hello everyone tonight

Hi Dave,

Thanks for coming on board.

It is amazing but the fact is that part of my responsibilities was to purchase the white pine logs that would be sawn throughout the next season.

This was really enjoyable because #1 I enjoyed treaking through the bush to actually see the quality of the logs before cutting and #2-- in most cases I selected and marked the ones that I was going to purchase.

I worked very close with suppliers to ensure that their quotes reflected the quality standards on the purchase order, as we all know the lowest price is usually not the best, or what is required by our maintenance personnel.

You know it was sort of unique because our mill's production pretty well filled the maintenance needs of UCV's small early village portrayal, the carpenter shop, the cabinet shop, the agriculture division, the blacksmith shop, and any other needs.

Sometimes the suppliers were taken back by our strict purchasing rules but as you probably well know white pine is notorious for black hidden knots, and it is imperative that the pine has started out its life in a thick stand of trees so that it gains height quickly, and the young lower limbs disappear quickly letting the trees attain girth of good quality wood devoid of knots.

I did it for so many years that as soon as I entered the bush I could tell what kind of lumber would be forthcoming from the logs--having said that you do get fooled once in a while.

One thing--- I refused to buy logs already sawn and in a nice neat skid I wanted to see them prior to felling.

I remember once entering a bush up near Calabogie Ontario Canada what a wonderful stand of pine--they held their size for nearly 30 feet and then tapering gently to 60 feet +-' just a few limbs on the top, and the wind was gently swaying them back and forth--.

This was great country for northern white pine in the early 1800's and I envisioned in my eye the countryside as it was then covered with a heavy growth of large trees, in 100 years the whole area was clear cut and exported to Britain, the logs were floated down the Ottawa river in rafts to Montreal, a lot of them squared in the bush by hand with broad axes before rafting.

It seems I always get off line from the topic but I guess this is part of the overall picture, and the reason mills were needed such as the 1865 mill at UCV.

Thank goodness that someone had the foresight to go that extra distance and convince the powers in Toronto at that time to create a depository of mills, homes, barns, shops and all other out buildings which would have been lost for ever.

I would like to take my hat off to Mr. Peter John Stokes the restoration architect that overseen every aspect of detail as the village grew during the construction phase 1958--1961 , and whom was a very close friend of mine and my father--he really dug his heels in when things were needed to be done properly.



Thanks again Dave

I hope everyone else looking in are enjoying these chats, don't be afraid to say hello, your name and where you reside, I encourage any input.

Enjoy this Christmas season as it approaches.

Also thanks to the TFG guild members for making this chat room possible, my hat also goes off to you keep up the good work.

Richard

NH