Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-02-17
FROM LOUISIANA.
GEO. RADFORD TELLS OF
THE DOINGS THERE.
KEITH. La, Feb. 6.

| Dear SIR
After looking for copy of the RE-
VIEW for about six weeks, it came at
last, and Dave (meaning Dave Bar
tram and lit on It like hawk on a
June-bug and can say we enjoyed the
copy very much.
| This is great country in the winter
as it has only frozen twice since | have
been here. But for all that one feels
the cold very much as it is very damp,
and in fact, ones clothes will be damp
in the house in the morning.
Speaking of the weather, must tell
you about Dave B. When he came
down he brought some light summer
under-ware as he thought he would
need them, but he also had heavy I'M
der-ware, and before he had been here
week he was chilled through and had
on both summer and winter under
clothes.
1t has rained almost all the time
since have been here with now and
then a nice, bright day. If it was not
for the sandy soil do not know how one
could get around after all the rain that
has fallen.
The natives are a queer lot of people,
as most of them do not seem to do
much of anything, but they manage to
live some way. 1t is very amusing to
hear them talk. For instance, you
might ask one where some person
lived, and he will say: 81 reckon he
done gone lives down this away" Ask
any one how far it is to any place, he
will say: sit is right smart walk
down yonder." 1T is never afternoon
here for it is morning until after din
ner, and then it is evening and after
supper it is night.
The Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf
r. r. has just been completed from
Kansas City to Port Arthur. Tex, on
the Gulf. and it has opened up belt of
timber from Shreveport, in North
Western. Louisiana, to the Gulf. It is
all fine yellow pine and cypress, so you
see this will be great saw-mill Sec
tion for some time to come. The COM
pany am with has IS, 900 acres of pine
lands and they estimate on the whole
about five hundred million feet.
This yellow pine is about the same
as our Norway, only has more pitch in
it and also seems more brittle. They
do not cut anything under thirteen
inches and if they do the mill does not
get any scale for anything smaller.
The yellow pine forest is clear of all
under-brush, and one can drive through
the woods with horse and buggy, and
it makes the finest logging in the
world. Most of the logging is done by
the natives, by the thousand. They
get 81 40 per thousand to cut and haul
for mile or less and $l.60 for two
miles or less. About all use OK teams,
from four to five yoke on truck, but
haul very small loads.
This is double mill. band and cir
cular. and when it gets to running in
good shape had ought to cut 100000
feet per day. Only the circular is
running now and they cut over 81 900
feet yesterday.
This is to be the saw-mill country
for the future, and all those that wish
to follow it will have to come down
here or else go west.
Before the mill started the natives
said they would not allow the company
to bring negro here to work, but at
present about half the crew are ne
groes sent from Beaumont and Texar-
kama, Texas, and the company keep
six men with winchesters on guard at
night, in the negro quarters to keep
the natives from making a raid to
drive them out. The negroes are bet
ter workmen than the whites, as they
will work more steady and do more
work and will put up with anything.
If it is not to hot in the summer it
ought to be a nice place to live, as
there is lots of work for good live men.
Meet a great many men from the
north down here and can tell them as
| fas as you can see them. Some like it,
they say, and again others do not and
say they are going back in the spring.
You must keep on sending paper as am
pleased to get it to keep up with the
home news. Kind regards to all.
Yours Truly,
G. r. RADFoRD.