Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-13
Lumber Conditions on Dead River.

An issue of vital Importance to. the
lumber business of the Kennebec
system Of operations every year.is that
of the success or failure Of the Dead
river drives. Last year the struggle to
get the thirty-five million feet Of logs
to the main river of the Kennebcc was
q long and Il hard one, costing many
thousands of dollars and consequently
reducing considerably the revenue of
the operator to a point not reached in
any previous year since the good days
of numbering came on There were
many misgivings during the winter
The snow appeared to he sufficient to
give impetus. to the streams in the
spring if it were allowed to remain A
reasonable length of time as the winter
was L mild one and the sun threaten
Cd to get in serious work on the snow
mounds, there was much speculation
regarding the possibilities of the lum-
Der drives this spring. When Fcbru-
AIRY had spent its rorCc and March be-
gam To show good returns in the way of
substantial snow storms. the hone in
the breast of the lumber operator grew
with each passing day. Finally when
the streams began to omen and the va
ter took on a fr"Shot pitch il was seen
mat there could he natter in sufficient
quantity and the only c;t,ut G.! guessing
induced WAS that relatin. to the man
ner IN which the recently reconstructed
Dead riF"r dam would have.
Today the success Of tho Dead river
driN"S is assured. The Jam with its
new tangled hosting appsrat,,s ne
done its work well and win b. the sal
walton of the drives it is said All tho
drives of the tributary s.room ,ho,.o
the dam are now in the main river
''lth but loss than five million feet IA
be sluiced through the dam. Stratton
piook' Alder stream, the north and
south branches and Flaggstaff pon5
.ieaiii are Tree and clear Of lumber
'io'' one or the cleaneSt drives of
"'"nH years. From Eibby, Spencer
ana Enchanted. drives are well on tbe
courses to the river and in another
week VIII be in the kennebec corpora-
ton.
'''c" again the attention of Iumho,
operators is attracted to the oxnor;-
ment being tried out on Dead river i,
IRVING long poplar scventy-fiye mi,,e
10 me mill. This year twelve hundred
~
''ruS OF the lumber cut in lengths nc
ri'',' 'cet in have been turned down
otratton brook to the dam ana III.
'iios' OF 1t has gone down to the ken-
Inc poplar is not for the n,,Ir
''ii'S put Tor dimension stuff for Tho
o""'rac'or and builder. Years apo
"heh thc nrst pulp mills opened /, ia
state and for many years. if was ho
i'eFcd that poplar would MT al.
l'oS enough to make driving tho
SUN successful and after many vo.,rs
peei'is and junking the stuff m int
lengths of three feet. aI,owina ~
shcks to remain in the SIN an ~
'A vi the stream until after the roo
u.ai urlVihS season was over DRIVING
poplar practically came to an and nn
me kennebec. The nonl.r ,5s;.
i'ad been for short distances onIy ~,
years ago f. p. ViIes of Skowho
eenerai manager of the lumber driras
vi Dead river took a notion tb,+ 49,
lar might be made to swim allow. n .,,s-
o.her heavier timber and the axner;o en
~ the present spring proves ho,.a,
TIE least doubt that the reo,,Iot;n 80
poolar drive is a thing of the 49,,
future and that means a ,ot - ~:
lrmbermen. ''' u Maine