The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-03-21

that time on, that wild and desOlate region,
for life and activity, resembled Third Street
st. Paul. The advance was pushing ahead
westward, Grass Lake was established as a
supply depot, and houses were springing
up like mushrooms. in night. Teams
were constantly on the 60 day and night.
The big contractors on the west end, who
had gobbled up all the line from the west
ward before got mine, were awakened to
the fact that Abbott was creeping on them,
and that they must rush things or they would
suffer for delay: as every contractor who
delayed the engine had to pay at the rate
of one hundred dollars an hour Woe to
the man who Bannerman thought would
let that happen. Without warning, force
of men, who are always kept in readiness
for such all emergency, are thrown on his
section at his expense, and the grade made
ready for the track. And they all suffered
this way. There was one contractor par
ticularly, who had heavy piece of rock
work; this man had force of one thousand
men thrown on him for fifteen days. and it
literally Swamped him. Three or four 9th
ers also suffered; among whom, [ am
sorry (?) to say, were the two contractors
from whom had severed connections
The air was thick with smoke. and it
forcibly reminded me of the famous ''seven
days before Richmond" The roar of burst
ing blasts. which rent in fragments the
hugh masses of granite. was Malvern Hill
on small scale. And now comes the rush
of teams loaded with ties; two hundred
were employed to deliver them on the grade
in advance of the train.
They had to distribute mile and quar-
ter of ties each day. They passed my camp
In the afternoon, and early the next morn
ing could see the huge engine, thing
had not seen for eight months, slowly ad
vancing ten feet a minute. Thank good
ness we were ready for them! At ten
O'Clock the same day we threw the last
spadeful of dirt-the only contract for a
long distance, east or west, that got
through without the aid of the syndicate"
horde of parasites, but it was a very tight
squeeze.
When the track had passed me it stopped
two days OH the next contract. think this
was the only delay with the western con-
tractors until it reached Dog Lake. its inter-
section with the western division. A side
track was put in within fifty feet of my
camp, the supply and telegraph cars came
with Gods country. l telegraphed to St.
Paul, nearly a thousand miles away.
When the engineers had completed the
estimates, l settled up my affairs. disposed
of my outfit, and took the train for Bisc0t-
asing, the headquarters of the division
manager, where we had final settlement,
and were well rewarded for our labor and
hardships.
We then went out and furnished our
selves, Johnny included, with new suits of
Canadian goods. The next day we left for
Montreal. l parted from my partner at
Ottawa. l did not see much of the metrOp-
oils OF Canada. as we arrived there late in
the afternoon on stormy day in March.
run across my grade foreman at the hotel;
he was pleased to see me but utterly pennl-
less, / helped him out little. ! then took
the train FOR st. Thomas. thence to Detroit,
and Chicago to st. Paul.
In this sketch have confined myself to
the bare outlines. necessarily Omitting many
of the incidents which occurred on the trip.
1t is likely that many of our number were
there too and will recognize the leading
places named, and may recognize me also.
To these would say: the fickleness of fort
une or the viciSSitudeS of life has made me
partaker Of your sorrows and solitude in
this Silent City; and if by reading this lit
tie page, it has helped to while away a
| tedious hour, it will be satisfaction to me.
If we can draw moral from it, it will be
in the fact that in whatever difficulties the
road through life may lead us, there is al
ways royal road out of them. By stead
fast determination to conquer, rising with
every wave of trouble, we may guide
our boat to safe haven. But should our
efforts prove unavailing, and from oversight
we have missed the true course, and the
wild storms engulf us, we can go down
with the consolation that we made an hon.
est effort with noble aim.
THE END.
With what the shoe is lined nobody but