The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1904-04-27
The Log and Boat Business on the
Clarion River,

and the material used to side them up
with, and in which they ship their coal to
the lower markets, have formed combi-
nation with reference TO this boat build
ing industry on the Clarion. "The Com
bine," as it is familiarly known along
the creek here, fixes the number OF boats
it will buy in a season, attaches certain
specifications that must be complied with
in building that effects the kind and
amount of fmaterial. and fixes the price /;
once in while it also dictates as to what
the boats shall be loaded with when they
are run TO market. 1t thus appears that
the attitude of "the Combine" determines
very accurately the boat building indus
try along the Clarion.
1t appears that along about the first of
the year, in answer to inquiries made
concerning the matter, "the Combine"
gave it to be understood that the price
and the specifications on boats would re-
main the same as last year. On this un-
derstsnding some of the boat men on the
lower Clarion contracted logs at a price
based on this information which virtually
amounted To an agreement.
Later, however, it seems the same
combine" notified the boatmen that the
price this year would be S25 less per
pair, and also made change in the spec
ifications with regard to lumber to be
used that will increase the cost of build
ing S25 more per pair, total of $50 per
pair less than last year; and this must
come off the builder who has already con-
tracted for his logs and timber.
BY the breaking of a boom in the Hall
ton mill pond in the spring large num-
ber of logs got away. These were good
logs, some of them 80 feet in length.
They were gathered up and sold at a
price that was governed by the circum-
stances somewhat and less than for what
the regular logmen could afford to sell
their stock. While this will help the
boatmen out little it reacts on the log
men. Quite lot OF logs are still on the
banks, and unless the boat business gets
a better deal by another spring a lot of
logs in the vicinity of Hallton, intended
for the boat trade down the creek further
will be sawed into lumber and shipped
by rail. Where the boat builder owns
his own timber land the action of "the
Combine" will not seem to strike him so
direct. And when the builder can ship
other products it will not be so hard as
when the builder must buy stock and
run his boats empty. Another drawback
to the boatmen Is The government dam at
Logan's Eddy on the Allegheny, down
near Pittsburgh. The lumbermen and
boatmen had considerable trouble in get
ting their craft over it in safety. To get
over it without damage can only be done
when the river is very high, and even
then it is problem with difficulties at
tached. Boatmen especially have suf-
fered to considerable extent and it is
possible that an attempt will be made to
secure damages from somebody for the
loss sustained.
Altogether, fiat boat building has
very prosaic side to it, and a very small
margin Of fproft these days. For square
timber for gunnels the price paid is the
price Tor the same timber in mar
ket, less tho cost of transportation. For
logs the price varies. For good logs,
with some among them long enough and
big enough for gunnels, the price is Sll.
and under that. The stumpage is high.
How long boat building will be Clarion
river industry depends on TIM attitude Of
the coal men who need and use the boats.
There is considerable risk in handling
boats on account of the uncertainty of
water to float them when built. A year
ago last fall and summer water was scarce
and many boats were frozen in, some
where built, some at points along the
creek where they had been foated in an
attempt to get to market. As conse-
quence quite a number were damaged
and some lost when the ice went ont,
with this risk, with the margin of profit
so low, with the uncertain temper of the
combine" with the rapid disappearance
OF available timber, with increased facil-
tiles for rail shipment and with good
prices for all kinds of lum ber the passing
of the boat industry may not be remote
thing. 1t is simply question of price
and profit as to what shall be done with
the timber now available for boat build
ing purposes; whether built into boats or
cut and shipped for other purposes in
other ways. A few years ago there was
considerable recklessness used, not Ito
use harsher term, in the kind of lum-
Der used in building boats. For obvious
reasons there has been a check to such
carelessness. AT the same time most
anything in the shape of wood, and of all
lengths and sizes, is marketable, and
what goes into boats can find market in
other forms as we'll
Boat building is quite an old time in
dustry on the Clarion. There is a won
deriul change in the character of the lum.
Der used in the business since then.
Flne alone was used 40 years ago. And
only The finest trees could furnish the
gunnels. There is a legend that a gum
mel llO ieet Longtime, of course-was
once hauled onto the scaffold at Cooks.