Compiled by
William John Cummings
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ALL ABOARD!
Along the Tracks in Dickinson County, Michigan
Compiled by
William John Cummings
© 1993
Ralph W. Secord Press
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
Mid-Peninsula Library Cooperative
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RALPH W. SECORD PRESS is owned and operated by the Mid-Peninsula Library Cooperative, 424 Stephenson Avenue, Iron Mountain, Michigan 49801. The Cooperative provides central services to member libraries located in the Michigan Upper Peninsula Counties of Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron, Menominee, and Ontonagon. Since 1971, the Cooperative's press has specialized in publishing books about the Upper Peninsula. The press is named in honor of Ralph W. Secord, Michigan's 1975 Librarian of the Year, founder and guiding spirit of both the press and the cooperative until his retirement in 1981.
Copyright © 1993 by William John Cummings
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First Printing 1994
Manufactured in the United States of America.
Library of congress Cataloging-in-publication Data
Cummings, William John.
All aboard! : along the tracks in Dickinson County, Michigan / compiled by William John Cummings.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-933249-12-8: $12.50
1. Dickinson County (Mich.)--History. 2. Railroads--Michigan--
--Dickinson County--History.
I. Title.
F572.D5C85 1994
977.4' 955--dc20
94-13987
CIP
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PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
When I began compiling this account of the development of the eastern Menominee Iron Range in conjunction with the extension of the railroad, a publication of this size and scope wasn't contemplated. However, as I researched, vicariously traveling "along the tracks" of the railroads left in the columns of a number of regional contemporary newspapers, I found myself helplessly lured deeper and deeper into the fascinating lore of our area's affair with the Iron Horse. In the towns and villages which sprung up as the railroad crossed first from east to west and then to the north in what is today Dickinson County, life was dependent upon and centered around the railroads. This was true for almost all American communities between the mid-nineteenth century and the mid-twentieth century.
My life began just as the sonorous whistle of the passenger train locomotives was waning in our area. In fact, two of my earliest childhood memories center on the railroad. Before starting grade school I can remember traveling to northern Minnesota with my parents and grandmother to visit my great-aunt and great-uncle. I remember the rhythmic clacking of the track and gentle swaying of the cars, and of being served breakfast in the dining car, watching the rich Wisconsin farmlands roll by as I ate my pancakes. Even more vivid is my recollection of the trip my first grade class (Westwood School, Mrs. Emma Jacobson, teacher), took on the Milwaukee Road from Iron Mountain to Wausaukee. How excited we were as we boarded the train tightly clasping the little brown paper bags containing the lunches our mothers had prepared especially for this trip.
Many of the songs and books of childhood centered around the mystique and lore of the railroad. In my generation, most everyone was familiar with The Little Engine That Could and could sing "Down by the station, early in the morning, see the little pufferbellies all in a row....." Who wouldn't have known the great American folk hero Casey Jones! Who couldn't sing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" complete with the chorus beginning "someone's in the kitchen with Dinah !"
The Big Band Era was drawing to a close, but Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and the "Tuxedo Junction" were favorites on the radio. Johnny Mercer's "Or the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" won the Academy Award for best song in 1946.
Meredith Wilson magically added to the lore of the railroad at the turn of the century in small town America in the opening number from his famous Broadway musical comedy The Music Man. After the conductor announces, "All aboard! River City next station stop! River City next!," a group of traveling salesmen, through clever, rhythmic dialogue bemoaning the demise of credit and jostling motions unforgettably capture a ride down the track behind a steam engine.
In the mid-1870's hundreds of men were working on the Menominee Range Railway, a branch railroad of the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company. Although iron ore deposits had been located in the area before 1850, without this railroad there was no way to transport the ore either directly to the markets by train or by train to the port of Escanaba. The Menominee Range Railway began at Forty-Two or Powers Station (so designated because it was 42 miles from Menominee) and its first terminus was Quinnesec. By the time the rails reached Quinnesec toward the end of October, 1877, plans were already underway to extend this branch line to Florence, Wisconsin, passing through Iron Mountain and Commonwealth.
Four railroads served the Dickinson County area over the years: the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company, the Milwaukee & Northern (later the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul; later still the Milwaukee Road), the Escanaba & Lake superior and the Wisconsin & Michigan Railway.
A brief segment explains the extension of the railroad to the western Upper Peninsula. For further reading I suggest Frank Bourle's excellent chapter on the railroad in A Most Superior Land: Life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. So you, too, can be lured into our area's railroad history, the articles which follow chronologically appear as written, with all the charm, wit and spice common to journalism of the era.
Special thanks are due to the Mid-Peninsula Library Cooperative, the Dickinson County Library. the Menominee Range Historical Museum and Wesley Perron.
July 17, 1990
William J. Cummings
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Before the advent of the railroad, wagons provided the most common mode of land transportation, and were capable of covering little more than 30 miles a day. Thus, most Americans lived and died close to their birthplace, seldom traveling more than 50 miles from
home.
With the departure of the nation's first passenger train from Charleston, South Carolina, on Christmas Day, 1830, the railroad rapidly began to transform America's life style. By 1850, powerful engines were moving trains loaded with people and goods along at 40 to 50 miles per hour, making trips of 300 miles in a single day. Indeed, the extent to which the railroad became a vital part of daily living during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is difficult to imagine as the twenty-first century approaches.
