THE BELLE RIVER COMMUNITY 119

suffer as much as many other communities did. Their experiment seems to be a decided success.

The mill is the one big industry in Belle River, exclusive of agriculture. It requires twelve to fifteen labourers besides the regular employees. It is a large, clean building, a model of} efficiency and economy. Even the sawdust has its uses. It is con- ducted along a sluice and fed to the furnace. Wood below a certain size is cut, packed into bundles, and sold as kindling. There must be brains in that group. Two of the machines used in the mill were made by one of the mechanics—~“out of his own head.” He was naturally gifted, his brother told us, and had not had the advantages of an engineering course.

There is no overseer to keep the men busy for, as they all have a share in the enterprise, they see that all their companions do a fair share of the work. The men, however, are anxious to work. For the harder they work, the more return they get. And if they do not like the work, they may simply exchange places with some one doing another job, for instance, on the farm. Cargoes are sent all over the Island and it is rumoured, some have even gone as far as St. Pierre.

The group saves money by co-operation, for the machinery serves more than one family. Moreover, they take care of their property. We saw three men in a field carefully taking apart, oiling, and greasing a large machine. The ordinary farmer has neither the time nor the inclination to attend to such small details. The result is that his farm implements last only about half as long as they do members of this community.

Out behind the mill were huge stacks of wood.