The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-12-09

meet the demand for small carriers
of lumber. Some think that In the
small barge. towed from point to
point the same as the big coal bar
ges now are, will be the solution OF
he problem but this is TO be doubt
ed. That it will not come so long as
there is one of the "Old sleds, as
these old-time windjammers are term
ed. afloat is very certain. In 1905
The Ashland lumber company made
the experiment OF using small bar
yes in the lumber carrying trade.
They sent three of them out OF Ban
gor so loaded So far as any state
ment was ever made of the expert
ment the public has no knowledge as
to whether it was success or fail-
ure but the fact that the charters
we're not renewed and that no more
barge loads of lumber have been
shipped by the Ashland people is
strong indication that it was not what
had been expected.
BY many it is believed that the fu-
hlre small lumber carrier will be
steam freighter. though the railroad
is rapidly absorbing the small ship
ments, except where they are to
points difficult of access by rail
There are good reasons why this
should be. Chief OF these is the Gel
Gritty with which shipment and deliy-
cry can be made The lapsed time
between date of shipment and deliv-
cry is much less than by water But
the railroad won't help in the ship
ments to island and bay ports, so
that some form of a small carrying
water craft must be devised TO meet
this demand.
Among the remnants OF this once
big fleet of little fellows are some
very interesting old schooners, and
the sight of them recalls some others
which are older or else out of bust
ness. Always in this line there is
the famous Polly. She is the Oldest
sailing ship or ship of any kind in
the American registry. She's been
successfully priyateer, man-o-war,
merchantmen, and now she's priv
ate yacht for wealthy New York
err Then there Is the Good Intent,
built at Braintree, Mass, in 1913.
She's been bringing coal to Bangor
and taking lumber back these good
many years and has been chasing up
and down the New England coast for
9S years. That's a long time and
shows that her name was well select
ed. Most men would call the schoon.
er July Fourth an old timer TO look
at her, but compared TO the Good In
tent and the Polly she's but a child
They built her in Brewer, Me, in
1868. She was a monster in her day
When they put her overheard the
sailormen wondered how her builders
ever expected that she would pay div,
idends. Her net carrying capacity
was ia tons and today she'd be little
better than tender for one OF the
big modern schooners.
Others among this feet Of fast dis
appearing ones are the lzetta. the
Gazelle, the Emma, the Norombega
and the Express. One type OF the
small carrier which was entirely gone
few years ago, but which has come
back to a slight extent Is what was
known as the sailing scow These
we're fiat bottomed, square sterned
and square or practically so, bows
schooners OF much greater carryine
capacity than schooners of theil
same length and breadth and depth
OF the usual design, but they Were
never noted as speed breakers.
Among the present day odd lookinl
craft in the coasting trade is the
schooner Penokee. Originally sh,
was built and used on the great lakes
but dozen or Is years ago she wa,
brought around to the Atlantic. Tn,
difference in her model from tn,
schooners common to this coast al
ways draws attention to her.
So far rs known. the pinkie Main,
is the only one of its style aaoat II
American waters. She is in the Pen
obscot bay coasting service exclus
lively The cargo which she will car
ry is not large, but on the other hant
one man can handle her, though sh,
usually has crew of two. OF IN,
pinkie IL can be truthfully said tina
there is not more seaworthy typ,
OF craft Sharp at both ends, the.
are speedy and easily handled evel
| though. so far as the oldest Bango
waterfront man can recall, there wa
never one equipped with any steering
gear other than the very ancient I'll
Ter. They were good boats in thei
time, but that has past and thei
sphere of usefulness is limited s.
that now, as old Capt Ellis YounI
remarked the other day, They're gel
ting alfred skurse. Boston Herald