Following the Civil War, passenger traffic continued to expand as tracks engulfed the continent like a huge spider web. Communities competed to attract rail companies as the construction fever increased. By 1900, the Official Guide of the Railways contained an index of some 55,000 stations across the United States served by more than 1,200 railroads. After World War I, the number of passenger trains reached its peak when 20,000 scheduled trains operated daily.
The railroad depot was likely to be the busiest place in town throughout the day and half the night. Not only were passengers arriving and departing, but all of the community's mail and much of its merchandise, via the Railway Express Agency, was dispatched at the depot which was also frequently the sole source of telegraph communication. An agent, ticket clerk, car inspector, crossing watchman, baggage men, crewmen changing with those arriving, and perhaps a waiting switch-engine crew to add or remove cars were all required to keep operations running smoothly. Drivers of rigs to transport passengers and draymen to take trunks to and from the depot were also part of the scene at the depot.
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Passenger comfort varied considerably depending on whether the cars were on through runs or local runs. The day coaches were of all-wood construction, gas lighted, heated with coal stoves that fried the nearest passengers and left those farthest away marginally chilly. These coaches were also equipped with private but crude toilets which afforded a view of the roadbed below. Cinders worked their way inside throughout the seasons, but particularly when the weather was hot and the windows were opened. But, with all its discomforts, travel by rail was far superior to the alternative.
Pullman sleepers were the first cars to be electrically lighted and steam heated. Regular overnight trains to and from such cities as Minneapolis and Chicago offered standard Pullman service with plush green upholstered seats by day and 12-section upper and lower berths by night. Dining cars, the pride of most railroads, were often the subject of competitive advertising. Snow-white linen, sparkling table service and excellent cuisine produced meals that were equal to those of the finest big-city restaurants.
Train travel in Michigan's Upper Peninsula was at its peak shortly after the turn of the century, when 14 common carrier railroads offering scheduled freight and passenger service were in operation. In a 24-hour period no less than 178 passenger trains huffed and puffed across the peninsula, and this unbelievable figure doesn't include the many trains on lumber company railroads that served logging camps. Most of these logging trains also carried passengers on a casual basis.
Built in 1857 to replace the mule—pulled cart system used on strap railways, the Iron Mountain Railroad, the first railroad in the Upper Peninsula, was organized to move iron ore from the Negaunee-area iron mines to the port of Marquette. Two years later it became known as the Bay de Noquet & Marquette Railroad, and, following a series of ownership and name changes, eventually became a segment of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway.
The first railroad to reach the Menominee Iron Range was a branch line of the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company. This company was formed in June, 1859, when several lines of railroad which had been built at various times in Wisconsin and Illinois between 1845 and 1855 were purchased and consolidated. Authorized by Congress to build a line from Chicago via Janesville, Wisconsin, to the north line of Wisconsin at the Menominee River, the Chicago & North-Western began at once to build this extension which was completed to Fort Howard (Green Bay), Wisconsin, in 1862.
Meanwhile, back in the Upper Peninsula, a railroad was organized to build a line from the Marquette Iron Range to the head of Little Bay de Noc in Delta County
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Book Page 3
in 1856 or 1857. However, this road was never built. In 1861 or 1862 William B. Ogden, president of the Chicago & North-Western Railroad Company, together with Samuel J. Tilden, one of that company's directors, and others, obtained all rights and franchises to this unbuilt railroad and organized the Peninsula Railroad. Ogden and Tilden both had interests in the iron mines on the Marquette Iron Range, and a port on Lake Michigan would facilitate getting the iron ore to the furnaces. S.H. Selden, engineer for the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company, assisted by C.E. Brotherton, located and constructed the Peninsula Railroad from Sand Point (Escanaba) to the Jackson Mine in Negaunee in 1863. A locomotive called the Apple ton [Early locomotives were named, not numbered.] was shipped from Green Bay by scow and unloaded on Christmas day of that same year. With Engineer C.H. Weideman at the throttle, the Appleton powered the first train north shortly thereafter. In October, 1864, the 63—mile Peninsula Railroad was taken over by the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company to become its Peninsula Division. In the meantime, work had started on the first ore dock in Escanaba in 1863 and 1864. By 1865 the dock was completed and the railroad was in operation.
The lumber business at the mouth of the Menominee River and south along the west shore of Green Bay had grown to immense proportions during the years prior to 1871. However, the various towns between Green Bay and Menominee had no' railroad facilities, being served by boat during the season of navigation and by stage during the winter. Lumbermen headed by S.M. Stephenson of Marinette had been negotiating with the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company to extend its line to the Menominee River for some time. Preliminary surveys had already been made from Fort Howard to Menominee, and also north to Escanaba, when the Chicago & North—Western Railway Company finally decided to extend their line through Marinette/Menominee to Escanaba, thus making a rail connection with its Peninsula Division.
