Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-06-27
Mike and The BanShee.
An Incident of Logging-Camp
Life in the Sierra Nevada.

WHICH are MAKING SAtcllSlNS lillOddo up
on the magnificent tracts of timber-land.
The chain of mountains abounds in pic
s turesque scenes, evergreen trees, gigantic
and medium sized, and fuzzy little thick
cts of dminutive saplings clothe the en-
tire range, barring the bald, snow-capped
peaks, and the acres cleared by the hand
Il Of man.
The State Line Saw-Mills are per-
haps, as we'll known as any other mills
on the Truckee River a stream that fur
3 nshes power to dozen or more like in
stitutions along the eastern slopes of the
Sierras. For a matter of convenience
. the site of the State Line Mills is situat-
ed on the banks of the Truckee, and
within few hundred feet Of the South
ern Pacific Railway, insuring an abund-
anCe of water power and a ready means
Of shipping lumber But the logging
camp is perched way tip near the snow
s line, and access to it is impossible by We
hicle, on account of the steep, broken
3 contour of the mountainous district. OF
course it is very essential that the log
) glngcamp be kept we'll supplied with
& provisions, and as there are never fewer
8 than thirty hearty and vigorous men en-
i ployed at their various tasks preparing
I the virgin forests for the saw, you can
imagine what a quantity of food is re-
a CURED to keep the larder we'll stocked.
The mode of conveying all kinds of
supplies to the airily located camp is by
train of seven pack-mules-sm small,
why creatures that are strong and agile
and quite capable of carrying burden
equal to their own weight up the ardu-
81 Gus mountain trail that coils in a tortu-
Gus fashion from the mill up the high
mountains to the rough log cabins which
constitute the loggers' domain. A sight
long to be remembered are these donk-
eys laden with cumbersome pack-sad-
dies. piled high with miscellaneous
goods, carefully picking their way up
the dizzy trail You wonder that such
tiny creatures can stagger under the
& loads, let alone their climbing an almost
perpendicular ascent.
1t is no easy thing to pilot train of
mules up a narrow mountain trail; they
can not be hurried out of slow, slow
walk frequently coming to a halt, and
occasionally lying down in the middle OF
the trail This last act is exceedingly
aggravatng, as the pack has to be re-
moved before the donkey can arise again.
With all the trials and tribulations con-
reced thereto, French joe got along
spendidly as muleteer of the State Line
tack-train- a big, cheerful man, with
deep. sonorous voice that each individual
dG-i- hoJ To nd
"HolIoa, Jinny!' rang out like rich
toned bell, and urged on the mules when
81 lash would not have aVailed in the
IS least
Every day the trip had to be made;
besides the provisions for the men, there
were twenty head of oxen and as many
.hcrscs to be supplied with provender.
One day the superintendent OF the log
ng-camp, while down on visit to the
mills, happened to observe drove OF
pigs roofing about the boarding house.
tie suggested to his employers that it
would be an excellent idea to have few
Of them up at camp, as there was plenty
Of refuse from the tables to keep them
lat, and his men would appreciate fresh
pork now and then. The mill owners
agreed with him, and SO begins the real
motive Of this tale.
1t is next to impossible to drive pigs
along a wide, level roadway; it was
utterly impossible to drive them up the
mule trail How, then, could these ten
lat young porkers, weighing from fifty
10 seycnty-hve pounds each, be trans
"a ported from their present field to the
Ngglng-camp? The men gave it up as
on unSoIved riddle; just then French
Ioes voice sang out loud "Holloa,
Inny and the superintendent exclaim-
"a. he pack-mules That's the thing
box the pigs up and load EN- on Joe's
oonNeyS. What could be more simpler ?"
Easily said; but the weary corps of
men that caught and boxed the slippery,
NOISY SAoatS declared that it was the
""F"est days work they ever expert
o!SeU. French Joe wore look of dis
gus HerblcM! I nevair before see re
F'S packed ze mule on. Nevair p
nevertheless, the Grated porkers were
noS;ed upon the pack-saddles, two for
'&cn mule. Barring an occasional
sTunt, or flint squeal, the pigs, tired
N'-'NA NAISAl NetifStAil l1uSSlSS against
capture, gave no signs of displeasure at
'heIr peculiar position. The funny little
donkeys, accustomed to burdens vary
Ing from fresh meat to cord-wood, seem
ed quite Indifferent to the oddness of
y their live freight
French Joe's good-natnred smile
wreathed his broad face once more as
he beheld the comioal array of pig-laden
mules 1T ees vera funny-zis ting !;
but it ees again like what l nevair see
before. Ze mule will not pleased be if
go le nir knreai IN ze ears :,