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IN THE EARLY DAYS.
Settlement at Don and Forth.
TIMBER INDUSTRY PLAYED IMPORTANT
PART.
aFEVONPORT, the chief port of a rich tract of country stretching
from the Forth River in the east to the Rubicon and beyond
in the west, was not by any means the first part of the North
West to become settled. For some years timber and other pro.
ducts were shipped from Port Sorell and Don, and when, later,
sailing vessels and small steamers entered the Mersey they went
up the river to Latrobe for cargoes. Consequently the settlements
of Formby and Torquay do not loom so large in the early history
of the State as other districts which have since been superseded,
in a commercial sense, by the large and prosperous town which
will be the scene of next week's show. However, from such dis
tricts as Don and Forth, from Kentish and Latrobe and other
regions eastward from the town, Devonport draws its trade, and
it is interesting to go back to the years when the early settlers
were opening up the country which has since become so productive.'
THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.
THE timber industry played a very
important part in opening u; p the
North-West. In the forties of last
century the gold boom in Victoria re
sulted in akeen demand for palings and
other timber for building purposes. In
his book' "Bush Life In Tasmania."
the late 3ames Fenton tells us that the
first splitters who broke the stillness
in the Leven district went there in
1848. They were employed by a
Launceston timber merchant, and the
overseer built his dwelling house on the
west side of the river. Operations were
started several miles up the river,
horses, drays, stores, etc., being taken
thither by means of a punt. The reason
for going so far up the stream when
there was an abundance of timber
nearer the sea is ascribed to the fact
that the overseer wished to keep his
men as far as possible from the public
house at Forthl Whether or not that
was the prime cause the fact remains
that the first. timber exported from the
Leven was cut in the locality referred
to. A forest of good splitting trees
close by the KIentish track was possibly
the real reason why the timber nearer
the sea was neglected. Later on, we
are told, the splitters found a bed of
timber in the neighborhood of the old
Gawler road, and went there after they
had thinned out the best trees on the
west side.
This early venture in timber getting
in this part of the North-West was so
handicapped by carting difficulties that
it was not successful commercially. In
1852, when the gold diggings were in
full swing, Mr. Fenton states that he
bought a quantity of palings split near
the old Gawler road, but a .considerable
number which were stacked on the
western side of the Leven wore left to
rot owing to the difflieulties in transport
referred to.
RIVER DON SETTLEMENT.
Settlement took place at Don some
years before the first timber-getters
went to the Leven. An enterprising
firm. that of Cummings, Raymond and
Co., had a lot to do with the develop
ment of the district. Mr. Thomas Drew
one of the earliest and most successful
settlers, also wvas prominent. Hle was,
in fact, the second purchaser of land in
West Devon, having, with the assist
ance of Mr. T. L. Button, obtained a
block of 640 acres at Don in 1842, two
years after Mr. James Fenton settled
at Forth. The Don Bluff 'wa 'part of
M:r. Drew's section, from the rver to
the top of the hill. Writing of this
settler Mr. Fenton states:
SWhether it was by good luck or
good management that Mnr. Drew con
trived to pile up riches in that dark
period of adversity before the gold
rush in Victoria created such a re
markable and welcome change, I
could never determine. Anyhow, his
life was one of hard-industry - No,
that is not the word, for he smoked
and grew fat like a New Amsterdam
alderman; hard scheming, rather -
to make money by every lawful
means, both at sea and on shore. He
had a big head, and worked it in
stead of his hands; but I must say of
Mr. Drew that, though he was shrew
sharp, and hard in his dealings, yet
he had no fellowship with the liftle
or the mean. He was a supporter
of the church at the Forth, and used
to do many acts of generosity, not
withstanding that he had the repu
tation of being what was called a
'hard nail'. During the forties Mr.
Drew got nearly the whole of his
land cleared by small tenant farmers
who held on short leases, and had to
clear out themselves as soon as they
had cleared the land.
Next came the pre-emptive right regu
lations of November, 1851 which led
to the alienation of a consiAerable area
on the west side of the Don above Mr.
Drew's lot. Among the first settlers
were Mr. John Palmer, a tenant of Mr.
Drew's, who took a 500 acre lot ad
joining the latter. Mr. A. Biggs took
600 acres next to Mr. Palmer, and Mr.
Jesse Pullen followed next to the south.
Mr. Biggs sold his selection shortly af
ter, in its bush state, for £2/5/ an
acre - an advance of £750 on the cost
price. Mr. T. W. Harily went to live
on.the coast about the year 1852. He
bought from Mr. W. E. Jordan, in its
bush state, that beautiful property,
"Winthorp," looking out upon the sea,
half-way between Don and Forth, where
members of his family still reside.
THE FIRST SAWMILL.
In 1853 Mr. C. H. Huxtable entered
into an agreement with Mr. Edwin
Cummings to start a sawmill at Don.
