Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-11-14

kins, from his scene of engineering
work in British Columbia, gives some
light on that pioneer portion of Can
ada and a few excerpts may be OF
interest to his old class mates in
North Dakota, and others. Unde
date of October 9Th, writing from.
Quesnelle Forks, or rather his camp
near there, he says; speaking OF the
mail facilities:
"Well, I do not know how the mail
question is at present. I sent my
last letter a week ago, but am no!
sure it was on time to catch the mai
stage from Quesrelle Forks. Our
pack train was hung up few days
and when they did get started it took
them from Wedne day to Frlda"
night to get from our camp to TWEEN
ty Mile House, half way down the
trail This letter may get through as
soon as those of last week and then
again it may not get out until
week from Saturday. Can't. tell.
"Have had few days OF new work
this week. Have been on transit
work, running line for the dam and
setting the toe stakes for the same
also been fixing the tunnel grades
and lines The company is driving a
tunnel about LOO feet long to le;
the water through while they put up
the dam. After the dam is finished
the tunnel will be used as an emer-
gency waste way. The tunnel work
is approaching from both ends and
goes straight about half way and then
makes a 80 degree curve. l have
done all the transit work and II the
two ends do not meet, woe is me ana
I look for a new job. But l checked
the work number of times and am
hoping I have made no mistake. The
| tunnel is six feet high and Fl feet
| wide and timbered every three feet
with side and center posts. The dam
| is SO feet high at the river and $50
feet long, with 1 to l slope on the
upper and / to slope On the lower
side The dam is to be built OF logs
and sealed with concrete. You see it
costs eight cents pound to get stun
in here, whether it is gold or saw
dust, so every pound that has to be
hauled costs.
Had fine time yesterday after
| noon. Went across the river to fin
| ish the dam and toe stakes and the
only way to get over the river was
to walk. Going over it was all right,
| as the water was only a little Iover
| the knees, though pretty swift. At
| ter finishing up we crossed near
camp where it looked good and would
save time. Well, we got in and it
| mr. WILL
| blazes. The first man made It all
right, but the second fellow sjslipped
and went all in, but the first nan
slipped a rod to him and hauled him
out. The current is so fast that If
you get down it is all off if there is
no help around. No. 8 also got wet.
About that time I was in and afraid
to finish the trip with my transit.
If put the transit on the bum there
would be some bowling go up, you
bet. So we made a bridge, that is
all went in and held poles on the
down side Of the stream from our
selves until I got the transit passed
along from man to man. Then l
made it,-all but ten feet, when l
slipped on rock and went under.
However, I grabbed the rod and was
hauled out. BY the way, that water
is 40 degrees colder than Puget
Sound.
| "Have fine quarters now. The COM
pany has built home for the engi-
neering crew. We have table and
some shelves and stove. 1t is the
SWEETEST shack on the job. Well, I'll
have to cut it out and go to bed.
We are up before daylight and 1T
has been dark quite while"
A week later Brooks writes furth-
| err:
| "After the tunnel work was over
we started a couple of contours to
locate a syphon. The morning we
started out it was showing and had
| been all night. Well, we hiked about
five miles and got wet, of course, and
ran about a mile of line before din
ner. Then we made fire and cook
ed up some grub and warmed up.
You see when cutting line ali 'hs
snow on the trees came down and
| our whole crowd was wet to tie SKIN
So We came in to camp AMI drieI ont
because it was showing more than
ever. Wei, we got fairly comfortable
|