RIVER LIFE. 175 



While it is the professed object of this volume faithfully to 

 portray all the poiuts alluded to, I am nevertheless impressed 

 •with the idea that no point vv'hich I have treated comes so far 

 short of the reality as the attempt to picture the romance of the 

 business. 



The boom, which constitutes the general receptacle of all logs, 

 is w^orthy a few lines of observation. 



On the Penobscot it stretches up the side of the river in the 

 vicinity of numerous islands, whose location is peculiarly favor- 

 able ; the boom-sticks run from one island to another, and, where 

 the distance is too great, a pier is sunk — a square frame of stout 

 timber filled with stones. These piers sometimes span the whole 

 river, united by the boom-sticks. This is true of the main boom 

 on the St. Croix. On the Penobscot it stretches up the river 

 about two miles ; at the upper end there being a shear boom, 

 which swings out to intercept and turn the logs floating down 

 the river into its ample embrace. 



The Boom Corporation, on the Penobscot, is regulated by legis- 

 lative enactments, and all logs running into it, or within the lim- 

 its of its charter, are subject to its laws and regulations. Its 

 bounds embrace a section of the river six miles ui length, and to 

 the care of all logs coming within its limits the agent is obliga- 

 ted to give his attention, and the company responsible. It is the 

 duty of the boom-master, with the men under him, to raft the 

 logs of each individual in parcels by themselves previous to their 

 delivery for the mills, guided in his selection by the particular 

 marks cut on the logs, for which service and safe-keeping the 

 owner or owners of the boom receive thirty-three cents per M. 

 feet, board measure, which makes the property of the boom very 

 valuable. In addition to this, every log found in the boom with- 

 out a mark is a " prize log." 



Among other duties devolving on the boom agent is to inspect, 

 personally, every raft of logs, setting down the number and mark 



