The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-24

Well. our first stop was at Rice
Lake which was a lumber camp. |
We had supper and lodging there
for the night. There is a little IN
cident that occurred there that
might as well mention. The lum-
ber-jacks had to double up In the
hunks so that we could have room
ito sleep and they began to scratch
and rub their backs and talking
about the lice biting, but no one OF
us seemed to pay attention to their
remarks, till one of US said that we
were not afraid of the lice as some
of our party had the seven-year itch
and we considered that worse than
lice, so no more was said but we
slept good and ate a good hearty
breakfast and started out again on
our way towards Tower, our des-
tination. Our next stop was at
White Face River, at noon, where
we had dinner and rested for about
/ " hours and we started again on
our way, and when IL came towards
evening of the same day the team
sters told US the next camping was
"a poor place, so we gave the team
sters so cents each of us to take
us through to Tower and we land
ed in Tower about two O'Clock IN
the morning, and there we had a
Notification with the late John
owens as host to all of US and give
the teams good rest and then we
started for the locations OF breitung
and Stone, where our forerunnefs
had been two weeks ahead OF US TO
prepare the way, where there was
rouslng reception tor all OF US. VI
course they llbed us about our trip
GOOD naturediy as we were all IKE
one family, with the late Capt. +.
Morcom as DADDY for US all. wen,
were not only Gay before we start
ed to work and it was quite sur
prise for us TO see an out-cropping
of iron ore at the Breithng nine,
40 feet above the ground. 1t was
all hand work the first year Tor the
railroad did not get In Tower or
rather at Breitung location at that
time.
The Duluth & Iron Rail Road did
not get in Tower or at the mines
till August 1st, 1884, Al years this
coming August, ana that was the
month that iron ore was shipped
from Tower to Two Harbors. Mr..
Thos. Owens, the present superin-
Itendent of the d. & /. X. R., was the
engineer and Mr.. Henry Black
was conductor. | think 1t was about
the 9th of August when the hrst
Shipment was made. Inc tlrst loco
engine that arrived at the end OF
the road was No. = with Oscar NO
lander, or commonly known as Oscar
Pop, with work train pushing on IN
front. 1t was on Sunday, the lat
ter part of July, and pretty near
every man was down to see It.
When the first shipment Of ore was
made there was quite an indian
ow-wow, and they were given flour
md other things as WE'LL 1t seemed
Ike celebrating the 4th of July.
Well, the winters we found there
were quite severe. 1t was nothing
new to find the thermometer range
from ten to sixty below zero. A
remember on New Years Day, 1886,
] think it was, the boys from Tower
and Location played base ball games
and it was an ideal Indian summer
day, with keg of beer on the Bird
base, but | don't remember which
party won, but / do remember that
two days later the winter set in and
it ranged from Is to 60 below zero
for six weeks, and US fellows on the
Hills had no fun. That same win
ter the late Capt. Elisha Morcom
wrote to st. Paul and told the gov
ernor or some at that time, that II
they wanted him to keep track of
the weather up there, they would
have to send a thermometer that
would register two feet below zero,
as the one there froze up at 60 be-
low.
The writer was up at Tower six
years before he rode over the road.
! l will now give few names OF
the party that started for Tower
when we started: Mr.. George H.
Vivian, the present County Treas
Iurer of St. Louis County, the late
Capt. Jack Cowling and family, the
late Capt. Tom Williams, VIM. Bod
lily, Jack Gribben, Charlie Gribben,
Mat Thomas, the two Downy broth
ers, late VIM. Carlson, and others
that / cannot remember after a
period Of Al years.
The Miner will be pleased to
publish these "reminiscences of the
old timers in this section of the
country and feel assured that the
readers would enjoy the stories of
the pioneer. The above was taken
from the files of the st. Louis
County Historical Society and is a
part of the records of this society.
AS the Vermilion Range Old Set
tiers are meeting here next week,
the story is very appropriate. We
hope that others of the old settlers
will follow in the footsteps of Mr..
Blamey and put their story in writ
ing for preservation. History was
made by the early arrivals on the
Vermilion Range and it should be
handed down to posterity in order
to perpetuate interesting events.
The Historical Society under VIM.
Cu1kin iS doinU a fine work and