Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1906-06-21
SOL SIMPSON, IoccER.
New . Captain OF Indussry Msds Goo, On
the Coast.

New . Captain OF Indussry Msds Coca o.,
the Coast.
Sol Simpson. logger, lied In Seattle
last Wednesday, leaving a wide circle
OF business and social frieuss to mourn
his loss. The business of logging has
never been credited with the same de.
gree or Importance a. some other call
tngs In which men engage. There have
been loggers on Puget Sound for more
than half a century, just as there
have been on the Columbia River and
in British Columbia. Sol Simpson
was not an ordinary logger. He was
one OF those rare plains OF industry
who prove by their life work that,
while all men are created free and
equal. few of them. by individual
effort and energy, soon dissolve the
bonds OF equality. Early environment
ana opportunity caused Mr.. Simpson
to drift into line of Industrial effort
where Drawn and brains were alike
necessary to success. The rare execu-
tive ability and financial acumen that
developed in Mr.. Simpson later in life
Is proof positive that equal success
would have followed his efforts i'm al
most any financial or commercial line
on which he might have started.
Beginning as n common laborer on
the railroad grade. Mr.. Simpson saved
his meagre wages, and through his
great industry and ability to grasp the
essential features OF the most ordinary
task allotted to him. was soon i'm a posi-
ton to undertake sub-contracting Oh a
small scale. From that he moved on
up the scale. until in the railroad build
Ing era Of the seventies" he held "A
number OF important contracts on the
Southern Pacific. With the decline of
the railroad building he went to Seat
tie and engaged in the business of gen.
eral contracting. but finding an INSULT
cheney of that class of work, turned TO
logging. business in which for more
than twenty-five years he has stood at
the head. Beginning with handful OF
men, half dozen oxen and few
chains. the Simpson Logging Company
developed into an enterprise which
now employs 500 men, owns many
miles Of railroad with numerous ell.
Gines and cars, and annually puts i'm
the water more than 1OO,OOO.OOO feet
Of logs.
y business cannot grow from moth
Ing into such magnitude without Tie
controlling influence of a master mind.
and until the foundation of his sue.
cess had been firmly placed Mr.. Simp-
son remained in the woods with his
men and oxen, directing every move
ment He reduced the work of trans
porting merchantable timber from tile
forest TO the mill to science. and
while less enterprising loggers were
still engaged in hand logging or using
oxen, Simpson had installed the donkey
engine. tie logging railroad and other
up-to-date equipment. The world pays
tribute 10 industrial genius. and in due
season by strict attention to his work.
Sol Simpson. logger, accumulated more
money than he needed in his work He
bought steamboats, and steamships.
ana became heavily interested in nu-
merous banks on Puget Sound. Here i'm
Portland the steamship Oregon had
been lying idle for months, badly i'm
need of repairs, which her owners
would not make, because they were un-
able TO discover a route on which she
could make money. Regarding her i'm
this unfavorab!e light. they sold her
cheap. and her purchaser. Sol Simpson.
logger. repaired her and placed her on
the Alaska route. where, on her first
trip. she made enough profit to pay
for her purchase price and the cost of
repairs, and on her second trip added
more than $4,000 TO the Simpson bank
account.-Portland Oregonian.