Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-17

sysfem- This awhide trail in question
4 peculiar institution only TO be
found In the mountainous mining re-
Ricns where ten or twelve feet of snow
prevails from December TO June II
there Is NO trail you can get over the
country very well with snow shoes.
bufto keep . mine<upplied with food
nni working materials and to market
ths ore throughout this long winter
pc-iod, IL quite different proposition
HeTe Il where the mule and the raw
hide system of transportation come in
- Imagine . gutter Ia the deep snow.
with walls n spow three or four feet
high on either side. and you hsvcthe
trail that winds along the mountain
aide and serves as the water trans
portstion route The trail Ia worn
perfectly smooth by the rawhide and
iss contents drawn by . mule
For the reception of freight .
green oxhide Is cut at its four cor
ners very much rs you would cut
sheet of wrapping paper II you
wanted . neat. square parcel and
No surplus folds Of paper. The
hide u pierced near its edges with
holes large enough TO admit Of its be-
ing laced with . three-quarter inch
rope. Twenty mules are at the mine
waiting 70 haul down the ten tons of
ore minsd. sorted and ready for
market The ore, having been crumb-
led into pieces no larger than hens
egg. In put into small black sacks hold
ing about 100 pounds each, and the
sacks are slowed on the rawhide as IL
lies spread out, hair side down. on the
snow. The hide r. then laced mp. a
stout rope and whifie-tree at the for
ward end receive the mules trace
hooks, and the train Of twenty mules
starts down the mountain, each ami
nal hauling about 1000 pounds of ore.
The hairy surface prevents the hide
from slipping too fast on the steep
grades. and In an hour and q half the
mule train has delivered its ten tons
Of ore 20 the. transportation camp,
whence IL is hauled on four horse
sfsighs 10 Kaslo, twenty-five miles
away. Such II the rswhide system Of
ore freighting IN winter.
The downward descent from the
Washington mine was = novel expert
enee well worth the heavy toll of the
upward climb. My guide and Dor
rowcd each . miners shovel--one of
the 1ong-handlcd. pointed sort-and
started down the rawhide trail. To
bogganing and coasting are mild de-
lights compared with riding on q
shovel down n steep grade along that
smooth gutter. You put the handle OF
the shovel between your legs and,
holding IL NJ IN angle Of forty-five de-
grees. plant yourself on the shovel
blade and there you arcl Not for any
appreciablc space of time. however.
Yon shoot down that trail ut gait of
twenty miles an hour. taking care TO
lift your feet 30 that the heels shall
lightly touch the snow III you are
raw AZ the sport you win come TO grief
Is you whiri about the abrupt curves,
but The worpt that can happen IL 10
spin yourself against The soft snow
wall a. you bump against the tangent,
and after picking your-eh mp and
Shaking on the SNOW you square your
self on the shovel blade and 20 sailing
along nntfl anosAer curve de<ais you;
and % on down the four Thousand fret
descent ninth. what with thess harm
Les sccidcntz. and with hight grades
where you must get on and walk. you
have made the rsturn trip Of four niles
Ia half ia hour.
Hospitality. The most liberal aud un-
limited. 10 The iuvsriabie rule at oil
th>~e mining cAnp> II you arc n
min.r In search of work and there IL no
work fx you. surp<s, breakfast and
bunk piensffnIiy supplied with warm
WOODEN tlsnse<A asc frcsiy yours. bat
IL IL against camp etiqustts IN stay
longer than for brcskfass o. dinner on
the following day. A. III merit camp
yoa can do The SANE thing over again.
snd % On. 10. how~ves. yoa are .
visitor. with proper eredrntisl~ aDd .
legitimate srrsnd. there Il No limit ~
pour wsicDDs and hospital BIZ trrat-
es~nt "stsy O. ionv - ycu esn-thc
iongrv The better. ~is the hearty invita-
tic8 % the mine superintendent. ard
While Yoa stay there - nothing Loo