The new line was to be built in two sections -- the first from Fort Howard to Marinette and the second from Marinette to Escanaba. Work on the first section began in the spring of 1871 under Edward Powers, engineer of construction, assisted by F.H. Van Cleve. Grading began in June, and by July 1 the work was well started along the whole length of the line. Contractors Dunlap and Ellis were instructed to "rush" the work throughout the very dry summer and fall. The surrounding area suffered terribly from drought, and on October 8 the Peshtigo fire swept over many acres, taking many lives and destroying much property and timberland. The famed Chicago fire occurred at the same time. Nevertheless, the first section was completed so that the first regular passenger train could run from Fort Howard to Marinette on December 27, 1871.
During that same year the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company had a
sur-
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veying party in the field locating the line from Menominee to Escanaba. Two or three preliminary lines were run before the final line was located, following close along the shore of Green Bay the whole distance between the two places. However, when the company became aware of the discovery of large quantities of iron ore to the north on what was to become the Menominee Iron Range, Congress was successfully petitioned to change the line. The new line ran directly north from Menominee to the nearest point to the newly discovered iron range from which a branch from the main line could readily be built to open up these new iron fields. In accordance with this permission to change, the line was located to a point 42 miles north from Menominee which became Powers Station, also known as Forty-Two. While one surveying party was locating the line to Powers, S.H. Selden, now engineer of the Peninsula
Division, again assisted by C.E. Brotherton, was locating the line from Escanaba to Powers.
Work began on the second section of the extension
-- from Menominee to Escanaba in the spring of 1872. The contract was let to Wolf and Carpenter, a railway building firm from Iowa. However, when July arrived, little had been accomplished and the firm gave up the contract. The work was immediately let to Alexander Wallace, a contractor who had just finished some railroad work in Iowa. Wallace began with quite a large outfit, but did not seem to accomplish anything more than Wolf and Carpenter, so the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company cancelled his contract and took over building the railroad. Wallace was retained for a time as a general foreman and overseer of the construction. By late fall the road was fairly well built to Powers, and trains were run between Powers and Menominee.
The work had also been pushed from the Escanaba end. By the middle of November the track was laid from Escanaba to a point about two miles west of a station called Indian Town in Menominee County, leaving a gap of about four miles of heavy work in a very unfinished condition. Due to the onset of winter, only enough work was done on this unfinished portion to lay the track and connect with track already laid and in use from Menominee. By the middle of December the track from Menominee was connected with the track from Escanaba at a station called Spalding, and a few days later the first passenger train ran from Escanaba to Menominee, and the whole road from Fort Howard to Escanaba was opened for business. Finally the Peninsula Division was joined to the great system to which it belonged.
With the line between Menominee and Escanaba completed, the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company could now turn its attention to the branch line which would leave Powers from the newly-discovered iron mines then located in Menominee County.
Instead of a narrative account, excerpts taken directly from contemporary news papers will be used to document the development of the railroad in Dickinson
County.
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Page Number 5
Th Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume IV, Number 12
[Saturday, February 22, 1873], page 3, column 4
The contract for building the Extension to the Menominee iron range has been let by the C. & N.W.R.R. Co., to Featherly & Farnsworth of Green Bay. They are to commence work immediately.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume IV, Number 15
[Saturday, March 15, 1873], page 3, column 4
P.M. Brown is clearing away a lot at section 42, or Power's Station, for the purpose of erecting a hotel. The junction of the Menominee Range Road will be there.
To date no records or accounts have been found regarding the work done on the Menominee Range Railroad in 1873. Unfortunately, the Panic of 1873, a nation wide economic depression, occurred, resulting in the cessation of railroad building and exploring for iron ore until the economy began to recover several years later.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 21
[Saturday, April 2.9, 1876], page 2, column 2
It is rumored that work will commence on the Menominee Range Railway. It is to be hoped that the report may prove true, and the work go on without delay.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 26
[Saturday, June 3, 1876], page 2, column 2
The Menominee Range R.R. project don't [sic] appear to pan out with that degree of success which it's [sic] friends wish it. We had hoped ere this to announce that operations had been commenced but we very much fear that the bottom has fell [sic] out of the business, as it is impossible to find anyone who knows anything positive about the intentions of the managers.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 27
[Saturday, June 10, 18761, page 2, column 2
The Menominee Journal feels quite positive that the Menominee Range R.R. will be built during the coming summer, but says it can't give reasons for it's [sic] opinion. We certainly hope "the opinion" will prove true, reason or no reason.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 29
[Saturday, June 24, 18761, page 2, column 2
S.H. Selden Esq., has been engaged the past week in making a survey of the Menominee Range Railroad and at the present writing it looks as though the branch would speedily be built.
The following account, found while -researching the extension of the Menominee Range Railroad, may help the reader to better identify the time frame in which the Menominee Iron Range was being opened up. The survey by S.H. Selden from Powers Station to the Quinnesec Mine was being run at the same time General George Arm strong Custer led his troops to their death against Sitting Bull and the Sioux
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nation at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The Escanaba Tribune's editorial comments on the matter probably reflect the nation's feelings toward the Indians at this point in our history.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 31
[Saturday, July 8, 1876], page 2,
column 3
TERRIBLE MASSACRE
The daily papers of Thursday are teeming with accounts of a terrible massacre of Gen. Custer's brigade on the Little Horn [sic] river. Upwards of 300 men were slaughtered by the Indians whom the troops encountered at that point. The report is fully confirmed by later dispatches. It is to be hoped that this terrible slaughter will have the effect to put a stop to the namby pamby policy of the government and that now a war of extermination will be waged.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 35
[Saturday, August 5, 1876], page 2, column 2
Early in the week Marvin Hughitt General Manager, Albert Keep President, E.H. Johnson Chief Engineer and C.C. Wheeler Assistant Gen'l Sup't paid this country a visit.
