The log cabin Democrat., 1916-03-20
WOODEN SHIPS BEST
Some Built a Century Ago Are
 Still AfIoat.
While "lron Ship" Conveys lmpres- sion of Greater Durability, the Contrary Is Fact-Boat Built
 in 1911 Still in Service.

Bangor, Me.-When iron and steel first came into use as materials for shipbuilding it was thought that yes sel so constructed would last forever or whereabouts, or at least that it would outlive any wooden craft, but experience covering more than hun dred years shows the contrary. Metal ships are rather short lived, while many old hookers fashioned of oak and other native hard woods on the North Atlantic coast in the first half of the last century are yet afoat and shipbuilders will say that it is the live oak in their frames that keeps the ancient seagoers together, but probably it is a combination of good timber, good handling and good luck that keeps them on top of water
 Since the little Philadelphia bark True Love, which was built in 1797, disappeared from the American reg istry the honors of maritime age have been worn by the little 45-ton schoon- CT Polly. built at Amesbury. Mass, in 1895.
 The Polly had a remarkable career as a coaster, having carried as some one has figured it, enough lumber, bricks and lime from Bangor, Rock land, Calais and other Maine ports to Boston to build good sized city of wooden houses.
 There was an entertaining fiction of wide and persistent circulation to the effect that the Polly was a pri vateer in the war of 1872. and that got her picture and highly romantic history into many publications But the Polly was a ship of peace and nev- CT fought anything except the ele ments, which on this coast, especially in winter, provide enough excitement for anyone. Some years ago the Polly retired from lumber lugging having been purchased by a man who had an idea of taking her to the San Francisco exposition via the Panama canal That plan was abandoned, and now she is hauled up somewhere in Massachusetts as relic.
 Several other roly poly little schoon- CTS, most of them under fifty tons that were built at about the same time as the Polly, were ahoat up to a few years ago, and there is in active service today the schooner Mary, of seven tons, built at Portsmouth, N H., in 1911, and now hailing from St George, Me. The Mary is of the so, called ''pinkey'' model, with bluff bows, a long run aft and a high pointed stern like one of the caravels of Columbus. She is a fisherman and has in her time made enough money to pay for pretty good steamboat Next comes the sturdy old coaster Hiram, built in 1919 at Biddeford, Me and now hailing from Calais, Me from which port she carries lumber to Boston and other New England points.
 Hampstead, l.. l., produced in 1928 the little schooner Signal, which halls from Patchogue, l.. l., and is still busy. In the following year the schooner Monemoy, one of Maine's best-known coasters, was launched al Somerset, Mass.
 The decade from 1S41 to 1850 pro duced big fleet of oak vessels of which there are yet many surviv Ors.
 Eleven of the craft launched be tween 1850 and 1860 are still alive, the list headed by the famous old yacht America, built in 1851. In that same year were built the schooners Lodus kia of Bangor, Carrie E. Mclean oi New York and Vixen of Machias, Me. and the Nbark Greyhound of New Bed ford.
 In 1852 were launched the schoon CTS Northern Light of Machias anC Adeline Adams of Boston, in 1853 tn, schooner tRebecca G. Whilldin of Ca lais and tn 1854 the schooners Jane Brindle or Brooklin. Me, and Orc