Glimpses of the Past Part 40

As long ago as in the time of George I. the British parliament pa.s.sed an act (A. D. 1722) prohibiting the cutting or destroying of White Pine trees 12 inches in diameter and upwards in the King's Woods in North America. In 1729 it was further enacted that the same penalties should be extended to trees growing on granted lands. So great was the anxiety manifested by the British government for the preservation of trees suitable for masts, that in the grants made in New Brunswick at the close of the American war the words were inserted, "Saving and reserving nevertheless to us, our heirs and successors (i. e. to the Crown) all White Pine Trees." Under the regulations of parliament the Surveyor General of the Woods and his deputies had a legal right to seize all White Pine timber found in the possession of any one, although it might have been cut on his own land. It was the custom of the Surveyor of the Woods to grant licenses to the proprietors of lands to cut and take away such pine timber as was "unfit for His Majesty's service and the standing of which was detrimental to cultivation;" but this was only done after a previous inspection, and marking with the "broad-arrow" such trees as were fit for the navy.

The enforcement of the regulations for the protection and preservation of White Pine trees was entrusted to Sir John Wentworth,[116] Surveyor of the King's Woods in North America. He was a discreet and able man, of polished manners and amiable disposition, but the office he filled was by no means a popular one, and brought him into conflict not only with individual owners of the soil, but on one occasion, at least, with the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.

[116] John Wentworth was the last Royal Governor of New Hampshire. He was a cla.s.smate and friend of John Adams, at Harvard. He was an active Loyalist, and at the close of the Revolution, came to Nova Scotia. He was made a baronet and for sixteen years filled the position of Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. He died at Halifax in 1820 in the 84th year of his age.

It was not many years after the establishment of the province that Lt.

Gov'r Carleton wrote the English Secretary of State:--

"Under the regulations for preserving masting timber the deputies appointed by the surveyor of the woods have, or a.s.sume to have, authority to seize all the pine timber which they find in the possession of any one, though it may have been cut on his own ground. * * * I feel it my duty to submit it to the consideration of his Majesty's ministers whether it may not be expedient to relinquish these restrictions on private property, which have an evident tendency to discourage the advancement of cultivation and settlement in the province."

Sir John Wentworth justified the enforcement of the regulations as a matter of national importance. He quoted the experience of New England where, after the restrictions of the surveyor general's office were removed, the mast timber had been so largely destroyed that it was scarcely possible to procure a cargo of large masts, and those that were to be had were held at enormous prices. Even if the government should grant all the land available for settlement, it did not follow, he argued, that the efficiency of the navy should be imperilled or the mast timber pa.s.s into the hands of speculators; nor did he think that its preservation should be left entirely to the discretion of the owners of the soil.

Wentworth's representation to the Home Government proved effectual at the time; his deputies continued to range the woods, and many a tall, stately pine bore the mark of the "broad-arrow" in token that it was reserved for the royal navy. It was not until about the year 1811 that the reservation of White Pine trees was no longer insisted upon by the crown.

The masting business was a very important one in the early days of New Brunswick. Vessels were built expressly for the trade, and, being of large size, and usually sailing under protection of a man-of-war, soon became the favorite pa.s.senger ships.

The development of the masting industry proceeded very rapidly after the arrival of the Loyalists, but even before that date it had attained considerable proportions. Sir Richard Hughes wrote to Lord Germaine on the 30th April, 1781, that upwards of 200 sticks for masts, yards and bowsprits had been cut, squared and approved by the King's purveyor at the River St. John in the course of the last fall and winter, and that one of the navy transports was then at Fort Howe loading a cargo of masts.

The year the Loyalists arrived, Captain John Munro, in reporting to General Haldimand the state of settlement of the country, said:--

"On the River St. John are the finest masts and spars that I have ever seen. I saw at Fort Howe about six thousand pounds worth. Two ships were loading when I left that place. I suppose there were masts sufficient there to load ten ships."

The masts, spars, bowsprits and other timber, having been prepared in the woods by the workmen, were hauled to the water by oxen. Trees growing near the stream were "bowsed out"--that is, hauled with block and tackle to the river's bank. In the month of March it was customary for the King's purveyor to certify the number and sizes of the sticks that had been brought to the stream, "trimmed four-square and fit for rafting," and on receipt of the purveyor's certificate the contractor was at liberty to draw one-half of the money due on the fulfilment of his contract, from the naval storekeeper at Halifax. The masts were rafted and floated--or towed by sloops--to Fort Howe, where they were stored for shipment in the mast pond.

The mast pond was a little cove to the west of Portland Point, just east of the site of the present Portland Rolling Mills. The situation will be seen in the accompanying plan. It was closed and fenced in by the British government for the purpose of receiving the masts.