[NOTE: These men were officials of the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company.]
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 35
[Saturday, August 5, 1876], page 3, column 3
MENOMINEE RIVER RAILWAY
S.H. Selden chief engineer of this road has just completed the survey to the Quinesaik [sic] Mine, distant fifty miles west from hear [sic].
The Escanaba Tribune Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 36
[Saturday, August 12, 1876], page 3, column 3
The survey of the Menominee Range Railway has been completed, and it is hoped that work will be commenced as soon as possible, although nothing is yet known de finitely what the policy of the company may prove to be.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 38
[Saturday, September 2, 18761, page 2, column 2
MENOMINEE RANGE R.R.
As we go to press, information comes to us that the Menominee R.R. Co. have filed the map of their route from Spalding to Quinnesec, and we have other news to the effect that work will commence at once. A party of men arrived here last evening from Ishpeming, with a quantity of giant powder, blasting tools & c., and left for the Quinnesec Falls, where the work of blasting the large rocks at the foot of the falls, will be carried into effect. --Menominee Journal.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 52
[Saturday, December 2, 1876], page 2, column 2
MENOMINEE R.R.
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Book Page 7
We have information, seemingly reliable, indicating that work will be speedily commenced on the construction of the Menominee Iron Range branch of the C. & N.W. R'y. We are not at liberty to give details this week. The building of this road would be of great advantage to Green Bay and this whole section. --Green Bay Advocate.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VII, Number 52
[Saturday, December 2, 1876], page 3, column 4
GOOD NEWS.
Judge Ingalls brings word that the prospect is now very fair for building the Menominee Iron Range Railroad, and that considerable work will probably be done on it this winter. The C. & N.W.R.R. Co. has decided to take hold of the matter, and will push the thing with as much dispatch as possible.
--Menominee Herald.
That is all right. It will bring us 25 miles nearer to St. Paul and then, for the next link westward. The people along the Wisconsin River are anxiously waiting to get an outlet to our lake system, this way[.] Speed the good work.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 445 [Saturday, January
27, 1877], page 4, column 1
Work on the Menominee Range Railroad is being pushed rapidly forward. The road commences at a point on the Chicago & Northwestern railway, twenty-three miles from Escanaba, and forty-two from Menominee, at which buildings to be used as offices, stores, boarding houses and dwellings have been erected. Three hundred men are at present employed, which force will be increased as soon as arrangements can be made for their accommodation. It is intended to have the road built to the Breen mine on section 22, township 39 north of range 28 west, at the opening of navigation, when active work will commence at that mine.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 11
[Saturday, February 17, 1877], page 3, column 2
The many friends of Mr. Samuel H. Selden, will be glad to learn that he has so far recovered from his late
indisposition, as to be able to resume his regular duties again as Chief Engineer of the Menominee Range Railway.
TO BE EXTENDED.
The joint committees on railroads last Saturday morning reported in favor of extending the grant to the Menominee Iron Range Railroad for two years on condition that twenty miles be completed before January 1st, 1878, instead of ten miles, as required by the terms of the existing law. The committee say [sic] proper restrictions should be thrown around the grant so as to protect the interests of, and on the completion of the road to secure a permanent benefit to, the State.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 12
[Saturday, February 24, 1877], page 3, column 2
SEVERE ACCIDENT.
On Friday Feb. 16th a man by the name of James Gulley, was very severely injured in a cut, in which he was working, on the new railroad about 3 miles from Sec. 42, by caving in of the side of the cut, which burried [sic] him and several others under it. When extricated his bones were found to be badly broken and pro-
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truding through the flesh in some places. Dr. Mulliken of this place, was summoned as soon as possible and found the main injuries to consist of, compound fracture of both feet, also a compound fracture above one knee and a simple fracture above it. The right arm was also fractured. His wounds were attended to as well as could be done under the circumstances and he was then brought to the Central Hotel in this village. He is now as comfortable as can be expected and as he is a man of robust constitution it is probable that he will recover.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 12
[Saturday, February 24, 1877], page 3, column 3
On Saturday morning Mr. Aiken who is one of the foremen engaged on the Menominee Range Ry., had the wind knocked out of him, by a piece of stump weighing about 100 pounds, thrown by a blast just let off, which struck him just below the belt and landed him about twenty feet away. Another man was standing about three or four rods further on; it took his underpinning from under him and reversed ends quicker than you could say Jack Robinson. Fortunately neither parties [sic] were materially injured.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 449 [Saturday,
February 24, 1877], page 4, column 1
Work on the Menominee [sic] Range Railway is being pushed with great vigor, there being at present a force of not less than 600 men employed[.] Clark, Lipe & Co. have a sub contract for that part of the line west of the Breen mine, and there is no reason to doubt but that the track will be completed to the Quinesaik [sic] early next fall -- possibly in time for the shipment of some ore before the close of navigation. The building of this line is attracting a great deal of attention to the new iron field, and negotiations are now in progress looking to the extension of the railway from the Quinesaik [sic] across the river to the newly discovered deposits in Wisconsin.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 13
[Saturday, March 3, 1877], page 3, column 2
EXHUMATION.
