The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-07-09
Forest Notes
BY CHARLES r. RANDALL
(Of the Superior National FOrest)

Old shoes, buckets, wire, and other
items of questionable value have oc-
casionally been salvaged by every
fisherman who ever cast hook for
the willy brethren of the deep. 1t re-
manned for Arnold Johnson, CCC en-
rollee at Halfway Camp on the Superior
national forest, to add an item to the
list of worthless, but always interesting,
articles so found.
While whipping the waters of Birch
Lake, his plug fouled under the water.
Thinking that an old, watersoaked log
was the cause of it all, and hating to
lose his plug that had cost him dollar,
he swan out along his fish line to the
approximate position of the plug and
dove to the bottom of the lake.
When young johnson returned to the
surface he was clutching the handle
of a rustpitted logger's axe, estimated
to have been lost at least 80 years ago
when great logs were driven into Birch
lake from the Kawishiwi river to be
doomed and taken to the sawmill at
| Winton.
A CCC boy on the Superior national
forest has gone into the logging bust
ness. Arthur Juntunen, Crimson, hav-
| ing spent two years in a CCC camp, is
now in possession of a contract issued
| by the forest officers on the Superior
| The young conservationist is in
partnership with his father, Jack Jun
tunen, and a brother, and will log 15C
cords of aspen bolts on the Wales
ranger district. The aspen trees vary
in size from 4 to 10 inches in diameter
and the Forest Service will receive S.
cents a cord which is the minimum
charge for this product.
| By removing aspen on the area selec-
ted spruce and white pine trees will
be afforded better growing conditions
The timber will be sold to wood using
industries in Cloquet.
This ambitious youngster is the Sec
ond CCC boy who has secured a con-
tract for the cutting of government
timber in the Superior national forest
Arthur secured the contract in his
fathers name as he is under age.
In the old days of big logging opera.
lions in the Superior national fores
when the jacks worked from the drowsS
hours of dawn to the crickets call al
mite, they took their troubles with 6
jest, and their humor, if not subtle
was applicable.
Many cold bath was had by the los
drivers as they rode the logs through
treacherous waters. Sometimes injurie:
attended the inadvertent bath, but more
times than not, gale of uproariou!
laughter greeted the hapless jack as 1T
broke water and chung shivering to 6
log. A customary query, legendary il
the logging camps, was usually aimed
at the watersoaked individual-"Got g
match, Joe?"
Leon Albert, famous lecturer, late Of
Venezuela, recently visited a CCC side
camp on the Superior national forest
He spoke to a group of 70 boys in the
large dining tent.
While visiting the camp Mr.. Alberts
remarked that it was the second place
he had eaten where there was silent
mess" The only other place he hao
encountered the practice of not speak
ing during meals was in a Brazilian
monastery. The rule was requested BIZ
the CCC boys themselves to eliminate
confusion during meal time.
|
An airplane has been chartered al
Ely, and will be available for use or
forest fires as well as for patrol duty
The large extent of the wilderness area
in which no roads exist increases the
fire hazard. Last summer the Superior
forest had its most successful fire
season with total of % fires.