The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-10-16
TRAVELLERS LETTER NO. ,.
Further into MinnesOla---NeW
Cities or tine valley---I.umbcr
Interests and Log "Driyiny''-.-
Bears and Dcer-A genuine
s'BBunlcr'' and his Homo.
Campo MAIiUE LAKE. BENTON Co,
SxAa.i LIZ

tANPoS MAHrE LAKE. BENTON Co.
MINI, Sept. II, ISIS.
Dea. .1isert;ser We left Mime
apolls on the 10th. and Travelled up
the west bank Of the Mississippi river.
The country here is quite hilly, in
some places covered with growth OF
heavy timber, in others covered with
thick brush. There is more corn and
less small grain raised here than in
some other places we have come
through. in proportion to the popula-
ZION. \ great many Of the settlers
are engaged in cutting wood and
rafting it to Minneapolis, where it is
worth from eight to eleven dollars per
cord. The best timber land sells for
twenty dollars per acre. The first
pine timber found on the bank Of the
Mississippi is 80 miles above Mime
apolis. When it gets cold SO that
the saw mills can not run, he lumber
ing companies send gangs of hands to
the plneries to cut and haul logs to
the banks of the Mississippi and its
tributaries. Each firm has certain
mark that they put on their logs, and
that mark is recorded in Minneapolis.
During high water il, the spring these
logs are rolled in'o the river loose,
each firm keeping their logs together
as drovers would herd of cattle,
and. to use raftman phrase, make a
drive down the rivcr-therc is some
times logs enough in one drive TO
make 3O,OO0.0C0 feet OF lumber. As
soon as the logs start gang of hands
follow them, and when the logs lodge
along the shore they set them afloat,
and when the water falls and leaves
them on dry land they use teams to
haul them to the river bank. Each
drive is furnished with boats, some ot
the men working in them and some
on land. The boats are about twenty
feet long. wide in the middle. and
very narrow and slnping at each end
So that they will run either end fore.
most. Their baggage is carried in
boats. and they have ii crew to run
them and do camp work. They have
regular cooks that get from seventy
FIVE to one hundred and twenty-five
dollars per month. They live in tents.
and their tables are furnished with
the best of everything. The boatmen
and cooks g- ahead and prepare camp.
Their working hours are from sun
rise till sunset. They eat four meals
a dav-onc before they leave camp in
the morning. one al ten O'Clock, one
at three o'clock. and one after dark
A log drivers lot is a hard one: they
are we, from morning till night; the
best of men cannot stand it bu, few
years. When the weather is warm
they get two and half dollars day;
but when it is cold they get from four
to FIVE dollars day. Nothing but
good victuals and high wages will in
duce men to work at the business. II
YOU want to see hard class Of men
go among the log drivers. They Oft
en- camp near the small towns on the
river. and after their davs work is
done they will take possession of the
saloons, have gay time and kick up
muss generally, and being strong
handed no ordinary police can man
age them and they have things pretty
much their own way.
We went through several small
towns. and on the evening OF the llth
camped in a heavy body of timber by
a spring of clear, cold water. The
next day we did not travel. Our wo.
men washed and ironcd their clothes
and baked bread. ! struck out and
found lake where killed a lot ol
ducks: | also found grove of oak
timber containing about three acres
where drove Of wild pigeons was
feeding on acorns. lloaded and fired
as fast AS could until killed as ma
ny as could carry to camp. and still
they came.
The next day we crossed Silver
Creek, and had several miles of brush
to go through. with scattering large
timber AS | was walking some dis
tance ahead of the team ! saw bear
in the road about hundred wards
ahead; | looked at him short time
and then you may bet pair of No.
l / stogies made tracks in the sand at
a lively rate. | met the team, armed
myself with gun. revolver and bowie.
knife aud marched boldly TO the bat
tlc-feld: but the bear like Jobs war
horse shifted the battle from aiar, and
left for parts unknown, and thus saved
hunter and game from big scare.
On the 18th we reached St. Cloud
and camped iu the timber at the edge
of town. st. Cloud is beautiful
town Of $500 inhabitants, and is the
county seat of Stearns county. We
crossed the river on bridge and
went through Sauk Rapids two miles
above St. Cloud on the Mississippi
There are rapids in the river here
which afford good water power, and
! will some time make business place
We next came to a village called
Watah. This is Indian and mean,
tamarack. Near this place we mc'
with man by the name of Samue
Colvin. a professional hunter who
lives at Mahue Lake. miles from
Watab. We had heard the laks
spoken of as being a pleasant place
SO we concluded to go home with him
We found the road to be rough one
a part of the way over trackless
prairie. and sometimes through brusl
and over logs almost impa.sable for
team. Colvin is man of medium
heightb, light complexion. keeI
piercing eye. clear musical voic'
and easy manners. He was mounte.
on sn Indian pony ear-marked. Ac
cording 10 the Chippawa custom h
used n lasso instead Of bride and