the
Der cannot be driven ana h argued
that the only manner III which this
spruce can be gotten out Is by hauling
on railroads The same thing held
true regarding the smaller sticks he
said these cannot be driven ana the
only method by which they can be
gotten out is by hauling.
Attention was also called to another
thing. The value Of timber lands. ana
by this Is meant spruce timber, a.
ponds largely on the amount IF water
in the township. That is, it i nocns-
sary to have water in order to Grt
the timber out. The second growth
after the spruce is cut is birch wood
that now bids fair to rival tn
spruce in value. The value Of the
birch timberlands depends not 81 much
on its nearness to streams, for the
birch cannot be driven on account NJ
it's weight. as to its proximity t. a
railroad. 50 that with more railroads
built into the timberlands to Get out
spruce timber the same can hc used
in the course Of time in getting out
the birch that will form the second
growth.