Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-01-29
FOREST FIRES.
HISTORY OF NUMBERING IN
EASTERN MAINE.
nrvAsrArIoN BY FOREST FIRES IN
WASHINGTON AND HANCOCK
COUNTIES.

COUNTIES.
rrne following paper Was read by Austin
lev. assistant professor in the forestry de-
,,.,tmeut OF the Lawrence scientific school Of
u.,vard university, at Hancock hall, In an
.adress on Forestry" given under the aus
r;oes of the Maine forestry commission before
~ ellsworth board Of trade ON Dec. ., iso7.l
The first power saw mill to be erected
within the limits Of the United States is
believed to have been built in the year
1871 in the present town Of Berwick, at
the head OF tide on the Salmon Falls
river. In this location, 1t had all the
requisites for profitable milling enter
prise-timber supply, power and facilities
for shipment. The falls ON the river
afforded a natural dam. All about the
mill and on the banks Of the stream above
II stood stores of pine and oak timber.
From the tail Of the mill the boards could
be slid right onto the decks Of vessels that
should take it to the markets along our
own coast and in the islands Of the Allan
tic.
The same conditions 20 favorable for
manufacture characterize that portion Of
our State now known q Warrington and
Hancock counties. In the natural condi-
ton of the country great stocks OF pine,
hemlock, speuce and various hard wood
timbers cover the ground; rivers OF sire
and grade favorable to the floating OF logs
drain it. having near their mouths falls
and rapids which afford cheap and efficient
power. Into the mouths OF the streams
the sea flows, allowing vessels Of 1T size to
come close to the site Of tho mills. Here
are all the natural elements required for
successful lumber business.
BEGINNINGS OF NUMBERING.
laundering cana with the first perma-
nent settlement into this region some
years before the Revolutionary war. My
own native town OF Machias was settled
in 1863 by Scarborough men who set up .
mill as soon - they had housed their
families, and the saw mill business soon
became aud long remained the chief
means OF support OF the community.
Ellsworth, Columbis Falls, Jonesboro and
other points were occupied in tho same
way at about the same time, and by TWEEN
ty years later, or shortly after the Revo-
lutionary war, mills had been set up and
small villages started at all the strategic
points between Mt. Desert and Calais.
For many years these mills furnished
about the only product which the region
exported. BY the wealth which this
product brought IN, added to the agricul-
tural products Of the soil, the country was
opened up, families were reared and edu-
Gated the foundations OF intelligence and
prosperity were laid.
1t cannot be said that use OF the forest,
the great natural resources OF the region,
was either economical or fore-sighted.
Markets always demand the best avail
able, and when producers are not in
Strong financial position only the best is
actually sent to market. That meant in
early times taking only the pine and oak,
those timbers that were easiest worked or
OF greatest technical value. 1t meant
leaving on the ground all but the clear
timber OF trees, third perhaps of the ac-
tually usuable lumber. Then imperfect or
partially defective trees were long dis
carded, while in numbering operations no
attention was paid to preserving small
growth or the kinds OF trees not at the
time wanted. This not only involved
waste, but cutting the best species first
put them at disadvantage in restocking
the land. SO fluent for the best part Of
acentury. 1t was not until about 1850
that the spruce OF this region obtained q
real footing in the market, and about the
time of the Civil war that men began to
make use OF the hemlock. On all these
rivers there is standing to-day a large
share of their native hard woods.
FIRE THE SOURCE OF GREAT WASTE.
But greatest actual waste was caused by
forest fires. Fire is the great destroyer OF
forest, and fires through large part Of
our timber history were allowed to rage
unchecked and unregarded. People did
not look into the future and see the con-
ditions which would then prevail. Taking
II for granted that supplies were mex
haustible, men took what they wanted at
the time, let the fires run and left the
future to take care OF itself. Thus more
than half Of the total area OF wood land
Between the Penobscot and st. Croix has
Deem at one time or another burnt over,