File:Canadian forest industries 1901-1902 (1902) (20525001385).jpg

Title: Canadian forest industries 1901-1902
Identifier: canadianforest190102donm (find matches)
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Lumbering; Forests and forestry; Forest products; Wood-pulp industry; Wood-using industries
Publisher: Don Mills, Ont. : Southam Business Publications
Contributing Library: Fisher - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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August, 1900 29 RANDOLPH & BAKER. Two miles from the mouth of the great St. John river, which for generations has been dis- gorging lumber in quantities comparable with any in the world, are the mills of Randolph & Baker, Limited. This firm is known as one of the most prominent in the lumber manufacturing business in the Maritime Provinces. About the first of this year the business of the firm was transferred to a joint stock company, composed of Messrs. A. F. Randolph and C. P. Baker and their sons, Mr. A. F. Randolph being president of the company. The business of Randolph & Baker is now confined almost exclusively to manufacturing for the European trade, though years ago they did a neck of land joining it to the shore for the pur- pose ot allowing logs to be taken through by a shorter route from Grand Bay. There are nearly a quarter of a mile of wharves in front of the mill, upon which are enormous piles of lum- ber awaiting shipment. The mill property is 151x62 feet, with engine and boiler rooms attach- ed 120x40 feet. In the mill are two large gang saws and three lath machines, run by two en- gines of 150 h. p. each. The boilers, of which there are eight, are shell boilers, the furnace and boilers being designed with a view of destroying the abundance of fuel and not for economy. The haul up, put in a few years ago, is a pat- ent improved device, being an endless chain of almost entirely, comes from the upper reaches and tributaries of the St. John. A great advantage which this mill enjoys is the ability to co-operate with the manufacture of lime. Great quarries of the purest of lime rock stretch along the cliffs near by. In the manu- facture of lime much fuel is needed in the burn- ing, and this the mill is able to supply in abun- dance. In the lime kilns adjoining the mill about 70,000 barrels of lime per year can be manufactured. There are good cooperage works in connection with the mill, where all the barrels are manu- factured in which to ship the lime. The waste from the mill is carried to the kilns over tramways, and the destruction of this waste
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Randolph & Baker's Saw Mill and Lime Kiln at Randolph, St John, N. B. large business with the United States, sending as much as 8,000,000 feet of lumber over the border in one year. The bulk of the lumber exported is handled by brokers, Mr. Malcolm Mackay, of St. John, at present acting in that capacity for them. Be- sides their British shipments they have exported considerable lumber to Australia and South Africa, and at time of writing two vessels are loading lumber at their mill for Australia. Though the mill of this firm was built in 1871, nearly thirity years ago, it is to-day considered one of the best and most modern of mills sawing dimension lumber for the English market. In that time, of course, many improvements have been made, for its owners are believers in the policy of keeping up to date. The mill stands about a mile up the river from St. John, on what is now an island, though formerly a peninsula, the government having cut a canal through the heavy square links, fitted with rigid dogs and running upon a steel track up the slip. By it a continuous stream of logs, butt to butt, run into the mill from the river without break and with- out any attention but that given by one man, who touches them with his pole alone as he stands upon the raft. Improved steam roll flippers pick the logs right and left from the bed to the gang carriages, and the longer ones are sawn upon the bed by circular cut- offs. From the mill the lumber goes to the wharves over live rolls and is from there distributed by gravity on branch runs in the various directions required. Of long lumber about 20,000,000 feet is manufactured, while of laths between fifteen and sixteen million are produced. These laths are sold to the United States trade entirely. In the booms near the mills about 3,000,000 feet of logs can be accommodated. The timber, spruce in such an advantageous manner is no small item, as it saves the expense of destroying by other means. The lime is disposed of almost entirely in the Maritime Provinces. In and around the saw mill there is usually engaged a force of 125 men, while including the lime works a total of 140 men are employed by the firm. Mr. A. F. Randolph, the president of the company, is of Fredericton, and is the senior member of the firm of A. F. Randolph & Sons, wholesale provision merchants, of that city. He is a native of Digby, N. S., and is now President of the Peoples Bank of Fredericton. Mr. C. P. Baker, the managing director of the company, is a native of St. John, and has been in the lumbering and milling business all his life. He and Mr. Randolph formed their partnership in 1871, when the mill was erected. He now has his residence in Randolph, near the mill. His son, Mr. Chas. F. Baker, is the secretary of the company.

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