The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-03-12
Sec. 8, Croton Aqueduct
~ Yonkers N. Y. :

= y
and dOings since leaving Medora, the
queen city Of tho Bad Lands. Leaving
about the 10th Of July last in company
with your weil-known friend Joe Pennell
ESQ., to join his partner who had taken
contract on the, Canadian Pacific on the
north shore of Lake Superior. This we
completed on the 21st day of Dec. last,
giving entire satisfaction to the company
and gaining considerable notoriety. as
rail road builders. After remaining in
camp some weeks to settle our business
affairs we; on January Is, received a
telegram frem Mr.. T. G. Jones to move
our forces Immediately to this point
where he had taken a contract Of three
miles,of tunnel Work. On leaving our
camp in Ontario we fitted up six sletls to
haul our baggage. blankets some rations
for ourselves and forage for our mules,
making comparatively very Light load,
particularly our baggage which con
sisted Of what wearing apparel we had
on our persons. We anticipated rather
tedious though pleasant trip. However
after oncountering the snow few hourE,
which measured four feet in depth, tile
thermometer ranging from forty to sixty:
below zero, atmosphere damp and heavy,
we were induced to change our notions Of.
pleasantness and felt somewhat disap-,
pointed. Anxious however to return to
a "land of milk and honey" we pressed
forward and accomplished our undertak-
ing without a murmur from one of the
fourteen persons composing our company.
Three pairs Of heavy wool mitts, four
pairs of stockings Of like character with
Arctic oyershoes, moccasins OF shoepads.
Even with that protection, our hands
and feet suffered come from cold. Our
sojourn in Ontario hardened our cheeks
to such an extent that I am happy to say
none were touched the Slightest with
frost. "A few days out convinced us of
the impossibility of proceeding further
with our sleds, which we were reluct-
antly compelled to abandon at Pic River,
one Of the tributaries of Lake Superior,
having yet one hundred miles to go be-
fore reaching rail road transportion.
We had but a limited time to perform
the journey, the train making only
weekly trips and in the event of our
missing it would compel us to remain
over a week. We lighted up and packed
our mules with our blankets, small
amount of rations for ourselves and
some forage for the animals. Mounted
on the hurricane deck Of a hungry mule,
we set ont to cross portion Of the lake
a distance of about forty miles, with
quite depth Of snow on the ice and a
very imperfect trail. In the afternoon
we missed q certain point steered for,
losing our way. We continued travelling
until some time after dark, when we dis
covered the outlines of timbers, which
proved to be a small island and afforded
us good shelter. Here we made rather q
comfortable camp for the night the
mercury Indicating about 46 below. AT
daylight tho next morning we were
again on the trail, fighting snow on an
N. 7. stomach arriving ut our point Of
shipment about 1o'cloek p NJ. We made
an attack on the dinner table at the
hotel groaning under the luxuries Of
Ontario, j. q, dried apples, condensed milk
and oat meal porrage, which We derour-
ed in q ravenOus manner, much to the
chagrin Of the hostand hostess. Ship
ning our stock to Medora and ourselves to
this point, we arrived on the I4th inst,
where We found Ar Jones busily engaged
with Il large foscs Of mon and first-class
machinery, boring into the bowels Of the
leaTth to reach the top of the intended
tunnel below, 4 distance Of about atty;
seven feet threngh a solid rock, clnssst
ahy engineers as gneiss. about like the