The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1878-06-27
From the Osceola Outline.
Railroads for LOgqinq,

4
the unprecedented losses and hindrancc
I'm logging operations, by reason vi
warm weather, and lack OF snow and
Ice, last winter. Remarkable industry
and ingenuity was displayed by con-
tractors, all winter, making ice-tracks,
sprinkling roads and sweeping snow
together. But, In March, when all
hope Of the usual tapering- off cold snap
had gone, lumbermen began to look
about and strike for entire independ-
ence of wind and weather. Then we
began to hear oftramways, truck roads,
slides, pole roads, coneave wheels,
double fiange wheels, and all manner
Of cOntrivances for hauling sawlogs to
the rollways without waiting for snow.
Among the substantial plans for haul
ing logs, Is the
MUsKEdON RIVER q ROSE LAKE RAIL-
ROAD,
commencing near the head of the Ev-
art Booming Company's grounds, and
running thence, in Il north westerly di-
rection, toward the northern part of
Rose Lake township. Tie road Is COM
pleted, and In running order to dis
tancc of four and a half miles from the
Muskegon river. The track Is
MARROW GAUGE,
light Il rail, laid on heavy timbers and
ties, ascending at moderate grade
from the river back to the logging
camps. When fully completed, 1t will
be
OVER MILES IN LENGTH,
and will traverse some of the finest
pineries In this country. p. &. McFar-
lane is the General Manager of this
road, and 10 has been built under his
supervision. We had the pleasure of
riding over It, last week, i'm com pany
of Mr.. teik, the livery proprietor Of
Evart. We were invited to ride In the
cab of the locomotive, neat and
smOothworking engine of 81 toms
weight, which draws the loaded cars to
the rollway and backs them empty
to the skidways i'm the woods. M 4.
McFarlane himself acted as conductvi
OF the train, and has his platform OH the
rear car. Mr.. Taylor, the engineer,
was formerly OH the +. Il p. M. road,
and fully Understands his business.
When~Q was ready and the signal
given, the train was backed up the road
ut the rate of about 20 miles per hour.
The road Is winding, following old log
giny rOads, and making curves that on
a broad gauge would make an engi-
neer's hair stand on end; but the cars
gli,lcd around them deft and safe. Tie
cars are coupled together by strong
wooden rcachcs-6X4 inches in size ami
about feet long-bevclcd ut the ends
and fitted With iron points with holes
for coupling pins. The bunkcrs are
fitted much like .thOse OH logging
sleiglis, and the usual iron horns to
hold the bottom logs in place; each car
Ia FOL cd, ,a,tn tru NJ,
locomotive Is Il compact machine, with
boiler heater and tank a,l under one
jacket, cylinders at each side over tic
forward trucks, and drivers directly
under the cab. After noting these
points.we cast our eyes about us, for II
view Of the surroundings. The track |
lays as far as finished in lands that |
have been mostly burned OFF, or beech
and maple lands, and now and then
Il cedar swamp. AS near us we cOulti |
judge, the soil averaged very well, al
though il was mostly light. Very little
If any clay was visible. At about 81
miles out McFarlane's camp, coInpris- |
ed of about as tidy and well built log
structures us we ever saw in the woods,
was reached. Here the empty train
was backed up branch, to be reloaded |
ut some skidways. Then we came back |
to the main track, up which we back
cd, just beyond the camp, and hitehcd
on to u loaded train of eleven cars, con-
tanning about 20,0OO feet Of logs. As
we had gone down grade little to this
train, we concluded that the plan would
be to haul out about half the the train,
sidetrack 1t OIL the branch, and then go
for the other half; but, to our surprise,
Mr.. Taylor pulled the throttle steadily
open, the little engine began to pun
and tug, and the train moved out Of
that slope, as firmly and surely as did
any 6-year-old c0rporosity over the
when the schoolmaster took n double
reef ON his coat collar. Then we began
to make time for the river, but not it
the fast rate we were backed into the |
pineries. 1t Is down Crude, and scarce
ly any steam was used-the engine be- |
ing kept I'm motion just enOngh to keep |
the train ."wcll I'm hand" as horse
man would say. The rear cars-yen-
orally two Of them-are kept closely /
tightened by strong brakes on this down |
trip, 50 as to prevent the cars from |
crOwding. We were told that If they |
were allowed to run with full force, we |
could witness the biggest kind ofground |
and lofty tumbling, as they would be |
very liable tojuinp the track at the first |
curve. or this we are quite sure, too;
for we noticed that at every curve the |
heavily loaded trucks crowded over to |
the outer rail and that guide rail was
laid just inside the track parallel to the |
inner rail of the curve, to steady the
flanges Of the wheels. The rate OF |
speed was about miles an hour. After
about an hour and twenty minutes for
the round trip we approached the roll
way Mt the river side, and the train was
hauled alongside. Instantly men were
on hand with cant hooks, the chains
which fastened the logs OIL the cars Tin
the same manner they are fastened on
sleighs In winter) were rapidly lOosen-
Ell, and the logs " ent tumbling down
the rollway into the water. The un-
loading was performed by half-a-doz-
en men inside Of ten minutes time. |
We learn that this road Is putting In
logs at the rate Of 15O.OO0 per diem, and
that IL is paying an excellent figure on
the investment. When the whole sew
en- miles Is completed there Is business
enough In the future to keep the road
OH a paying bnsis, for at least four or
five years. The pointto be reached 10y |
the road Is In the east part of Rose
Lake township, and the road will tap
some number one pine in that town.
ship and in the township OF Hartwick.
Not much less than 100 millions Of pin.
will eventually be transported over
this, load. Bidding good bye to the
train as II was hacking out for another
trip we returned towards Evart; and
reached what Is known as the
EvART & osCEoLA RAILROAD,
just as the train was ready TO leave for
the LaBeuflogging camp. Thanking
Mr.. Iseik, for his Kindness, we left him
to drive back to the village, and maole
our way to the cab OF the engine. The
hearty voice of Mr.. Freeman, the en-
gineer, formerly of the ID. q NJ. J invit-
ed US In, rs soon as we made known
our mission. Mr.. Trumbull, of Evart,
was on board, II being n favoritef treat
of the Evart folks TO take an occasional