The latter had not long before arrived
in the colony from Canada with, his
brother Stephen. In that country he
had had extensive experience in the
lumber trade. His brother and two
others were unfortunately drowned on
January 25, 1854, by the swamping of
a boat off the Don Heads, while they
were taking a load of iron round from
the Mersey. '"Only one of the bodies
was recovered," writes Mr. Fenton,
"and was buried in the Forth grave
yard. The most melancholy part of
the tragic occurrence was the capturing
of a large shark in the Mersey a few
days after, from which was taken a
portion of the body of one of the poor
fellows whose chance of swimming to
the shore was probably cut off by this
monster of the deep."
Mr. Huxtable purchased 100 acres
from Mr. Palmer with the right of cut-
ting and removing all timber from the
remaining 400 acres. The purchaser
spent a lot of money on this venture.
Labor, at the time, was scarce, and
wages were high. The mill site was
selected in a spot "which looked at
that time," relates the historian, "like
a dense forest of timber on the verge
of creation; for beyond the Heads the
Don was unknown to any but a few
bushmen, who reported favorably of the
forest timber as especially suitable for
the saw." Mr. Huxtable failed to
carry out this project. A Melbourne
auctioneer who had lent him a small
sum of money seized the land, and this
pioneer of the sawmilling industry in
the North-West retired from the uphill
struggle. Mr. Cummings, however
realising the value of a sawmill in such
a splendid position, with a good port
for small intercolonial trading vessels,
with Melbourne providing a growing
demand, and an apparently inexhaust-
ible supply of timber at hand, availed
himself of the opportunity of embark-
ing on a lucrative business; and, as
sisted by Mr. Thomas Drew, secured the
goodwill and rights sold, in the first
place, to Mr. Huxtable.
A curious circumstance, which helped
to strengthen Mr. Cummings' hands in
the negotiations, is recorded. The mill
was built, intentionally or unintention
ally, on the Crown reservation of 100
feet in front of the land purchased by
Mr. Huxtable; so that the mortgagee
could sell the 100-acre block, without
the mill, while Mr. Cummings, under an
arrangement with Mr. Drew, secured the
miill and site from the Government on
a 21-years' lease at a nominal rent.
Mr. Cummings also had the advantage
of having on the spot some 20 or more
experienced Canadian timber cutters
who had come over through his instru-
mentality. He also had the assistance
of another brother (Mr. Anderson Cum-
mings) who arrived some 12 months
later than himself, and of Mr. Joseph
Raymond, a gentleman from Nova
Scotia, who had been a short time at
the Mersey before he entered into part-
nership with Mr. Cummings.
DISASTEER FOLLOWED BY PROS-
PERITY.
In February 1855, the mill was burn
ed down. Dealing with this happening,
Mr. Fenton states that "it was sup-
posed to be the work of an incendiary,
for the fire occurred at midday while
the men were away the day after it
became known that Mr. Drew had pur-
chased it from Mr. Huxtable's estate.
At that time there were strained
relations between Palmer and Drew,
which lasted till the latter died, Palmer
disputing the right of the mill owners to
cut timber on his land. The question
was decided by means of an action in
the Supreme Court. Cummings, Ray-
mond and Co. were justified in cutting
the timber, but not in constructing a
tramway on Palmer's ground, upon
which count they were mulct in dam-
ages, much to the regret of all who
knew of the sterling qualities of the
firm, and who took an interest in the
establishment of such a useful industry
at Don. Notwithstanding all those
disasters at the commencement of Mr.
Edwin Cummings' Tasmanian career,
the new firm of which he was the lead-
ing partner went to work with a resolu-
tion and a will which showed a deter-
mination to overcome all obstacles, and
which affords an instructive example of
what pluck and perseverance can do,
even under adverse circumstances. A
new sawmill rose Phoenix-like from the
ashes of the old one, and thenceforth
the Don firm went steadily ahead. The
death of Mr. Drew in November, 1857,
offered no interruption to the progress
of the undertaking, for although he had
provided capital to carry out the work,
his executor the late Henry Dowling,
dealt fairly with the firm, who were
soon able to shake off all liability in
that quarter and strike out on an inde-
pendent career. I may perhaps be
deemed prolix by the general reader in
going thus into details, but I will be
pardoned by those - and there are
many still on the Coast - who know
that the firm of Cummings, Raymond
and Co. kept West Devon from tumbling
to pieces at a time when the fortunes
of the farmers were down to the lowest
ebb, when without kindly assistance
they must have yielded to the pressure
of the times. They were enabled, by
the aid of the Don firm to hold on
under their difficulties until fortune smiled
and placed many of them in prosperous
positions."
SETTLERS BENEFIT.
The value to the settlers of such an
industry as that started by Messrs.
Cummings and Raymond at a time of
real depression can scarcely be estim-
ated. The firm soon extended their
operations in other directions. They
first arranged with all the settlers and
landholders within easy reach of the
mill to sell to the firm the suitable tim
ber on their land. They then construct
ed tramways in different directions to
bring the logs to the mill, remunerating
the farmers liberally for stuff that
would otherwise have gone to waste.