Mr. Phillip Secor of Grand Traverse City, heard through the TRIBUNE, of the death of Louis Secor by an accident on the new railroad Feb. 7th, and as he had a son of that name who had left home a few months before, he presumed that it was him [sic]. The description sent in answer to telegrams answered exactly and he accordingly came on here and had the body exhumed last Sunday, but was much pleased to find that it was not his son.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 15
[Saturday, March 17, 1877], page 3, column 2
One thousand tons of railroad iron for the Menominee Range railroad was received at Powers (Sec. 42) this week[.] This will lay about eleven miles of road.
Work is progressing finely on the Menominee Range railroad and the contractors are pushing matters energetically. The different mines along the route are getting things in shape to take advantage of the completion of the road to their several localities. We expect to make a trip in that direction next week and can then say more about it.
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Book Page 9
E.P. Parks, Esq. was in town on Friday. He is engaged at present on the new railroad.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 16
[Saturday, March 24, 1877], page 3, column 2
The bill making a grant of land in aid of the Menominee Range R'y has passed both branches of the Legislature. Twenty miles of road to be be [sic] completed by Jan. 1st, 1878.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 453 [Saturday, March
24, 1877], page 4, column 1
By a letter just received from a member of the engineering corps on the line of the Menominee Range railway, we learn that work is progressing favorably to the completion of the road to the Quinesaik [sic] mine by the first of August next. The frost is a hindrance rendering it necessary to use blasting powder in loosening the ground in grading. Arrangements were being made to commence work in the Breen and Quinesaik [sic] mines during this week, to put them in shape to produce ore. There is a prospect of considerable work being done the coming summer along the line of this road in the way of prospecting for mineral [sic].
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 17
[Saturday, March 31, 1877], page 3, column 3
The philanthropist who runs the Marquette Mining Journal, has had his extremely benevolent
sensibilities [sic] shocked and stands aghast at the "wanton inhumanity," of Delta or Menominee counties, in sending a man who was unfortunately very seriously injured on the new railroad, to Marquette for treatment and furthermore thinks it "a rather questionable trick to get rid of a county charge." If the benevolent individual aforesaid had taken pains to inform himself, he might have arrived at the truth of the matter and not have
blundered into making a very serious charge, against the two counties in question.
The facts of the case are these; the man James (not Patrick) Gulley, was very badly injured in a cut by a frozen bank falling upon him, Feb. 16th. A physician from this place was immediately summoned by the contractors, Messrs. Wells & Good rich, to attend to him. He went and did all that could be done for the injured man, with the appliances at hand and at the man's own suggestion he was removed to Escanaba where he could receive more constant attention. Although at the time of the accident, Mr. Gulley had on his person $166.35 (which was counted in the presence of several trustworthy parties,) yet Messrs[.] Wells & Goodrich agreed to pay the bill for board and medical attendance for one month. As the injuries were of a complicated character and the man's system not in very good order, he expressed a desire to be placed in some hospital, where he could receive all the care that was necessary and as he was somewhat acquainted at Ishpeming he wrote and telegraphed to Dr. Bigelow at that place, asking him if he would receive him (Gulley.) [sic] The answer was favorable. His brother Thomas had been with him for some time and stated that if he could get James in the hospital at Ishpeming, he would work in the mines and assist him in paying for nursing and medical attendance. At the time the patient left here he must have had nearly $130. At no time has he been a town ship or county charge, in either this county or Menominee. His going to either Ishpeming or Marquette was of his own free volition. He and his brother had means to pay their way with and Mr. Thomas Gulley designed with a brother's solicitude to labor for more.
In view of these facts it ill becomes a neighboring newspaper to accuse either Menominee or Delta counties of inhumanity and trickery.
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Book Page 10
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 20
[Saturday, April 21, 1877], page 3, column 2
About 150 men at work on the Menominee Range railroad struck for higher wages last Tuesday, and after proceeding to "42" met some 60 laborers who had just come in on the train from the south. These gave such an unfavorable account of matters outside, that the most of the men went back to work again at the same wages. They were getting $1.25 a day and were paying $3.50 for board but wished their wages raised to $1.50 a demand which was not complied with.
Camp No. 5 on the new railroad is presided over by Mrs. Hayes; the foreman's name is Mr. Wheeler, so the establishment is dubbed the "White House."
First The Escanaba Tribune and then The Mining Journal began running letters submitted by correspondents working on the Menominee Range Railroad using the pseudonyms Racketty and Wolverine respectively to document the progress being made between "42" and the new iron fields.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 23
[Saturday, May 12, 1877], page 2, column 2
CORRESPONDENCE FROM SEC. "42."
