Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1915-03-12
A VISIT TO "MITCHELL'S CAMPS
Season of Great Activity Draws to a
CIoset-Loes Piled on River
For Half a Mile

A reporter for the NeWs-Budget
was lucky enough the first Of the
week to have the opportunity Of a
trip to the Flambeau River Lumber
Co.'S logging camps in this coun-
ty, under the chaperonage Of Mar
shall Wright, Dick Huxtable, the
popular driver for the company's
commissary department being the
Jolly and entertaining Jehu for the
occasion.
Accompanying the party also was
the firms very capable timber cruis-
err, Walter Mitchell, who, in the
scribe's humble judgment, is what
might be called a professor of tree
ology; but who, nevertheless, seems
to possess the rare faculty of an
swering an ignoramus as agreeably
as though he didn't know any more
on the subject than his questioner.
So, of course, as the neWspaper-man
came from a country where the peo-
pies knowledge of forestry is con-
fined principally to "double-trees'
and "whiffle-trees" the trip, for
him, was one replete with interest
and information.
A person-especially tender
foot, and looking at the advance
ment of Ladysmith and vicinity
would perhaps hardly suspect the
extent of, and what a resource Rusk
county has in it's timber, nor how
much greater value, per given
stumpage, attaches to it than in the
early Weyerhaeuser days.
The houses for the force and the
barns at Camp l are just now being
moved to No. 3, the cut" available
at the former camp being exhausted,
But at Camp No. 2, there is still
available a stumpage of 100000 it.,
100000 it. having been cut this
winter, and 100000 in the nine
years the camp has been in opera
ton. The selection of logs seems
good yet. Occasionally specimens of
pine are to be seen, 16 feet in length,
that would scale about 700 feet. Such
pine logs-Which, in the pioneer log
ging days, would represent when laid
down on the river bank an approx
mate value of So, are worth at pres
ent in the neighborhood of $35.; and
hcmlock, which was then spurned by
timbermen as not worth while, is
now of as great value as was white
pine at that time.
The distance, direct, from No. 2
to Ladysmith is only 20 miles, but it
takes near Is days to deliver the
"cut" at this point, by water. And,
as the current of the stream at the
drive" is about 10 miles an hour,
some idea may be had as to the tus-
sic which takes place, between the
drivers, the logs, and the Flambeau
river, as to who is going to be boss
in the operation.
The "cut" this season is piled
higher than the cabins, extending
perhaps a half-mile up the river;
and, owing to the thickness of the
ice this year, if it should go out I'M
der a sudden and high stage of wa
ter, the result promises to be some
thing spectacular.
Much of the pleasure of the trip
for the scribe was the delightful
hospitality and dinner enjoyed at
the camp, for which he wishes to
thank the company cook, Ed Erick-
son, and his assistants, Adolph Stroff
and Otto Zeller And say, maybe
it isn't some position to keep-as
tidy and inviting as theirs-a kitchen
which is charged with the RESPONSE
bility of satisfying the able-bodied
appetites of some 80 "lumber-jacks'',
requiring Is pounds of flour a day
and 10 gallons of coffee at a meal.
The News-Budget representative
has heard it said that somehow,
since the present culinary admins
tration has been in charge, there
has been higher per capita of con-
tentment and efficiency in the camp,
and after as extensive an acquaint-
ance with Mr.. Erickson's doughnuts
and mince pie, as his time would
permit, he is prepared to confirm