The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-03-04
PINE CREEK BRANCH
HAS SIGNS OF LIFE
Milwaukee Lumber
Company May
Construct 1t
UNCONFIRMED REPORT
Company Has Large Timber
Holdings for Which 1t Has
No transportation
UNCONFIRMED REPORT
UNCONFIRMED

n UNCONFlRMED report
~ which nevertheless is sup
ported by some plausible
facts, was heard this week t.
the effect that the Milwaukee Lumber
company, through it's manager, Fred
Herrick, had closed an agreement
with the O-W.' r. & n. company by
which the lumber company had taken
over the two miles of track on Pine
creek and would soon begin the ex-
tension of the line up Pine creek to
the forks of the creek, thence up the
west fork to tap the big body of tim
Der owned by the Milwaukee COM
pany. Efforts to secure definite in
formation on this very interesting
subject proved unsuccessful, but there
are some facts in connection with the
holdings and operations of the Mil
waukee Lumber company that tend
to give credence to the report. One
of these is that the Milwaukee com
pany has large timber holdings on
the west fork of Pine creek for which
it has long desired an outlet. In an
ticipatiOn of transportation, much
timber has been cut and is now piled
on leased ground near the forks
awaiting means to move it to the mills
of the company. Another fact that
may have some bearing on the sub
ject is that the Milwaukee Lumber
company has recently taken over the
old plant of the Occur d'Alene Lum-
Der company at Occur d'Alene. This
MI no
and is now being overhauled and plac-
ed in condition for operation With
this additional milling capacity it is
possible that the company has found
it desirable to utilize the timber on
Pine creek. and seeing that the rail-
road company shows no signs Of fur
Their action has taken the bull by the
horns and will build the railroad.
Mines Would Benefit.
The extension of the Pine creek
branch to the forks of the creek would
in itself be Of great bene-
fit to the mining interests
in that section. This would
Nabob, which is even now preparing
to begin shipments. With that much
accomplished it is probable that some
arrangement could be effected by
which the railroad would be extended
up the east fork to the Douglas and /
Constitution, both of which have
much ore that would pay to ship with |
railroad transportation provided. Elk /
tensive shipments were made from /
two years ago to the Anaconda COM
pany in spite of the long haul to the /
railroad over a wagon road indescrib-
ably bad There is now much ore
blocked out in the mine and all ne
cessary equipment for operating the
property. The Constitution company
has a mill of 100 tons capacity, and
the mine is understood to be in shape
to keep it supplied with ore whenever
favorable shipping facilities can be
secured. Much ore, both zinc and
lead has been developed in the main
tunnel level. while in the drifts both
east and west from the bottom Of the
2OO-foot shaft there are reported fine
shOwings Of ore
lnlouRn q One-SlOe0 agreement
drawn up in 1917, and which bound
the shipping companies on Pine creek {
to pay a high rate on all tonnage, but,
which proved to be without binding 4
force upon the railroad company, the
O.-W R. & y. started the construction {
of the Pine creek branch in the fall of Y
that year After laying about two
miles Of track the high water at the
close Of the year washed out the
grade and so demoralized the entire
outfit that work had to a
be suspended until spring In the j
Meantime the government took over T
control of the railroads, which proved l
to be the beginning Of a policy which t
meant the curtailment Of all expend-
itures for the extension Of railroad t
lines The moral If not legal obliga- S
ton Of the railroad company to con- q
struct the line was ignored, although s
the matter was forcefully presented J
10 the railroad administration IS well s
ls to the O.-W r. & n comDanv. T. s
Is hopea that The report that the NIL v
waukee lumber company has taken e
over the proposed line wiz prove to t
he true and that Pine creek VIII in e
4 measure ut least secure the railroad +
to which It has long s