The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-08-10
IN THE WISCONSIN VALLEY.
Camping Under The Pines. A Visit to Q
Lumber Camp.

Camping UnQef Inc EInes. "a sASA1 " :"
Lumber Camp.
The camp which the Wisconsin editors
pitched in the north woods after de-
lightful trip up the Wisconsin valley was
set beneath strip of native pines that
stood upon ridge that fringed the out
let of Plum Lake. The location was
within a quarter of mile of Glenbrook
station, and was selected because it was
the site of one of Bradley lumber camps,
and the cook house, sleeping quarters
and stables were still standing there in
tact By erecting large dining tent
and utilizing the cooking house accom-
modations we're easily secured for feed
ing $50 of the newspaper party that
elected to spend few days in the lake
region of northern Wisconsin. Forty
shelter tents were also secured for
sleeping accommodations. The stewards,
cooks and walters had been sent on in
advance, so that when the party arrived
the tents were up and everything was in
readiness for tent life.
Fishing and bathing parties were
made up every day to visit some OF the
near by lakes, while band concerts and
other entertainments were given eve
nings around a big camp fire. Alto
gether the outing was an enjoyable one
to Yearly all of those who participated.
An interesting feature to most of the
party was visit to the summer lumber
Ing camp of Wright Bros. on Trout lake.
Capt Ell. w. Wright, the Merrill lumber
man, sent down an invitation to visit his
numbering operatives, and at the same
time made arrangements with the Mil
waukee road to take the party out over
a logging road by special train. The
road was six miles west from the main
line through virgin forest where the
high pines come together at their tops,
the terminus being at Trout lake. This
lake is one of the head waters of the
Chippewa river. The logs are doomed on
this lake from which they are loaded on
cars and taken by train to the mills at
Merrill and others points on the Wlscon-
sin valley. Capt. Wright met the party
at the landing on Trout lake, took them
aboard of his tug andgave them steam
er ride about one of the loveliest lakes in
that part of the state The lakeis nine
miles long by four broad and very deep
and contains many lake trout. Stops
were made at couple of the resort hotels
on the lake and the Wright cottage de-
lightfully located at an old Indian bury
ing ground About noon a halt was
made at the lumber camp at the north
end of the lake where the Wrights have
large force at summer logging. Dinner
was served the party at the same table
and of the same character as the lumber
Jacks are fed upon and it was a whole
some we'll cooked meal. The camp was
put in few weeks previous and the vir-
gin forests were felled at the rate of
| $4,000 to $4,000 feet daily. At present the
| logs are hauled but short distance to
| the lake to be doomed and hoated to the
I>loading pier at the railroad terminus. A
| gang of swampers follow the sawyers to
| clear away a road when thousand feet
| of logs are swung up under an immense
| two wheeled truck and then teamed to
| the roll-way where after scaling and
marking they are sent spinning downthe
| bank into the lake. The Wrights have
| fine tract of pine near this camp and
are building tram road for hauling the
greater share of it to the lake. There is
! one section in the tract with trees Is to
! 90 feet to limb and about as thick as it
can we'll stand upon the ground. There
| are few finer tracts now left in this sec
ton of the state. Capt Wright's lum-
Der camps banks about as many logs as
| the mills at Merrill cuts each day, which
| is 20 car loads. Thus, tree that is
| standing in the woods today may, before
the close of the week, reach the mill, be
converted into lumber and possibly sold
| to some consumer.
| The methods employed in loading the
| logs from the booms onto fiat cars is a
! simple process but an interesting one
| A hook is fastened to each end of log
when stationary engine slides the logs
up an inclined plane and rolled upon fiat
cars and bound with chains. The
! work is so easily and quickly done that
not over 10 minutes is required to load
| car.
Summer logging is a business of re-
cent date in the Wisconsin woods. 1t is
only within the past few years that the
| lumbermen thought they could carry on
their logging operations the II months
through. Until recently it has always
been thought that snow was necessary
for logging, but this theory has been ex-
ploded, and good many of the lumber
| ing firms now operate their camps the
year through It has been demonstrated
that logging can be conducted as cheap
| ly in summer as in winter, and the build
ing of logging roads and tram ways is
not more expensive than the ice roads
for winter hauling. Good wages are
paid in the lumber camps and labor not
over plenty. Some of the experienced
woodsmen are getting $40 per month and
board at the camps. The lumber jacks,
| however are rowing class and do not
stop long at any camp whatever the
prices paid them.