It was all a mistake that little tale about our getting run over by a cod fish, for as you may perceive by this letter, the child is yet alive. We have planted ourself [sic] in this place with the intention of studying Railroadology. Chipe [sic] & Co.[,] who have the grading from the Breen mine to the Quinnesec, have about 275 men including sub-contractors. D.L. Wells & Co.[,] who are building the south end, have upwards of 200 men in grade, about one-half of which are on construction train. The company have [sic] also about 100 men on timber bridging and ties. We understand that the track laying on this end will soon be resumed. There is at present about four and one half miles of track down and we believe the remainder will be put down at the rate of about one-half mile per day. Among familiar faces we notice E.R. Parks of Escanaba, also our old time (literary antagonist) Special of Ford River, who is at present with the Engineer corps, and wears the boss pair of stoga boots. Racketty is at present in the hotel business and does all the coarse hand writing. CE.] Lipe & Co. have raised wages from $1.25 to $1.40 per day and board from $3.50 to $4.00 per week. Our Mariar says we must not write any more (soft stuff) and as we believe in a here after we will close by subscribing ourself [sic] as in days or yore.
RACKETTY.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 460 [Saturday, May 12,
1877], page 4, column 2
THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILROAD. -- We are informed, by parties interested in the matter, that there is probability that this road will be continued this sea son to the Menominee river. This will be done if the parties owning mineral lands on the line of the proposed extension manifest enough interest in the matter to give the company suitable encouragement as to the development of the properties which are known to be rich in mineral. It would be a matter of consider able economy to the company to build the road now on the completion of the pre sent contract, while the men and materials are on the spot, and while wages are low. We trust that the interested parties will arouse themselves on this subject.
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Book Page 11
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 24
[Saturday, May 19, 1877], page 2, column 2
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY.
Sec. 42, May l7th[,] 1877
MR. EDITOR. -- We have for some time been trying to collect our scattered thoughts, with a view to enlightening you as to the progress of railroad business, and other matters connected with this place, but have just returned from a short stroll, with the conviction that we have not been rewarded in a measure to compensate us for our untiring efforts, for, although the construction of the Menominee Range railroad is being pushed with the usual vigor, yet the general hard times have not changed one particle, and good whisky cannot be procured for less than ten cents per glass. We are a temperance man ourself [sic], but as we take an interest in the welfare of our fellow citizens, it is their sad condition that we consider so deplorable. Several car loads of iron rail are shipped up the road every morning, and everything looks favorable for the completion of the road somewhat sooner than has been anticipated. All that will be lacking to make this place a city at the completion of the road, will be a blast furnace and saloon, but we think the latter-named institution is at present kept on the European plan somewhere in this vicinity. It has been hinted to us that a certain pounder or compounder of medicines hereabouts is selling forty rod, and we would caution the gent, least the broad and untiring hand of Michigan law lays its vice-like grip upon his carcass. We have as yet had no rain in this locality this month, and if the heavens do not soon open and pour upon us their refreshing element, we have little doubt but that the coming season will be a sickly one in this place, as the land surrounding us is composed principally of cedar swamps, and spruce and tamarack bogs.
Mr. J.A.
Crozier, of the Menominee Herald, made us a pleasant call on Tues day last.
In my hurry, I had almost forgot to mention that we have been surrounded by fire for nearly a week and it is still holding on to the dry earth in some parts of surrounding country.
With a special regard to the editor, we remain, as ever.
RACKETTY.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number
26[Saturday, June 2, 1877], page 2, column 2
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY.
Sec. 42, May 23d, 1877.
MR. EDITOR. -- A severe, if not fatal accident occurred on the new line on Saturday of last week. Michael 0. Connell, while working on a cut some three or four miles up the road, was seriously injured by the sudden caving of the bank, which threw him against a car track with such force that his collar bone was broken and his head cut in a frightful manner, besides giving him serious internal injuries.
On Sunday, the 20th, our townspeople were called upon to witness the first wedding on the new line. The contracting parties were Mr. Warren L. Benjamin and Miss Clara M. Essington, both of this place. Rev. N. Green, of Escanaba, was called upon to officiate, and we give him credit for doing the work in good style. Previous to the marriage ceremony, Mr. Green delivered a short but very interesting discourse. The bride and groom tarried until Tuesday, and then left to seek fortune in some more congenial clime. We wish them much happiness in their doubled-up condition.
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Book Page 12
The people are on the lookout for Bruin, as he has been of late making very earnest demonstrations of war upon their pig pens.
The new road has up to date seven and one-half miles of rail.
Interesting news being scarce, we will close. Yours, & c.,
RACKETTY.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 463 [Saturday, June 2,
1877], page 4, column 1
SOME 300 men are now employed on the western end of the Menominee range rail way, and the contractors expect to increase this force to 500 shortly. It is expected to have the grade completed to the Quinnesec mine before August 1st, and the proprietors of that mine visited the location last Monday and selected the route for the sidings to tap the openings. Everything is being made in readiness for the shipment of ore as soon as the track is laid.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 27
[Saturday, June 9, 1877], page 2, column 3
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY
Sec. 42, June 5, 1877.