[Ill.u.s.tration: St. John Harbor]

A few words now concerning William Davidson, who may be said to have been the first man to engage in lumbering on the River St. John. Mr.

Davidson came from the north of Scotland to Miramichi in 1764, the same year that James Simonds and James White established themselves at the mouth of the River St. John. c.o.o.ney, the historian of the North Sh.o.r.e, tells us that at the time of Davidson's arrival the abandoned houses of the French had been destroyed by the Indians, and our Scotch immigrant found himself the only white man in a vast and desolate region. If this be so he did not long remain solitary, for the next year a grant of 100,000 acres on the south side of the Miramichi was made to him and John Cort. Mr. Davidson was a resolute and energetic man. He prosecuted the fishery, and about the year 1773 built the first schooner launched upon the Miramichi. At the time of the Revolutionary war the Micmacs were so hostile and troublesome that he removed with his family to Maugerville, where he became the purchaser of two lots of land near the head of Oromocto Island. His a.s.sociations with James Simonds, Wm. Hazen and James White were not of the pleasantest kind. In consequence of purchasing some land at Morrisania (below the present city of Fredericton) the t.i.tle to which was in dispute, he became involved in litigation with James Simonds, and the result was a suit in the court of chancery,[117] which proved rather costly to both parties. As regards Messrs. Hazen and White there was, as we shall presently see, a lot of trouble arising out of the masting business in which both parties were actively engaged.

[117] This was probably the first suit of the kind in the Province of New Brunswick. Elias Hardy was Davidson's attorney and Ward Chipman appeared on behalf of James Simonds.

Mr. Davidson's influence on the St. John river is shown by the fact that he was elected a member of the Nova Scotia House of a.s.sembly for the County of Sunbury. He returned to Miramichi about the time the Loyalists came to the province, and died there in 1790. His tomb-stone in the old cemetery on Beaubair's Island bears the following inscription:--

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF WILLIAM DAVIDSON, ESQ.

Representative of the County of Northumberland, Province of New Brunswick, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Contractor for Masts for His Majesty's Navy.

He died on the 17th of June, 1790, aged 50. He was one of the first settlers of the river, and greatly instrumental in promoting the settlement. He left a widow and five children to deplore his loss.

"MEMENTO MORI."

The success that attended William Davidson's masting operations led Messrs. Hazen and White to engage in the same business. They were fortunate enough to secure the co-operation of Colonel Francklin, with whom they entered into partnership in the summer of 1781 for general trade and "masting." Francklin's political influence at Halifax and the personal friendship of Sir Andrew Snape Hamond, the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia and Commissioner of the navy yard, proved of very great advantage to the partners in their business. A few quotations from the original papers of the firm, which are now in the possession of the author, will throw light upon the nature of their subsequent operations.

"CONTRACTED and agreed on the 9th day of August, 1781, with Sir Andrew Snape Hamond, Commissioner of his Majesty's Navy, resident at Halifax, by us Michael Francklin, Esqr., of Windsor, and Wm.

Hazen and James White, Esqrs., of the River St. John in the Province of Nova Scotia, And we do hereby covenant and agree to deliver, free of all charges to his Majesty, at the mouth of the River St. John, the undermentioned North American White Pine Masts, Yards, and Bowsprits, Ash Rafters, Elm Timber, Oak Timber, Anchor Stocks of White Oak, and Crooked or Compa.s.s Timber, in the quant.i.ties, of the dimensions and at the prices expressed against each size * * to be brought to the mouth of the River Saint John by or before the 1st day of July, 1782, and there to remain at our risque until they shall be embarked on board such ships or vessels as shall be sent to transport them to England, Halifax or elsewhere. * * *

"It is further agreed by Sir Andrew Snape Hamond for the encouragement of the said Contractors, that in case the enemy should make a descent on the Port of Saint John in order to destroy the masts lying there, that the damages sustained thereby should fall on Government and not upon the Contractors, provided it shall appear that all proper endeavors on the part of the Contractors were used to save the masts."

Great Britain was at this time engaged in a struggle for national existence. She was at war, not only with the colonies in rebellion, but with France, Holland and Spain, and that without a single ally.

Under such circ.u.mstances it was absolutely necessary that the navy should be kept as efficient as possible. The dockyards were busy places and we need not be surprised that good prices were paid for masts, yards, bowsprits and ship timber in general. In the contract signed by Francklin, Hazen and White the prices offered by government are stated in detail, but the table of prices is too long to quote in full. The sums paid varied with the size of the tree as will be seen from the following examples selected from the table in the contract:

Masts of 36 inches diameter, 36 yards long, 136.

Masts of 35 inches diameter, 35 yards long, 110.

Masts of 34 inches diameter, 34 yards long, 95.

Masts of 32 inches diameter, 32 yards long, 68.

Masts of 31 inches diameter, 31 yards long, 61.

