The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1904-01-30

~ ADWAl returned 10 camp by the
mi 9th of January. He went on
I'M snowsh0es over the entire job
IL and then sat silently In the Of
flee smoking The jobber looked older.
The lines OF dry good humor about his
eyes had subtly changed to an express
sion of pathetic anxiety He attached
no blame to anybody, but rose the next
morning at horn blow, and the men
found that they had a new master over
them
Now IL became necessary TO put the
roads In shape for hauling. All winter
the blacksmith had occupied his time in
fitting the iron work on eight log
sleighs which the carpenter had hewed
from solid sticks of timber. They Were
tremendous affairs with runners six
feet apart and hunks nine feet I'M width
for the reception OF logs.
The carpenter had also built two inn
mense tanks ON runners, holding each
some seventy barrels OF water and with
holes so arranged that on the with
drawal of plugs the water would flood
the entire width OF the road The
sprinklers were filed by horse power
A chain running through blocks at
tached 10 n solid upper framework,
like the open belfry of an Italian mon
astery. dragged barrel up wooden
track from a water hole TO an opening
in the sprinkler. When I'm action this
formidable machine weighed nearly
two tons and reseinbled moving
house. Other men had felled two big
hemlocks, from which they had hewcd
beams for V plow.
The V plow was now put in action.
Six horses drew IL down the road. each
pair superintendent 10y a driver. The
machine was weighted down by num-
Der Of logs laid across the arms. Men
guided It by levers and by throwing
their weight against the FANS of the
plow.. 1t was a gay. animated scene,
this, full of the spirit OF winter-the
ploddng, straining horses. the brilliant
ly dressed. struggling men, the sullen
yielding snow thrown 10 either side.
the shouts. warnings and commands.
To right and left grew white banks OF
snow. Behind stretched broad white
path IN which scant inch hid the bare
earth
For some distance the way led along
comparatively high ground. Then.
slSirting the edge OF lake. ii plunged
into deep creek bottom between hills.
Here earlier I'm the year eleven bridges
had been constructed, and perhaps rs
many swampy places had been "cor-
duroyed" by carpeting them with long
parallel poles Now the first difficulty
began.
Some Of the bridges had sunk below
the level. and the approaches had to
be 'corduroyed" TO practicable grade.
Others again were bumped up like tom
cats and had to be pulled apart en-
tirely
Still that sort OF thing was TO be ex
pected. A gang of men who followed
the pillow carried axes and cant hooks
for the purpose of repairing extern
poraneously just such defects which
never would have been discovered 9th
erwise than by the practical expert
ence Railway himself accompanied
the pillow. Thorpe who went along as
one of the road monkeys" saw now
why such care had been required OF
him I'm smoothing the way of stubs
knots and hummocks.
When The road had been partly
cleaned Railway started one OF hi
sprinklers Water holes OF suitable
size had been blown in the creek bani
by dynamite There the machines
were filled. Stratton attached his hors'
to the chain and drove him back anC
forth, hauling the barrel up and dowI
!. the slide way. At the bottom IL was
!, capslzcd and filled by means of a Ions
! pole shackled to It's bottom and manip
J. ulated by old man Heath. At the tol
IL turned over by Its own weight. Thu
seventy odd times.
Then Fred Green hitched his team
on and the four horses drew the creak
:. ing, cumbrous vehicle spouting dow
the road. Water gushed in fans from
the openings on either side and beneatl
:, and in streams from two holes behind
Not for an instant as long as the fl0y
:. continued dared the teamsters breath
+" their horses, for pause would freez
the runners tight TO the ground.
= tongue at either end obviated the No
cessity % turning around.
That night II turned warmer. TIL
4 change was heralded by a shift O
wind.
}" ashes gon' to rain.' said old Jack
son. ''The air Is kind o holler."
~ ..HollowT' said Thorpe, laughing
le "How Is that?"
81 dom know" confessed Hines, "bu
Il she Is. She Just feels that way"