Matt Hemmingsen (1876-1967) Memoirs: A Lumbering Bait and Switch.

From Mathias Hemmingsen’s Memoirs¹

“During the winter of 1903 and 1904 Camp 1 was the largest operation on the river, and when it was rumoured that old Pete was to be relieved of his duties there, speculation was rife as to whom of the several foreman would be the “lucky guy” to take his place. In September 1904 I was put in charge of Camp 6 but was transferred to Camp 1 to relieve the old foreman there. This move by the Company’s head was very resented by the older foremen, especially after the old man personally announced in public that the young man in Camp 1 produced the most, the best, and the cheapest logs, ever produced on the river.

Descendant Notes

The company was “White River Lumber Co.” with main sawmill in Mason WI. It was owned by the “old man” John Alexander Humbird, along with partner, Frederick Weyerhaeuser, as previously discussed.

In the last post, Matt told us that the “gigantic corporation” had entrusted a camp to run by him, the “young punk”.

In the latter part of the summer of 1904, the Company disposed of all its holdings to an eastern firm. The new company changed its method of operation first by building railroads throughout their timber holdings – thereby transporting all logs direct to the mills by rail, and second by eliminating sled hauls and river driving. Resenting any, and all changes in the logging procedure, I determined not to work for the new owners.

After being idle for two weeks, I had an offer from the C. Lumber Co. to manage their logging operations for them which I accepted.

Descendants finds this quit odd, and retro-recommends that Matt “get with the program” since rail logging is on the way.

One day, after working for this firm for 18 months, I had a telegram from my old friend and ex-owner of the IXL Co. (Humbird), offering a position in his lumber organization on the Pacific Coast. (Chemainus) I had an interview with him in St. Paul and he said “You don’t know the first thing about logging in the west, but I want you to go out there and learn, and when you are ready to take over I will make you our logging superindendent – your wages start now.”

US Census 1900 supports the St Paul MN meeting. “Old man” Humbird was resident of that city.² (Humbird’s grandson John, was then resident of Mason WI as previously disclosed.)

Matt’s career was now well off the starting block.

I started for the West Coast and arrived at the destination on June 2, 1906. I had been married about one month before going west, which culminated in a sad honeymoon for my wife’s health began to fail on the way west. On September 1st we began on our way back home. She passed away in February with what the doctors called galloping consumption.”

Matt’s minimalist description of this tragedy disguises his caring soul – he placed his promising career, not on hold, rather, on backtrack -and not to place his dearly beloved in nearby hospice, rather to carry her home and to care for her, until she passed.