The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-01-15

lSdA anu huOWn DIS Tue Sag
IL inaw waters the great firm Of
Morrison & DAILY had for many years
carried on extensive logging operations
In the wilderness.
Now at last, in the early eighties,
they reached the end of their holdings.
Another winter would finish the cut.
AT this juncture Mr.. DAILY called to
him John Railway, a man whom he
knew to possess extensive experience.
little capital and desire for more of
both.
Railway" said he when the two
found themselves alone in the mill of
fee, 1--WE expect to cut this year some
6O,000,OO0, which will finish our pine
holdings in the Saginaw waters. Most
Lake district, and that we expect to
put in ourselves. We own, however,
100000 on the Cass branch which we
would like to log on contract. Would
you care to take the job?"
'How much a thousand do you
Givew asked Railway.
-Four dollars" replied the lumber
man.
'T'll look at it." replied the jobber.
So Railway got the description"
and little map divided into townships,
sections and quarter sections and went
out to look at it. He searched until he
found q "blaZe" on a tree, the marking
on which indicated it as the corner Of
a section. From this corner the bound
OF 10Th
In either direction. Railway followed
the blazed lines. Thus he was able &C
curately to locate isolated "forties"
(forty acres), Eighties" quarter Sec
lions and sections in a primeval wilder
ness. The feat, however, required con-
siderable woodcraft, an exact sense of
direction and pocket compass.
These resources were still further
drawn upon for the next task. Rad
way tramped the woods. hills and val
legs to determine the most practical
route over which to build a logging
road from the standing timber to the
shores Of Cass branch. He found it
to be an affair of some puzzlement.
The pines stood on a country rolling
with hills, deep with pot holes. 1t
became necessary to dodge in and out,
here and there, between the knobs,
around and through the swamps, still
keeping, however, in the same general
direction and preserving always the
requisite level or down grade. Rad
way had no vantage point from which
to survey the country. A city man
would promptly have lost himself in
the tangle, but the woodsman emerged
at last on the banks of a stream, leav-
ing behind him a meandering trail Of
clipped trees.
'I'll take it." said he to DAILY.
DAILY now proceeded to drive sharp
bargain with him.
Customarily a jobber is paid GER
tain proportion of the agreed price as
each stage of the work is completed.
DAILY objected to this method of pro-
cedure.
'You see. Railway" he explained,
'it's our last season in the country.
When this lot is in we want to pull
up stakes, so we can't take any
chances on not getting that timber in.
If you don't finish your job, it keeps
us here another season. There can be
no doubt. therefore, that you finish
your job. In other words, we can't
take any chances. If you start the
thing, you've got to carry it way
through"
81 think 1 can, Mr.. DAILY" the job
Der assured him.
"For that reason" went on DAILY,
eve object to paying you as the work
progresses. We've got to have a guar
antee that you don't quit on us and
that those logs will be driven down the
branch as far as the river in time to
catch our drive. Therefore I'm going
to make you good price per thousand,
but payable only when the logs are
delivered to our river men,"
Railway, with his usual mental atti-
tude of one anxious to justify the 9TH
er man. ended by seeing only his en-
tployer's argument. He did not per-
rceive that the latter's proposition in
PRODUCED into the transaction gam
bling element 1t became possible for
Morrison & DAILY to get a certain
amount of work short of absolute COM
pletion done for nothing.
All this was in August. Railway,
who was a good. practical woodsman
set about the job Immediately. He gath
cred crew, established camp and
began at once to cut roads through
the country he had already blazed on
his former trip.
Railways task was not merely to
level out and ballast the six feet of a
lroadbed already constructed. but to
cut way for five miles through the
unbroken wilderness. The way had
five feet wide, needed to be absolutely
level and free from any kind of OBJ.
structions and required in the swamps
liberal baflasting with poles. called cor.
duroys. Not only must the growth be
removed, but the roots must be cut out
and the inequalities of the ground lev.
eled or filed up. Reflect further that
Radway had but brief time at his
disposal, but a few months at most
and you will then be in position to
gauge the first difficulties of those the
American pioneer expects to encounter
rs matter of course.
The jobber Of course pushed his
roads as rapidly as possible, but was
greatly handicapped by lack of men.
Winter set in early and surprised him
with several of the smaller branches
yet to finish. The main line, however.
was done.
At intervals squares were cut out
alongside. In them two long timbers
or s1ids were laid andironwise for the