14

Sketch of the Norris Arm Mill and operations
1913
Norris Arm, Newfoundland, Canada

15

Mr. Ford Crewe's sketch projects his recollection of the layout and operations of the last mill owned by Saunders, Howell & Co. Ltd. Ford's father, Joseph Crewe and brother, Roland Crewe both worked at the mill.

Audio Transcription:

KD - Karen Dunphy
PW - Philip Walker

KD - ...Oh, the last mill, or any of the mills?

PW - Oh, I only knows about the last one. The other two burned down. I don't know nothing at all about them.

KD - Do you know who owned it, who ran it?

PW - Well, Saunders and Howell Co. owned it. That's where they mostly run, Norris Arm. That and the getting the logs cut. Yes, twas all shipped to Carbonear and they tore it down. That's where Saunders and Howell went on with it.

KD - Did you work there?

PW - Yes, when I was 14 years old, tail sawing to the edge for Charlie Hayter, Aubrey's father, see. And I got 10 cents an hour.

KD - Do you know anyone else who worked there?

PW - Yes, my father worked there, Patrick Walker and Billy Rowsell. He was the sawer, and Dorm Stuckless, he was the canter and Hedley Rowsell was the tail sawer and then father worked on the gang, he and Simon Welsh. And Gordon Seabright took the boards from that to the planers. There was two planers. Reg Freeman worked on one and Cliff worked on the other. They were twin brothers. Clar, there was the cut-off saw. He was trimming the lumber. Lewis Purchase was letting it go down the shute. Mick Green was on the bottom picking it up and putting it on the trolley, shuffing it around where ever it was going to keep. And Gordon Goulding, he was on the burner picking out the, picking out the slabs and throwing them down and the rest went on this big burner, you see, when the water was low. Went out there and got burnt. When the water was low then, it all floated away. And Arch Beaton, he was down hooking on the logs down in this big outfit, shute, and Eg Brinston was up, see, he'd flick 'em off for Dorm and Bill Rowsell to get at.

KD - And who was the manager?

PW - Alan Freeman

KD - When did it close?

PW - Well, they'd start cutting pulpwood when they'd give up cutting the saw logs.

KD- Well, it probably had to do with the mill in Grand Falls, where that one started.

PW - Yeah, no, no, no, that one was started then.

KD - Oh, yeah. That was on the go then.

PW - But see, twas a mill in Bishop's Falls and when she'd grind the pulp, it all went to Grand Falls in a big pipe, forced up, you know. Well, she's still in there now, where the mill used to be, you know what I mean. You mind the other year when she got flooded out? Twas an awful lot of people... and his brother, Lou, and Sam Elliott...the checkers, checking off the lumber. Jim Dwyer was watchman, nighttime. Cause if a fire took place, he'd blow the whistle. People'd get up cause they'd know there was a fire on the go.

16

THE MILL MACHINERY & OPERATORS

1. Jackladder (Arch Beaton)

He hooked logs to conveyor to be carried up to mill

2. Log Landing (Edgar Brinston)

He rolled logs off to the rotary saw ramp

3. Carriage and Rotary Saw
(Sawyer - William Rowsell)
(Cantor - Dorman Stuckless)
(Tail Sawyer - Hedley Rowsell)

Slabs were removed from both sides of logs before going to gang saw.

4. Gang Saw Operator
(Operator - Joseph Goodyear)
(Helper - Patrick Walker)
(Helper - Samuel Welsh)

The gang saw consisted of a single shaft with about a dozen saws at various spaces. The log was pushed through the gang and sawed into various width of lumber.

5. Resaw (Israel Downer, Edgar Walker)

The thick slabs were put through the resaw to get maximum lumber from every log

6. Edger (Operators Unknown)

This was used to square the edges of the resawed lumber.

7. Trimmer for Planer (William Rowsell)

8. Trimmer for Rough Lumber
(Clarence Hayter)

9. Planers (Operators - John Green, Clifford Freeman, Reg Freeman, George Walker)

10. Slash Saws (Jack Elliott)

The slabs were carried through saws by small chain conveyors in the floor, cut in about 5 foot lengths and dropped into burner shute.

11. Automatic Saw Sharpener (John Eveleigh)

12. Burner Shoot (Operator - Gordon Goulding)

He picked out slabs for fuel

13. Clapboard Saw (Operators - Herbert Manuel, Thomas Foss)

Located on the lower level of the mill.

14. Rough Lumber Shute (Joseph Crewe)

15. Dressed Lumber Shute (Nicholas Green)

16. Steam Engine (Engineer - John Snow)

17. Furnace Room (Fireman - Roland Crewe)

18. Toilet

19. Sawdust and Planer Shavings

Material was carried to the furnace and used for fuel.

20. Re-Saw (Charlie Hayter)

And did masonry work at mill

17

Group of sawmill workers
1935
Norris Arm, Newfoundland, Canada

18

The mill employed most, if not all the men in Norris Arm. Here are a few of the workers at the mill taking a break. Notice the smokestack behind them.

During the summer months, the mill would be in full operation, sawing, planing and shipping lumber to all parts of the Island and the world.

19

Tom Hanlon Sr. standing in front of sawmill
1929
Norris Arm, Newfoundland, Canada

20

Most of the slabs that came from the mill, similar to what you see here, were used for fuel for the furnace to run the mill. Some of Norris Arm's residents also used them for firewood.

21

Martha Humby, Austin Freeman, and Nancy (Goodyear) Hynes
1932
Norris Arm, Newfoundland, Canada

22

The late Austin Freeman recalls "There were different companies here. I remember the names but I don't know which came first - Central Forest Co., there was New Land Lumber Co. ... there was three and Saunders and Howell, the one we remember, the latest one, Saunders and Howell, that was the last one that operated the sawmill."

23

Lumberyard at mill in Norris Arm
1932
Norris Arm, Newfoundland, Canada

24

The lumberyard was located in front of the sawmill. Not only were there employees inside the mill but outside as well. The lumberyard was a very busy place during the summer months. This was where the final product was packed and inventoried. Mill workers would work in this area busily loading schooners or trains with lumber.

25

A group of men in woods camp
1950
Norris Arm, Newfoundland, Canada

26

In late fall lumbermen would get ready to start another season of cutting. This meant getting your horse and sled ready and moving back in the woods camps.

27

Lumber camp
1923
Norris Arm, Newfoundland, Canada