MR. EDITOR: -- Everything in our surroundings seems of late to have put on a lively appearance. Railroading business is in full bloom, and Messrs. Wells & Co., are now running three construction trains on the new line. Our little village of Powers is beginning to look up rapidly, and if we understand correctly, a post office will soon be established here; this latter-named institution will be a great convenience, as there is considerable amount of mail for this place, daily. Our nearest post office is at Spaulding [sic] Station, distant one mile. The petition to the department calls for Miss Carrie Brooks, as post mistress. The new tank just completed, and which is intended to supply both lines, is an ornament to the road. Morris H. Kelly, Esq., late of Escanaba, presides behind the counter at the fine store of Wells & Co. Mr. Cheney, the general manager of the Breen mine, made us a call a few days since; he reports business very brisk at the Breen. We have been favored with a light fall of rain of late, but not quite enough to satisfy our appetite for moisture. Michael O'Connell, the man who was injured up the line some two weeks since, has returned, and is mending rapidly. Asa Dodge, the old pioneer boot and shoe builder, of Escanaba, is in our village, and has his hands busily employed.
Truly yours,
RACKETTY.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 464 [Saturday, June 9,
1877], page 1, column 5
[To the Editor]
LETTER FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE MINES: -- The railway is completed to within three miles of the Breen mine; the contractor expects to have it in and consider ably west of that point by the fourth of July. The grading on the western end is approaching completion rapidly, and will be ready for the iron as soon as the con tractor is ready to lay it. The working force has been heavily increased.
At the Breen mine the mining company is ready to ship ore on the first train that arrives there. Their docks and pockets are all completed and partially filled with ore. The docks will hold one thousand tons, and the captain tells me he has things so arranged that he could load and send off three train loads of ore a
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Book Page 13
day. They have stripped and left exposed ore enough to employ a large gang of miners all summer to take out, and are still stripping. There has been a new town site laid out and it is called "Waucedah." About half a mile from the mine the company are building a number of quite neat cottages at the Breen location. The railway bridge across the Sturgeon river is nearly completed -- its whole length being nearly 500 feet.
At the Breitung mine things are indeed active, both mining and railroad building; I also ought to say fishing, for finer trout I never saw taken in any part of the country, weighing from one-half up to three pounds. Other fish are equally abundant. But this is digressing. The head-quarters of the three mines
-- the Breen, Breitung and Quinnesec -- are located at the Breitung mine, and it really is a lovely spot, overlooking a beautiful lake. Also at the Breitung they are ready to take out ore; they have a large tract stripped, the ore laying only about from twelve to eighteen inches below the surface; it is of first quality. There is being put into the bed a tunnel one hundred feet long; they also have a stope finished from which they will take ore, and would be ready for shipping, but their dock and pockets are not completed yet. But there is a large force of men at work on them, and everything will be ready as soon as the railroad is ready.
The gentlemen who constitute the company made their first visit the fore part of this week, and expressed themselves as highly pleased and perfectly satisfied with the manner in which everything was conducted, and highly complimented the superintendent for the successful manner in which he had carried out their plans.
The Quinnesec has not been opened, but will be as soon as the railroad is advanced far enough.
The weather is dry and excessively warm, and vegetation is suffering severely. The woods are all on fire, being the second time this season. Mr. Joseph Benton's log shanty was burned yesterday, leaving them all out doors; damages are light compared to the extent of the fire. The fire is abating slightly at this writing.
WOLVERINE
Breitung mine, June 1.
The grading of the railroad is being carried on night and day, showing the intention of the contractors to complete it in the quickest possible time. Large gangs of men are at work.
The captain of the Breen mine and party visited the Breitung last Sunday, going on horseback. They are still stripping there; also stocking it. Their first blast occurred there last week, having struck rock they could not remove without the aid of explosives, as heretofore.
At the Breitung the work on the dock and pockets is being pushed to its utmost capacity, and at the end of every day you can see that big work has been done. This past week there has been found a bed of hard ore beneath the strip ping, surpassing anything on Lake Superior in quality, and the Capt. thinks his mine is going to be the "biggest thing" in the whole country. It far surpasses their most sanguine expectations.
The dock and pockets will be ready to receive ore week after next, when work will be lively. We are anticipating big times for our little place as soon as the railroad is finished.
Weather has been a little chilly the few days past, but warmer now. Gardens are all planted; health of the location good; no rain as yet; we need it very badly.
WOLVERINE
BREITUNG, June 6, 1877.
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Book Page 14
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 28
[Saturday, June 16, 1877], page 2, columns 2-3
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY.
Sec. 42, June 13, 1877.
MR. EDITOR: -- Circumstances will not permit us to write up much of the doings
in this locality the present week. With a cold in our cranium, and corns on our
gunboats, we are severely distressed.
It has been raining almost
incessantly since our last writing, and calked boots are getting quite numerous
here. The saw mill at Spaulding is in full blast, and Mr. Murphy, the
superintendent of said milling business, has caused a new side track to be built
from the main track to the mill, which will greatly improve their facilities for
getting their lumber to the main track, as it has heretofore been conveyed on
wagons, a distance of nearly one-fourth mile.
The work on the new road is
progressing finely, and we understand that more iron will be laid immediately.
Fresh hands for the new road are arriving daily, and the force of Wells &
Co., now exceeds 600 men. On Tuesday of this week, a man named Richard Jones had
his foot crushed in a serious manner by the violent slacking of one of the
construction trains. We would suggest that the engineer fraternity be a little
cautious in the future.
Peter Reegan, a man in the employ of
Wells & Co., had his leg broke by the caving of a bank.
Yours truly, RACKETTY.
