The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1904-11-16

I'M the network OF streams drain
ing the eastern portion Of Mich
igan and known as the Sag
inaw waters the great firm OF
Morrison &c 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 fnish the cut
At this juncture Mr.. DAILY called TO
him John Railway. man whom ne
knew to possess extensive experience,
q little capital and a desire for more OF
both.
Railway" said he when the two
found themselves alone In the mill Of
fice, I'VE expect to cut this year some
6O,OOO,0OO, 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.
5,OOO,OOO on the Cass branch which we
would like to log on contract. Would
you care to take the Job2'
How much thousand do you
! gfve?' asked Railway.
"Four dollars" replied the lumber
man.
"Tll look at it" replied the jobber.
| So Railway got the descriptions"
and a little map divided into townships,
sections and quarter sections and went
out to look at 1t. He searched until he
found "blaze" on a tree, the marking
on which indicated 1t as the corner Of
section From this corner the bound
airy lines were blazed at right angles
In either direction. Railway followed
the blazed lines. Thus he was able ac-
curately to locate isolated "forties"
(forty acres), Eighties" quarter sec
tons and sections in primeval wilder
ness. The feat, however, required COM
siderable woodcraft, an exact sense OF
direction and a 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 1t
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 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 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,
'4it's our last season in the country
|
up stakes, so we can't take any
chances on not getting that timber in
If you don't finish your job, 1t 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 can, Mr.. DAILY" the job
Der assured him.
"FOr that reason" went on DAILY
1--WE 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 tt
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 att
tude of one anxious to justify the 9th
er man, ended by seeing only his EN-
ployer's argument. He did not per
ceive that the latter's proposition in
troduced into the transaction a gam
bling element 1t became possible fo
Morrison s. DAILY to get certain
amount of work short of absolute com
pletion done for nothing.
All this was in August. Railway
who was good, practical woodsman
set about the job Immediately. He gath
cred crew, established camp ant
began at once to cut roads through
the country he had already blazed Of
his former trip.
Railways task was not merely +
level out and ballast the six feet of ;
roadbed already constructed, but t
cut a way for five miles through tn
unbroken wilderness. The way had
moreover. to be not less than twenty
Ave feet wide, needed to be absolutel
level and free from any kind Of OF
structions and required In the swamp
| liberal haIf9gffup with n0InS called rn1