They extended a tramway up the Don
River by degrees, as the nearer timber
became used up, until, about the year
1878, it jan into the heart of Barring
ton, and was worked for a time by a
locomotive. This was not, however,
until the firm had grown into big bus
iness proportions. A large general
store was established, and uite a vil
nlago rose round the mill. Settlers far
and near were supplied with the neces
saries and even thle luxuries of life on
credit (if required) until their crops
were harvested, when produce was taken
in exchange at ruling market prices.
"Cash advances were also made, to
again quote Mr. Fenton, "where there
was a fair chance of repayment. I
have no hesitation in stating that, but
for the assistance rendered by that es
tablishment, many of the early settlers
at Don and Barrington would have been
unable to make headway against the
variety of adverse circumstances that
impeded progress in pioneering work."
BUSH FIRES.
On many occasions, the historian in
forms us, settlers in the Don and ad
jacent districts suffered great loss from
bush fires. In the then partially clear
ed land such visitations were a menace
to property and to human life. When
the Scotch thistle first made its appear
ance it rapidly overran the Don district
thickly covering every spot where i
could find room to take root, and grow
ing to tremendous heights. It was a
terrible plague in more ways than one,
for in addition to the labor of keeping
the crops clean, the thistles took pos
session of the timber fences and the
grass paddocks. In the autumn the
thistle-down lay thick upon the ground,
forming an inflammabole substance in
dry weather which, ignited by the
merest accident of a match being
thrown down, would burn and spread
with a fury which no human power
could abate. Ascending into the dead
trees that stood thickly in the pad
docks, the fire thus would become mas
ter of the situation for days, and in
some cases, weeks at a time, finally
leaving the unfortunate farmers with
out fences and grass, their partially
cleared paddocks being covered with
trunks and limbs of immense trees that
had beeoon burned down.
The story is told of a fire which
started near the Don bridge, ran up the
hill ahead of an easterly wind to a farm
eccupied by a farmer, burning his
stacks and barn, and then on with in
creasing fury to Mr. R. Jones' farm,
now occupied by Cr. A. K. Parker, tak
ing crops and everything inflammable
in its course until belts of green scrub
stopped its rogress. Later on, when
the country between Don and Forth
was nearly all roughly cleared, a fire
started at Forthside on land occupied1
by tenants of Dr. Casey. It ragedi
with awful fury, spreading from tree to
tree, "producing a scene worthy of
Dante's Inferno," and never stopped
until it roached the sea at Mr. Mad
den's farm, which it damaged greatly
in addition to many others over which
it passed.
COAL AND LIM~ESTONE.
Between the Don sawmill and Bar
rington the country was occupied
chiefly by a hard-working, industrious
tenantry on the properties of Messrs.
Fenton and Cummings and Dr. Casey.
The occupiers at Barring ton were free
hold selectors. " In 1862' coal was dis
covered on -the east bank of the Don
River in proximity to the tram line.
Messrs. Cummings, aymond and Co.
secured the ground and commenced coal
mining operations, sending away con
siderable quantities to the Launceston
market. They also utilised the lime
stone which abounds in quantities high
er up the river. The lime works start
ed in 1868. 'In addition to coal mining,
lime burning and timber cutting the
company added another to their list of
industries. The ornamental woods of
the district of Devon were being de
stroyed wholesale by settlers who burn
ed indiscriminately, when clearing the
land, the most beautiful specimens of
musk, myrtle, blackwood, box, sassafras,
etc. The company decided to turn
this material to account by establish
ing a furniture and upholstery manufac
tory on their premises. They employed
the most skilled and competent work
men and turned out drawing room fur
niture, Mr. Fenton wrote, "'fit for the
biggest autocrat in any of the colon
ies. When Governor Wedd visited
the North-West just aifter his arrival
in the early part of 1875 his attention
was drawn to the drawing room and
bedroom furniture in the hotel at Forth.
This was the product of the factory at
Don. It comprised beautiful chiffon
iores, tables, sofas, chalirs, whatnots,
and bedroom suites made of timber
grown in the district. His Excellency
expressed astonishment at the existence
of such a useful establishment in the
then wild-looking district of Devon. Un
fortunately, we are informed, this su
perior class of workmanship did not pay
in a sparsely populated locality where
wealth and luxury were almost un
known.
BIVER DON TRADING COMPANY.
The firm of Cummings, Raymond and
Co. sold out in 1873 to the late Hen.
John Henry. In this connection it
may be permissible to again quote Mr.
Fenton, who makes a brief but grace
ful reference to that gentleman. He
states: "It would be out of place here
to follow down the history of the Don
to the time of Mr. John Henry, who
succeeded Cummings and Co., beyond
simply remarking that the same good
fortune seemed to rest upon the place in
having an establishment so ably con
ducted and so well suited to the wants
of settlers."' The aInte Mr. Henry was
the founder of the River Don Trading
Company, and now, 62. years after he
acquired possession, that company roe
mains one of the largest and best-known
tradinr concerns in Tasmania.
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