The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-04-03
Comprises Machine Which Will Pull
Stumps and Make Roads at the
Same Time.
500 LINE BACKS SCHEME
$4,000 Set Aside By Pennington to
Aid in Perfecting Appliance
Ready April l.

With view of clearing lands in
Northern Minnesota, Northern Wis
consin and the upper peninsula of
Michigan to attract farmers to the
Northwest and assist them IN getting
a foothold, President Pennington OF
the 500 Line has set aside $4,000 to
assist in perfecting stump-pulling
machine which carries with it a road
making machine. The machine is
in the process of making and will be
ready about May |. Models have
accomplished work said to be little
less than marvellous.
From five to eight acres can be
cleared of stumps of the meanest
kind in a day, and ten acres can be
cleared by the machine at one sit
ting. The road building machine is
an addition to the rear of the stump
pulling machine and makes the road
as the machine moves along. AS
soon as the machine is completed
the 500 will start in Price county,
Wisconsin. On each forty it is the
object of William H. Killen, land and
industrial commissioner of the road
to clear ten acres or. more, build
road to it, build a small house upon
it, and then dig a we'll, after which it
will be offered to the actual settler
This is a new departure in rail
roading in the Northwest. Mr.Kil-
len figures that it will cost about 81
rod to build a good turnpike road as
fast as the land ahead is cleared of
stumps.
The new machine will clear a
space of 1000 feet ahead of it OF
stumps, pulling a number of large
ones at the same time. The engine
is Of eighty horsepower and weighs
forty tons. After the stumps are
pulled toward the machine a derrick
picks them up, and this piles stumps
thirty feet high. A crew of ten men
is required and the cost per acre
varies from $40 to SIS while the
old way the cost for the same work is
from $50 to $40 per acre, and is
much slower and harder.
Just ahead of the boiler on the
machine are two large drums, on
which the cables coil. A main cable
Of l a inches goes straight ahead OF
the machine for distance of about
1000 feet sometimes more. Swing.
ing over to the left a little is what
is called a draw back cable of q
inch size, which, at the same length
as the main cable, is blocked anC
tackled and swung over and fasten.
ed to the main cable. Instead OF
having horses to pull out the cable
each time it is taken in, the draw
back does the work and at the same
time picks up small stumps and such
hillocks as are in the way, the power
being given by the pulling strength
of the main cable on the stumps
The main cable is attached ahead
to a large stump. At short inter.
walls short cables are attached anC
these are hooked to other stumps, OF
logs, allowing at times a half dOzer
stumps to be pulled at once. lJher
these stumps come within reach o.
the derrick, worked on another drum
in front of the engine, they are hoist
ed and piled up. No horses art
needed. since the engine is moved
about on vide, low rollers. 1t there
fore tau re turned at any angle, ant
the cables reach out sufficiently tt
clear easily ten acres at one sitting
The cost of the machine is expect
ed to be about $500 and the worl
will probably be taken up in the fu
ture by contractors. Smaller ma
chimes for individual farmers ar,
sold at about 500.
AS the stump puller moves aloni
the road machine in the rear is a
work. Here is located another boil
= er and engine. Two drums hol