The Yale expositor., 1904-10-07

Il ing Ine eastern portion OF Mich
igan and known as the Sag
inaw waters the great firm of
Morrison IL 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 juncturc Mr.. DAILY called 10
him John Roadway, Il man whom lie
knew to possess extensive experience.
little capital and desire for more Of
both.
Roadway" said he when the two
found themselves alone in the mill Of
fee, I'VE expect to cut this year some
! 50,000000 which Will finish our pine
holdings in the Saginaw waters. Most
OF this timber lies over IN the Crooked
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 jObY'
''IIow much a thousand do you
giveY" asked Railway.
-Four dollars" replied the lumber
man.
''I'll look ut it." replied the jobber.
So Roadway got the descriptions"
and a little map divided into townships,
! sections and quarter sections and went
out to look at it. He searched until he
! found blaze" on tree, the marking
on which indicated IT as the corner Of
a section. From this corner the bound
any lines were blazed at right angles
| in either direction. Railway followed
the blazed lines Thus he was able ac
cura:cly TO locate isolated "fOrties"
Corty acres, eighties" quarter sec
tons and sections in u primeval wilder
ness. The feat. however. required con-
siderable woodcraft, an exact sense Of
direction and pocket compass.
| These resources wore still further
| drawn upon for the next task. Rad
way tramped the woods hills and val
leys 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 wOodsnlan emerged
at last OH the banks Of stream, leav-
ing behind him n meandering trail Of
clipped trees.
III take it," said he to DAILY.
DAILY now proceeded TO drive sharp
bargain with him.
Customalily q jobber is paid a 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,
"its our last season .iir TIM country.
When this lot is In we whnf 10 pull
up stakes, so we can't take any
chances on not getting that timber In.
If you don't finish your job, 1t keeps
as here another season. There can be
no doubt. therefore, that you nnish
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 l can, Mr.. Daily" the job
Der assured him.
For that reason" went on DAILY.
1--WE object to paying you as tho work
progresses. We've got to have q guar
antee that you don't quit ON as and
that those logs win be driven down the
branch as far as the river in time to
catch our drive. Therefore Pa geing
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 10y seeing. only his en-
ployer's argument. He did not per-
ceive that the latterS proposition in
troduced into the transaction a gam
bling element. 1t became possible for
MOITlSOu q Ddly u get CeflAlu
amount of work short OF absolute COM
pletion done for nothing.
All this was in August. Railway,
who was a good, practical woodsmap,
set about the job Immediately. He gath
cred a crew, established camp and
began at once 10 cut roads through
the country he had already blazed on
his former trip.
Railways task was not merely to
level ont and ballast the six feet Of
roadbed already constructed, but to
cut a way for five miles through the
unbroken wilderness. The way had
moreover, TO be not less than twenty
Eve feet wide, needed to be absolutely
ievel and free from any lind Of OBJ
structions and required In the swamps
liberal ballasting with poles. called cor
duroys. Not only must the growth be
removed, but the roots must by outs out
and the inequalities of the grouhd lev
eled or filled up. Reflect futther that
Roadway had but q brief TINE at his