perience in the lumber business was not successful from a financial point of view. George W. Quinn was for many years engaged in the manufacture of lumber, being associated with Garrett Tinsman, a brother of Peter's. After Garrett obtained control of his brother's interest, the firm of Quinn & Tinsman was formed. It carried on a profitable business for a number of years, its mill finally being destroyed by fire. Garrett Tinsman was born in Bucks County in 1808. His experience in the lumber trade of the West Branch Valley covered a period of thirty-six years. His father was a successful lumberman of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and both Garrett and Peter Tinsman had the advantage of early practical training.

After the dissolution of the firm of Quinn & Tinsman, the latter became associated with John R. T. Ryan, as Tinsman & Ryan, and in later years was a member of the firm of Woolverton & Tinsman, which operated extensively until Mr. Tinsman's death in 1888. During the period of operations by Woolverton & Tinsman, their annual output averaged 14,000,000 feet.

In

The decade from 1850 to 1860 witnessed the birth of numerous lumber firms in Williamsport, some of which became famous in later years. 1852 John and Charles Dodge built a steam mill, which in 1854 was replaced by a more extensive plant with largely increased capacity. Fletcher Coleman secured possession of this mill in 1863 and operated it nearly forty years.

In 1854 a large water power mill was erected by Peter Herdic and Benjamin Holden Taylor. In 1871 Ezra Canfield, H. C. Miller and Seymour J. Noble purchased the property, and a few years later Mr. Noble secured sole control. A steam mill was built adjacent to this property, being operated by the Taylors until 1889, when the entire plant was swept away by the great flood of that year. It was long known as the "Beaver Mills."

PROMINENT LUMBER FIRMS.

One of the firms that was destined to become famous in lumber annals had its origin in 1859. It was primarily composed of Peter Herdic, George W. Lentz, John White and Henry White. The copartnership was known as Herdic, Lentz & Whites, and it erected an extensive plant in Williamsport, operating it until 1867, when Peter Herdic withdrew. Then came the great firm of White, Lentz & White, which soon became known throughout the country. It cut from 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 feet annually, and its members became affluent. They have all passed away, leaving large estates and extensive business interests.

John White, senior member of this firm, was born in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, November 4, 1818. He early became a civil engineer,

being attached to the State engineering corps when only seventeen years of age. He assisted in surveying the vast timber tracts on the Tongascootack (in Clinton County) and the Sinnamahoning, and thereby obtained a knowledge of timber and the extent of the tracts that stood him well in later years. After giving up engineering, he went into the mercantile and grain business at Freeport, but left this to take up lumbering. Mr. White died June 3, 1890, his eldest son, Henry W. White, succeeding in the management of the estate.

Henry White was born in Clinton County, August 7, 1820. He had the advantages of early educational training, like his brother John. He read law and was admitted to the bar, but never practiced. He tried several business enterprises before entering into the manufacture of lumber. He died March 7, 1880.

The third member of this firm, George Winter Lentz, was born in Lebanon County, November 5, 1818. He had a good education, and early in life started west. He found employment in a sawmill at Logansport, Indiana. In 1838 he returned to Lebanon County and studied civil engineering, taught school and filled various clerkships. Ultimately, he became associated with the Whites and Peter Herdic. He died May 17, 1891.

Washington Righter engaged in the lumber business at Columbia, Pennsylvania, in 1834. Thirty years later he took into partnership his son, Dr. Washington Righter, Junior, under the firm name of Washington Righter & Son. Dr. Righter, in partnership with his brother, Joseph C. Righter, opened a lumber yard in Philadelphia in 1873 and continued it until 1881, when they engaged in the wholesale lumber business at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with the principal office in Philadelphia. In 1887 the firm bought the Piper sawmill at Williamsport and operated it under the name of Righter, Benedict & Co., Limited, and, subsequent to 1889, as W. Righter's Sons & Co.

The Dodge Mills were operated by the Pennsylvania Joint Lumber & Land Company; Henry James was president and Charles L. James, superintendent. In the early '70's the mill of this company was considered one of the largest in the world, its capacity being over 30,000,000 feet annually. Several years ago the firm ceased operating. For a number of years previous a large portion of the stock used was brought to the mill by rail.

The Williamsport Land & Lumber Company, of which Elias Deemer was president, manufactured 18,000,000 feet a year.

ORIGIN OF THE SUSQUEHANNA BOOM COMPANY. During the development of the various manufacturing interests, Major Perkins was busily engaged in perfecting his plans for a boom.

He early foresaw the necessity of providing means to keep the sawmills supplied with the products of the vast forests of pine and hemlock that covered the slopes of the valley, and decided that the West Branch could be made the great artery for floating the timber to the seat of manufacture. With this object in view, he surveyed the stream for its entire length and fixed upon a point known as the "Long Reach," a few miles west of Williamsport, as the most eligible site for a safe harbor. At this point there are about seven miles of deep water and a minimum of current, the river forming a graceful and easy curve against the mountain which forms its southern bank, and thus providing a natural and impenetrable barrier. With a line of stone-filled cribs or piers in the middle of the river he believed that any quantity of timber could be held in perfect safety on the highest floods and rafted out during low stages and delivered to the owners. Previous to this, logs that came down the river had to be watched constantly as they lay in the open stream, in constant peril of freshets; and, despite this vigilance, the loss was great, thousands of logs escaping each year.

