The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-12-12
CLAIM HUNTING
In the StOney River County,
Sam S. Sherman


of the Courier at Sutherland, Iowa,
had arrived and had gone into the
Stoney River country in search OF a
claim.
Mr.. Sherman has written his
former paper an interesting letter
which he styles Travelogue No,
l." and gives his views and ex-
perience while in the country south
of here. From the Courier, we
print the following:
Editor Courier: Persuant to prom
Use, / will Try to give condensed
write-up of my homestead-hunting
trip, though it is impossible to give
the subject the attention to details
that it should have, because OF your
limited space.
l started from Sutherland on the
18th, going to Alton and from there
to Minneapolis the same day, arriving
about D. m. Ny first experience OF
interest to the public was the effort
to beat the railroads in their attempt
to mulct me out Of three cents mile
for the entire distance, though both
lowe and Minnesota have &c fare
law. They are so blamed cute that
when person buys ticket which
calls for a trip partly within both
states they class it as Interstate"
travel and ignore the state laws,
charging the old time rate of &c a
mile for the entire distance travelled
or just so per cent more than they are
justly entitled to.
In Ord9r to beat them at their own
game, purchased ticket to Sheldon
at &c a mile; from Sheldon l paid cash
fare to WorthingtOn. across the state
line, being obliged to stand the steal
for that distance (but coming back l
shortened this section of the trip to
the distance between Worthington
and Sibley, jumping off and buying
another ticket while the train stop
pedl. At Worthington purchased
another ticket, covering the rest OF
the trip to Minneapolis-thus getting
over the greater part of the way at &c
q mile.
Arrived at Minneapolis, spent the
night there, nursing sudden and Sc
we're attack of cholera mOrbus. Feel
ing better the next morning, l visited
Typographical Union headquarters
and called on my old friend, Nick
Connors, whom l found still holding
down his old job as secretary OF the
union. A number of the prints" who
were sticking around" waiting for d
call to work, were dead-anXious to
have us pick out good claim Of at
least 40 acres apiece for them, but the
Lord only knows how they ever ex-
pected to file on and improve the same
il they had the chance, for it takes
money Ia little of it at least) to make
a home in the wilderness.
An afternoon train took me to Du-
luth and next morning l visited the
land Office and made inquiries as to
the location of the thousands Of acres
of Uncle Sans domain in that dis
trict which we had been informed
was still open for settlement by home
hunters. Most of it, we found, was
far in the northern part OF the state.
but In central Lake county were few
quarter sections and lesser parcels
that had never been filed, and as
some Of these were shown on the maps
to be located on or near the shores of
gOod-sized lakes, where the fishing. is
supposed to be prime, determined to
examine some OF them.
The "forest reserve" being also 10
Gated Just north of the district in
which l might be able to discover
something within the bounds OF that
district which was mainly valuable
only for agricultural purposes" and
therefore possible for actual settlers
to obtain. went to Ely, on the Iron
Range railroad, where the Forestry
headquarters for the district are To-
Gated, and visited the forester in
charge, who obligingly told me to just
90 out and pick out anything that
looked good to me and come back and
file application for it,
Some of this land was looking for
is Tor used to be) located forty miles up
the STONY" mighty well named, as
experience proved) river, and the only
practical way of reaching it was by
means of travelling with the tote
teams" of the st. Croix lumber COM
pany, which has camps at intervals of
ten to thirteen miles along road of
their own building, which follows as
nearly as possible the tops OF the
ridges along the divide between the
Stony and Isabella rivers, and which
was constructed some years ago by the
company at an expense Of an average
Of close to Sc, 900 mile, over which to
haul supplies to their various logging
camps.
Being lucky enough to find Gus Nc
Carthy-a gentleman born on Dutch
cruiser, Of Irish parents, on the way
to America-(the walking boss" OF
The works in the Office at Ely when
we went to prefer our request to travel
in company with their crews, and was
very obligingly accommodated.
Then ensued a six days. trip, in
which we rode, ate and slept with the
lumber men, being accommodated gen.
orally with sleeping facilities in the
officers or cooks quarters-for which
we were duly appreciative, for the tale
is oft told that much Of the big game"
OF the country Is to be found ia the
haunts Of the heterogeneous conglom-
Grafton of humanity which goes to
make up the life of the lumber camps
and thus we escaped the necessity to
"boil 'em."
After forty miles of jolting over the
biggest collection OF boulders and
stumps to be found on this earth, we
finally reached "Old Camp TO-" at the
head of McDougall lake, on the west
side Of which five forties of unclaimed
land was said to be situated. This is
fine lake, Of several hundred acres,
and as the ground was said to be rath-
er low we had hopes that it would not
prove to be very rocky, as the lowest
lying lend was usually the most free
Of rocks.
After a prscarious ride on the
Swing dingle'-a big box on sled
runners. in which the dinner for the
choppers and sawyers was hauled three
miles over rocks, roots, logs, and