27 



New Hampshire were fish and lumber. The latter commodity 

 embraced spars and masts for the royal navy and the mercan- 

 tile marine of the old country. These were made from large, 

 straight, and tall white pines, which were found scattered 

 throughout the woods, more particularly in the neighborhood 

 of the streams. 



In the first minister's time, and even later, u masting," as it 

 was termed, was pursued to some extent by parties residing 

 within the limits of his parish. The business was laborious, 

 hazardous, and expensive. It required good judgment in the 

 selection of proper trees, and in the felling and moving of 

 them. As many as one hundred and four oxen were some- 

 times required for their transportation from the woods to the 

 river upon which they were floated to their destination, which 

 was usually Newburyport, Mass. This business therefore 

 required during the time of its prosecution the temporary aid 

 of the teams and of many of the men of a large surrounding 

 area, and awakened much interest in the community. In this 

 the first minister shared, manifesting it by sending his team to 

 help on the work. 1 



This imperfect explanation of the business in his time and 

 locality will make plain to you the significance of the following 

 extracts from his diary for the year 1764. 



1 The first mast-master of whom we have particular knowledge was Lieut. 

 John Webster. . . . Mr. Timothy Walker remembers that Lieut. Webster 

 cut a mast in Northfield which measured thirty-eight inches in diameter at 

 sixty feet from the butt, and took one hundred and four oxen, or fifty-two 

 teams, to draw it. 



The next famous master was Capt. Reuben Kimball. The manner in 

 which he carried on the business was as follows : Taking a strong team in 

 the winter, of twenty yoke of oxen or more, with sleds and an adequate num- 

 ber of men, he went into the woods and camped. His men were divided into 

 sections for particular parts of the work, called swampers, teamsters, chop- 

 pers, peelers, and tailsmen. The swampers cleared the way; choppers cut 

 down the trees ; peelers peeled off the bark ; teamsters drove the oxen ; and 

 two tailsmen walked beside the hind team, and in case at any time the tongue 

 of the sled, in passing a hollow place, run so high as to lift the hind oxen up 

 by the neck, then the tailsmen seized the tails of the oxen and drew them out- 

 ward, so that in coming down the tongue of the sled would not strike them. 

 — Bouton's History of Concord, pp. 537, 538. 



