Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-07-22
CHAPTER /.
A Bolt From the Blue.


Figbtaen below; fair weather for
n ecenber In New Manitoba, where the
n rest though It chilIs the soil till
Midsummer yet shuts out the razor
Rge Of the winds that make the prai-
.ks farther south, an icy inferno.
Z Here the bush, which had seemed
u stretch out illimitably, thinned into
Airagg.ed patches among the up
'rOopng rocks. A little farther and
d began once more the break was like
n great, curving arm thrust into the
kart Of It. as if some giant fingers
III pllcked up the trees in handsful
I'D sc10ped the foundation from the
hOzen soil and then had been with
hsvn leaving the imprints of the
feat fnger-tIps.
NJ These fnger-tips were huge sink
pies son edmes filed with water, so
"a. they formed clear lakes more
Ntel sodden sponges Of decayed veg
Na5le natter oozy, treacherous and
Nsab.e The flnger-lines were the
NrclI5r ridges marking the subsistence
u the mud The thumb was Big Mus
r. which the two men who stood on
y top Of the humpbacked ridge
&1.d see extended beneath them.
4 Big Muskes, at this point less than
ri q mile across, was everywhere of
Esolnaed depth. 1t curved and wound,
4 river Of ooze, now broadening into
pans Of lakes, now narrowing into
SI4es; here and there crossed by
pa. but never stable. nowhere Of
ping firm foundation for the perma-
feli way Of the Missatlbi railroad.
The Nissatibi was a branch line,
ses1ilg the new road that was push
" 1or,hwaTd toward the ports to be
II Hudson bay. It linked with it at
u sF'oa whence II vas being extended
aSFard into a virgin wilderness.
f'sn in the days when half a dozen
sEOl9aAles were pegging out ways for
fusS mat were to divert the wheat
foTA, Joe Bostock's line had been the
IL Of legislatures and fnanciers.
nose other lines that were being
.I' INTO Clayton passed through the
lsa'4ands; Joe's line ran east out of
'S3 Ion INTO wilderness. Joe Bostock
ao secured his capital, but he had no
Competitors.
ana slowly Missatibl, with its small
ls's-o.aers and limited means, had
tole ahead The first location par
- na1 cleared a road to Big Mus
Inc rails had been laid half
~! Put that was all, save for the
-~5 constructed shacks and build
-, = -eI the workmen there, and the
r-e-s for the construction material
~ 4al not yet been frelghted in.
.es Standing with legs stradd]ing
~ .'3 Of The ridge. turned to Wilton
- --'e'S The chief engineer of the
s--t-aA with eyebrows arched and
-. inquiry on his weather
=. OF face. There was no need
n. ee.a at that moment. because
t - l.l7 Of each man dwelt on the
'-s'1oal problem. - ''
~. .ls I've men had come east BY dog.
- accompanied by two half
Il. Jean Passepartout and PapiI-
a.. e ~ charge Of the dc q, the
~. carrying The transformers
h. - nped seven miles back on
4 g evening, and had set out
l,,s raa 70 survey the swamp
h. r. the ridge. For the prob
ca-... hld suddenly risen up to
t.,,. -en clamored for solution
t-- -cctlon could be carried
Il. and On its solution dsnended
q the SIlssatbl.
To- "a. -e physical eye neither Joe
Piss s could hope to accom-
s~ Wilton was seeking
-5lgh he did not know 1t.
t5 he was endeavoriug to
Eace where a foundation
sl ICED above the unstable.
with trestllng and
T. crossing that combined
VII 1.e deviation Of route
han four 6fths of one,