Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-03

HON. IRA H. RANDALL
Who Rounds out Today so Years In the
Lumber Business
Fifty years ago this morning Hon.
Ira H. Randall Of this city, now one
Of the best known and most prosper
GUS lumbermen Of the State Of Maine,
came to Augusta as q clerk in the
employ Of his uncle, Ira D. Sturgis, in
the lumber business and has been
here ever since, in the same business
and in the same place. He has been
constantly engaged in and has seen
the lumber business grow and he has
also seen it decline, but through all the
changes he has managed and conduct
ed it successfully He has continued
the employment Of more than 100 men,
and notwithstanding the fires and va
rious other calamities he has kept on
doing business.
Since Mr.. Randall came to Augusta
he has been married three times. His
first wife's daughter is the wife Of
Daniel V. Thompson, at the present
time master Of the English Boys
School at Lawrenceville, N j. Mr..
Randalrs second wife was Miss Evan
geline Murray and she was the mother
Of three children. The Oldest, Faith, is
now the wife OF Mark H. b. Spiers of
Devon. Penn, the proprietor Of the
great boys school in Devon known as
Spiers' School. The second daughter,
Katherine, is the wife Of DR.. Joseph
Blake Drummond of Portland, sue
cessful practitioner in that city. A son,
Ira Sturgis Randall, Is a successful;
salesman for the Public Rubber Co.
Of Youngstown, Ohio. BY his present
and third, who was Miss Bertha Muir
ray. Mr.. Randall has three boys. MUIR
ray Wight Randall, George LeBaron
Randall. named for his grandfather, a
well known practitioner Of the town
of Vassalboro, and last in the line
James Dockendorf Randall, who is at
the present writing little more than
nine weeks old. lovely, smart boy.
Mr.. Randall has been closely idend-
fed with the development Of affairs in
Augusta. He represented the city four
years In the Legislature, had the en-
tire charge Of the construction Of the
Charles A. Eaton shoe factory and al
SO the reconstruction of the Augusta
Opera house, being chairman of the
building committee. He is now and
always has been chairman OF the
grounds and buildings Of the Augusta
General hospital. He is a man young
in appearance and is as thoroughly
identified with affairs as he was rs
years ago. He is also very optimistic
and enthusiastic as to the future Of
the great lumber industry Of the State
of Maine. There are vast tracts Of yir-
gin forest growth tributary to the
Kennebec water district Of which he
owns many thousands Of acres.
He was recently elected one Of the di-
rectors of the Kennebec Log Driving Co.,
the Oldest and best conducted organiza-
ton for driving logs from landings to
mills known of in the world, an organ
ization which has spent larger sums of
money to facilitate in businesslike and
economical manner the driving of logs of
any similar organization in existence. Mr..
Randall has recently purchased of Mrs.
Daniel G. Robinson her one-third interest
in the ownership of the Augusta Lumber
Co., formerly owned by her father, Col.
Thomas Lambard, so that now Mr.. Ran
dali owns outright two-thirds of the in
terest in this valuable property.
Undoubtedly the success Of Mr.. Randall
In domestic and business affairs Is largely
due to the Inheritance Of an excellent con-
stitution from his parents, with a con-
slant care and common sense intelligence
of the proper conduct Of life, so that he
Is frequently complimented on his healthy
and perhaps youthful appearance. Mr..
Randall has always been very closely
identified with his business affairs and
has never taken a vacation in his life.
During his varied lumber experiences
Mr.. Randall has owned several very val
liable tracts Of land and believes that the
best one In which he has been interested
is one which he now owns, the virgin
tract known as Cold Stream Town, with
now more than COO feet of hardy
spruce trees upon it. 1t is without doubt
the best spruce tract in the State Of
Maine. He has also owned and sold to
the Hollingsworth & Whitney Co. a few
years ago what Is known as the Thous-
and-Acre Tract. He is associated in the
ownership. with others, Of several very
valuable timber tracts on Kennebec and
st. John waters
In this connection it may be said, al
though it may not be generally known
that there are in the city Of Augusta
more extensive ownerships of timber
lands than in any city in the State, which
means the vast tracts of Mrs. ]. Man
chester Haynes. Senator Edwin c. Bur-
leigh, the Augusta Lumber Co., Ira n.
Randall. the great tracts of Boyd &
Harvey. the extensive lands Of Hon.
Charles A. Milliken in Aroostook county,
and the smaller lands Of the Bradbury
estate, and some others. aggregating
many hundred thousands Of acres. whion