Having perfected his plans, Major Perkins decided that they should be put into execution, and the Susquehanna Boom Company was incorporated by act of March 26, 1846. Originally, there were 100 shares of stock at $100 each. The stockholders were James H. Perkins, twentyfour shares; John DuBois, twenty-five shares; Matthias DuBois, twentyfive shares; Isaac Smith, twenty shares; Elias S. Lowe, five shares, and John Leighton, one share. On November 5, 1849, the stockholders came together for the purpose of organization. John Leighton was chosen chairman and Elias S. Lowe secretary. John DuBois was chosen president of the company. It was decided to ask proposals for the erection of cribs and piers, twelve of which were built during the ensuing year. These were added to from time to time until the structure was large enough to hold all the logs that came down the following spring. A dam was built to back the water and deaden the current.

Soon after the Susquehanna Boom Company became actively employed, the Loyalsock Boom Company was organized to provide for the logs that passed the former structure and which had to be rerafted for the use of the mills below the dam. The two companies soon became involved in difficulties over the charges imposed by the Susquehanna Company for the logs of the Loyalsock, as well as other matters of detail. This war continued until 1858, when an amicable agreement was reached and a petition was forwarded to the Legislature for permission to consolidate. This was granted, and a complete reorganization was effected.

In December, 1886, authority was obtained from the Legislature to construct a new and large dam, which was erected during the following

year. It is still in use. In after years, other boom companies were organized, notably at Lock Haven, at Jersey Shore and at Muncy, all of which were ultimately absorbed. In 1866 the Susquehanna Boom Company erected a large structure at Linden, connecting two islands and forming an almost continuous boom for a distance of six miles, with a capacity for holding 300,000,000 feet.

During the existence of the Susquehanna Boom Company it has had many distinguished lumbermen at its head, among whom were the following: John DuBois, 1849 to 1857; Mahlon Fisher, 1857 to 1859 and 1860 to 1874; Elias S. Lowe, 1859 to 1860; Peter Herdic, 1875 to 1878; John G. Reading, 1878 to 1883; Benjamin C. Bowman, 1883 to 1887. The officers in 1907 were as follows: J. Henry Cochran, president; Eugene R. Payne, treasurer; Edward P. Almy, secretary.

CHECKS TO PROGRESS.

In the spring of 1860 the first disheartening disaster occurred when a flood tore out a part of the boom, permitting the escape of more than 50,000,000 feet of logs. This was followed in the spring of 1861 by another break, with the loss almost as large as the first. In the same flood the Lock Haven boom broke, precipitating all its contents into the Susquehanna structure, which was the main cause of its giving way. These experiences, while costly, aroused the company to the need of greater strength of piers. Cribs of heavier construction were at once put in and the boom was ready for service the following spring.

The greatest disaster in the history of the boom company, as well as one of the greatest in the history of the lumber trade in general, occurred June 1, 1889, on which date the West Branch reached the unprecedented height of thirty-three feet one inch. This was over three feet higher than the boom piers, and the result was the loss of over 300,000,000 feet of logs. In addition, many millions of feet of sawed lumber were swept away, mills were wrecked and many manufacturers were ruined. The damage to the lumber interests of the valley was estimated at $4,000,000. Logs were carried to the Chesapeake Bay and out into the ocean. Millions of feet, however, were recovered, mills being erected at points along the river where they were afterwards sawed.

Five years later, in May, 1894, another flood, almost as disastrous, swept through the West Branch Valley, entailing a loss of several millions to the lumber interests. The plucky nature of the lumbermen asserted itself after both these floods, however, and, although many were irreparably ruined, those who could withstand the shock rebuilt their damaged plants and resumed business on a larger scale wherever possible.

OUTPUT OF THE BOOM.

The first accurate record of the operation of the Susquehanna Boom

Company was started in 1862. The figures show the great extent of the operations in the valley, the bulk of the manufacturing having been carried on at Williamsport. The following table gives the number of logs, with their board measure, for each year up to 1907:

LOGS PASSED THROUGH THE SUSQUEHANNA BOOM.

During later years the above table does not represent, by any means, the entire supply of logs for the Williamsport mills, for as the supply tributary to the West Branch decreased, the manufacturers went back from the streams, by means of logging roads or the regular railroad lines of the State, and have brought the logs in by rail. The estimated stock for 1907 received by river was 40,000,000 feet. With the rail supply added, the total for the mills was approximately double that amount. The table, however, represents the great volume of lumber operations on the West Branch during the time accurate records were kept. Taking into consideration the product of the mills at Jersey Shore, Lock Haven and other up-river points, together with the operations of the Emery Lumber Company at Montoursville, whose logs came down the Loyalsock Creek, the grand total would probably considerably exceed 8,000,000,000 feet of lumber.

The number of lumber manufacturers at Williamsport is steadily decreasing. In 1902 the logs that passed through the boom were owned by the following manufacturers: Strong, Deemer & Co., Brown, Clark & Howe, Bowman-Foresman Company, W. Righter's Sons & Co., Ezra Canfield's Sons, Christman-Miller Lumber Company, Valentine Luppert, H. Loeb and J. W. Christman. The manufacturers operating mills in the city of Williamsport in the latter part of 1907 were as follows: The