26 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



father's interest, the firm name remaining unchanged. 

 But while giving up interest in and care of the business 

 he always liked to be active and constant about the mills 

 and offices when not absent from home on his many visits. 



For ten years previous to the admission of his sons 

 into the firm, Mr. Boardman had been giving more and 

 more time to the study of natural history, especially to 

 ornithology. He had several times visited Boston, New 

 York and Washington to meet naturalists and to visit 

 the museums and was also engaged in correspondence 

 with eminent scientists. Consequently he was placing 

 more of the cares of business upon other members of the 

 firm, especially upon his two sons who had taken his 

 interest in the business. But while relinquishing these 

 details of private business that he might devote more 

 time to scientific pursuits, Mr. Boardman retained an 

 interest in all public affairs and in the directorate of 

 many corporations in which he had large financial inter- 

 ests. He was a director and president of the Ferry 

 Point Bridge Company ; of the International Steamboat 

 Company; of the Frontier Steamboat Company, of 

 which he was an original director and was president 

 of the company at the time of his death; of the St. 

 Stephen Bank and of the St. Stephen Rural Cemetery. 

 He was also treasurer of St. Stephen academy from the 

 time it was established till public schools were started in 

 New Brunswick. These several corporations demanded 

 much of his time and during a long business career it 

 was very rarely that he was absent from any of their 

 directors' meetings. 



Between the years 1868 and 1891, a period of twenty- 

 three years, much time was spent by Mr. Boardman and 



