The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-08-01
THE GIGANTIC NUMBERING OPERATIONS
Of THE C0BURNS
Pioneer Lumbermen Of the State Thirty Six
Saw-Mills Along Shores of Kennebec


Philander Coburn first cut logs, the
Maine saw mill was at its best and
these pioneer lumbermen of the State
were among those who understood
the value of the vast timberlands of
the North woods.
The father of the Coburns was one
of the most extensive land surveyors
of his time. This gave him a knowl-
edge of timberlands and finally led
him into the lumber business. When
boy, Abner was his assistant and
in 1925, when but % years of age, he
began surveying on his own account,
and for a number of years was an
expert surveyor.
In 1890, Eleazer Coburn and his
sons began their numbering opera
tions on the Kennebec river. 1t was
then they made their first purchase
of timber lands under the firm name
of E. Coburn & Sons. The business
was continued until 1916 when the
father died and then the firm of A. Il
P. Coburn was formed.
Such a. business firm that was,
more widely known than any that has
flourished since in the State. No
firm ever won a more successful or
enviable reputation for sagacity, per-
sistence and sterling business inte-
gritty than that of Governor Coburn
and his brother. They made their
way honestly, by right methods they
never engaged in wild speculations
but by legitimate policy through in
dustry and forethought they made
good. For more than half a century
the Coburn brothers were known AS
lumbermen from the source to the
mouth of the kennebec. Along the
line of the upper Kennebec, men be-
gan to work for the Coburns and they
grew gray in their employ.
Some of the men who sawed the
Coburn logs owned little land, and
saving as they could, bought more and
in time had saw mills of their OWL
numbering is an expensive business
and it took time to get money to in
vest in more timberland but the Co
burns always helped them, and their
men never wanted to leave them
They remained loyal to their employ
ers' interests and worked for them
even after they had their own mills
to manage One old-timer stated that
he had never gone back on the Demo
cratic ticket but twice in his life, and
then he voted for the Coburns and
always would, every chance he got.
In those days of struggling owners
of the first saw mills it was said, that
the Coburns with all their vast lum-
Der interest found time to befriend
many a man whose money had all
gone into his timberland and mill.
Even when Abner Coburn became
governor of Maine, serving the State
as faithfully as he did his great tim
Der interest, he always kept the well
fare of his lumber crews in mind and
was careful that the big business
should be well looked after in every
detail of the camps and cutting, and
the great spring drives.
Somerset county men, it naturally
followed that many of their holdings
were in that county. To-day, up in
Northern Maine, they reckon events
by when Abner Coburn did this" or
back in those days when the Co
burns cut the big timber on the En-
chanted."
Able and vigorous men were all
those pioneers of the Maine timber
land. They helped develop the re
sources of Maine by building up her
lumber industry. They scaled mil
lions and millions of logs, and the
cut was enormous. That made work
for the saw-mills and all through
Maine could be heard the sound of the
great saws. They employed big
crews and when Abner Coburn died
in 1885, when he was governor, he
was numbering extensively in the
Maine woods, with one hundred men
employed under that faithful friend
and worker, Heman Whipple.
MILLS DIFFERENT THEN.
Those early saw mills were some
what different from those of to-day
They used board circular saws; the
under saw was the main saw. The
other was used to saw big logs. The
under one wouldn't cut through.
When the logs are driven into the
booms is an event in the season OF
logging, marking as it does the last
chapter in the work of the up-riyer
crew for the logging camps are al
ways "up-riyer" with the lumbermen
The drive comes down some time IN
the three months of June, July anC
August. A clean drive is where they
getsthe whole of the logs, fair drive
when they get seven-eighths of them
In the first of Names numbering OPP
erations they hauled logs right from
the stream back; but now the lumber
has been SO cut off that they have to
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