Masts of 26 inches diameter, 28 yards long, 25.

Masts of 18 inches diameter, 23 yards long, 10.

Yards of 25 inches diameter, 35 yards long, 52.

Yards of 23 inches diameter, 32 yards long, 40.

Yards of 21 inches diameter, 29-1/2 yards long, 20.

Yards of 14 inches diameter, 22 yards long, 4.16.

Bowsprits 38 inches diameter, 25 yards long, 42.10.

Bowsprits 34 inches diameter, 23 yards long, 32.10.

Bowsprits 30 inches diameter, 20-1/2 yards long, 30.

Bowsprits 25 inches diameter, 17 yards long, 10.2.

The rapid increase in price as the maximum dimensions were neared was due to the fact that timber of such size was exceedingly rare.

The certificate of the naval storekeeper, George Thomas, shows that on the 6th July, 1782, Francklin, Hazen & White had delivered under the protection of his Majesty's Post at Fort Howe, in pursuance of their contract of the 9th of August, 1781, 37 masts valued at 1098.16.3; 65 yards valued at 1502.13.4; 8 bowsprits valued at 181.1.11-1/2 and 20 M. feet white ash oar rafters valued at 156.5.0; so that the firm received upwards of $14,000 from government on their first year's masting operations. Some of the sticks obtained were of very large size, including one mast, 35 inches in diameter and 91-1/2 feet long, and a yard 26 inches in diameter and 108 feet long; for these two sticks they received respectively $450 and $350.

It was essential to the success of the masting business that a good practical man should be at the head of it, and Mr. White's brother-in-law, Samuel Peabody, was selected for the position. He was given an interest in the contract and was also allowed "seven shillings and six pence per diem in consideration of his care and trouble in taking upon him the management of the business."

At the time the agreement was made with Mr. Peabody, Michael Francklin was at the River St. John.[118] The agreement specified that the masts, yards and bowsprits were to be converted into eight squares carrying their dimensions in their several parts conformable to the rules of the navy.

[118] The doc.u.ment was dated at Maugerville the 15th October, 1781.

The parties to the agreement were on the one hand Francklin, Hazen & White; and on the other hand Francklin, Hazen, White & Peabody. The second party were to deliver to the first at Fort Howe "by the first Freshes in the Spring" the masts, yards, etc., mentioned in the contract. One third of the profit or loss to be the said Samuel Peabody's and two-thirds to be the said Michael Francklin, Wm. Hazen and James White's.

While the profits derived from the mast business may have been considerable, the expenses also were heavy. There were many unforseen contingencies. The demand for workmen and laborers in a short time nearly doubled the rate of wages, and the cost of provisions and supplies increased. In the course of a few months Col. Francklin sent three consignments of goods to St. John, amounting in value to about $3,000. A bill of lading in those days was a quaint doc.u.ment, witness the following:

"SHIPPED by the Grace of G.o.d, by John Butler Dight in and upon the good Ship called the Young William Naval Store Ship, whereof is master, under G.o.d, for this present Voyage, George Hastings, and now riding at anchor in the Harbour of Halifax, and by G.o.d's Grace bound for Fort Howe, River St. John in the Bay of Fundy.

To say, one Hogshead, three Casks, one Case, three Bales, one Large Trunk, one Bag Coffee, six Boxes, twenty Barrels Pork, and twenty firkins b.u.t.ter--by order of Mich'l Francklin, Esq., for account and risque of himself, Wm. Hazen & James White, consigned to Messrs. Hazen & White at Fort Howe as aforesaid, being marked and numbered as in the margin, and are to be delivered in good order and well conditioned at the Port of Fort Howe (the danger of the seas only excepted.)

In Witness whereof the master of the said Ship hath affirmed to three Bills of Lading, all of this tenor and date; the one of which three Bills being accomplished, the other two to stand void.

And so G.o.d send the Good Ship to her desired Port in safety.

Amen.

"Dated in Halifax 23rd April, 1782.

"G. HASTINGS."

Col. Francklin procured at Halifax many articles needed for the mast cutters, such as chains, blocks and tackle, camp supplies, etc. Flour retailed in Halifax at this time at $11.00 per bbl., and the freight to Fort Howe was $1.50 per bbl. Pork cost at Halifax $25.00 per bbl.

and upwards. The population on the St. John river was small, and men and oxen were in demand both in winter and summer. The cultivation and improvement of farms was r.e.t.a.r.ded and a spirit of speculation introduced into the country, destined ere long to bear pernicious fruit. Francklin sent from Windsor some skilled hewers of timber.

Nevertheless the masting operations were carried on after a primitive fashion, and Mr. Peabody was constantly obliged to write for articles needed by his workmen. A few sentences culled from his correspondence with Hazen & White will shed a little light on the difficulties that attended the masting business: