The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-02-05

The following interesting story Of a
notable car~cr. and OF man who has
been known In Astoria for many years
will be read with avidity by people to
whom liie.Atories mean something and
especially In the light Of their person
nj knowledge Of the man himself. The
clever bic Of personal history l. taken
from the last issue Of the Pacific Lum.
Der Trade Journal. an authority on all
such matters and thoroughly responsi.
ble when Il comes 10 facts, figures and
history In the lumber line.
Replacing the mill destroyed by fe
on June 10th last. the mill Of the Simp.
son Lumber Company made its first
run on December 0, saving about 50,-
900 feet of lumber as tryout for the
machinery. Everything went OF with
out hitch and Captain A. NJ Simpson
ha. certainly produced the best saw
mill IN his hfiy.iiye year. Of sawmill
success on the Pacific Coast
The frame Of the mill is EOS feet
long and ~ feet wide. For a head
saw Il has a Filler &Stowell ten foot
hand. There also u band rcsaw, an
Ailis eight foot poney resaw. an Allis a
Chalmers edgcr and a slab slashed in
the saving equipment. The estimat.
ed capacity Is 100000 feet of lumber u
day. Power Is furnished by a battery
of eight high pressure boilers and a
pair Of Atlas 22x2I twin engines. The
transmission machinery was furnished
by the Challoner 4 Perkins Company.
Tho machinery throughout is about
the hes, money could buy and practi.
cal experience could place
"Thc fire which destroyed the mill
dill not burn the kilns OF planer
sheds, but Notwithstanding this, while
the new building was going on, the
opportunity was seized TO make few
minor improvements in these depart
ments also, so that the Simpson Lum
her Company is now in fine shape TO
resume the good rail and cargo trade
to which the mill was cutting prior TO
June 10 last.
"The planning mill is well equipped,
having Berlin inside moulder,
Berlin double surfacer, llo,t match
err aud $. A. Woods hatcher of
the latest make. Power for this de-
partment comes from an 1920 Atlas
engine. ssss
"w. IT. Boncr recognized as one Of
tho most able and experienced man
ufacturers on the coast, continues as
general manager of the new mill.
despite his advanced age the found
er Of the great Simpson Lumber Com
pany takes very active part IN the
business.
Capt. Asa NJ Simpson is certainly
a most remarkable man. lie was
brought up in the ship business. as
well Us his father aud his fathers faith.
er before him. They had an extensive
ship building plant at the junction Of
the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers
IN Maine.
A NJ Simpson was borne in Drums
wick. Maine, in 1896. After obtain.
ing his education in the schools Of
that city he followed shipbuilding
until twenty'three years Of age, when in
1910, he and others of Brunswick
tackled the unique proposition of tax.
ing cargo of lumber. from that port
around the Horn TO San Francisco. Each
of the crew had an interest amounting
TO one thirty.second. The ship Bir-
mingham reached the Golden Gate early
In 1850, after five months voyage,
and the ships company chose Capt Simp'
son to take charge of the sale of the
cargo, He disposed Of the shipment at
such satisfactory price that he began
looking around for a source Of supply
for more lumber for the San Francisco
market.
''IIe finally eontented himself temper
trily with retril nmbsr ppd in
Stockton, and gave up the business a
couple Of years later 30 a younger
brother, A. W. Simpson, The enter
prising young Yankee was determined
20 be a manufacturer and In 1882 he
went to Astoria, Oregon, then a
small settlement Of trappers and fish
ermen. employed by the Hudson Bay
Company, and built the first steam
sawmill In Oregon, there being but