P.S. Since writing the above, I have
received intelligence that a man named Dennis McCarthy working on the upper end
of the road, was killed, on the 14th, by
the caving of a bank on the work. R.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 465 [Saturday, June
16, 1877], page 4, columns 2—3
THE MENOMINEE RANGE.
----
[To the Editor.]
Taking an early start from Menominee, we expected to reach section 34, town 40, range 18, the next night, but in this we were doomed to be disappointed, for. on trying to cross the Menominee river, about one mile below Bad Water village, our horses came very near being drowned, which detained us until the following morning, when we had to finish the remainder of our journey, of some twelve miles on foot. Throughout the Menominee district, in almost every direction, the woods were on fire, and the blackened cinders and ashes could be seen scattered here and there even when the fire was miles away. It must be very discouraging to the lumbermen whose mills are running on short time or are idle for want of the very logs that were then burning in the "roll—ways." Arriving at our destination the first care was to get something to eat, for hunger was too tame a word to express the condition of our empty larders. After having done ample justice to the bounteous repast served by our genial host, Monsieur Tobin, and created in his mind grave doubts of an immediate famine, we began to look around. The location consists of two long buildings and a couple of tents sufficient to accommodate a dozen or more men. The mine owned by the Commonwealth Iron Co., is located on the summit of a broad ridge in the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 34, town 40, range 18, and is about 150 feet above the general level of
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Book Page 15
the country in this vicinity. The vein of ore is uncovered from 75 to 100 feet in
the direction of its "strike" and measures across the strike 36 feet. The ore is a first class, fine, steely, specular variety and is very uniform in quality. The elevation of the mine will afford it a natural drainage for a long time after active mining begins. The stripping —- a sandy-loam and sand -- will average at pre sent about nine feet. The cost of opening this mine will be comparatively very small.
At the Quinnesec mine, the present terminus of the Menominee Range railroad, but very little has been done this season. The location consists of
one good log house, besides two or three other larger buildings in the course of construction, intended for hotels. It is the purpose, however, of those interested to soon commence mining operations here.
Following the line of the half finished railroad we come to the Breitung, and are welcomed by our old friend Capt. Jack Armstrong, who takes no little pardon able pride in showing strangers his mine. They are making active preparations here to be ready to ship ore as soon as the railroad is completed thus far. Their de posit of ore is located on the face of a high ridge, and the drainage is good. The ore, a blue hematite, is about identical with the Quinnesec. The formation has nearly an east and west trend and dips to the south. The ore contains just enough magnetic to attract the needle and afford a purplish red powder when pulverized. The bed of ore is quite well defined, and in places measures 50 feet in thickness. They have quite a large amount of ore in sight, and with a little more work can ship fifty or more tons per day. The hanging wall of the vein is a jasper and lean hard ore. It appears probable, that as they mine downwards, they will find more or less of hard specular ore. At present they are driving a tunnel which will inter sect the ore in about seventy feet at a point about fifty feet below the surface. This will give a fine strip of ore, almost at the very start.
Reluctantly bidding our friend a last good—bye, we resumed our tramp along the line to the Breen mine. The grading on the road-bed was much more advanced than west of the Breitung mine. Across the Sturgeon river, the Railroad Co. have nearly completed a very fine wooden bridge, with long high approaches on the east side. The grades are very light, not exceeding 34 feet to the mile, and the curves are not sharper than four degrees. At the Breen we found Captain Schwartz in charge, and even as busy as at the Breitung mine. The showing of ore here is good, and promises well. It is very similar to the Breitung ore, and the formation there dips to the south. It is more than probable that all these mines are on the same range. Mr. Louis Whitehead has charge of the Breen, Breitung and Quinnesec mines, and no doubt will gladly welcome the first train of cars at the Quinnesec, so that his now tedious tramps will be no longer necessary. Some seven to eight miles of track is laid, and the prospect is that the cars will be running to the Breen by the first of August, which will save the "old times" pull through the swamp on the winter supply road. The Breen mine is only 20 feet higher than the track at Spaulding, and the present line of railroad does not vary from an air line at any point more than one thousand feet. C.E.W.
MARQUETTE, June 15th.
The Mining Journal. Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 466 [Saturday, June
23, 1877], page 1, column 5
MENOMINEE RANGE ITEMS. -- The track laying has begun again, after having been delayed some time with a rock cut, and will be laid into the Breen mine at once.
A man by the name of Anthony Dougherty was killed in the R.R. cut above the Breen mine, one day this week. He was smothered to death by the caving in of a bank of sand, burying him about ten feet beneath it. Also an Indian (name not known), had his arm badly cut with an ax in the hands of a companion; it was accidental.
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Book Page 16
The Breen mine has stripping 150 feet in length, and from 30 feet to 75 feet in breadth. They are constantly uncovering more ore.
Capt. Schwartz has just returned to the Breen, bringing his family with him.
Capt. Armstrong, of the Breitung mine, has lately moved his family into the district; it is a big undertaking for a lady; the mode of conveying into the mine is quite of the backwoods order. The stripping is still going on and the ore is abundant. Superintendent Whitehead is making every effort to have docks and pockets ready to receive ore by the time the cars are ready to run to the mine, and judging from the way the work is being pushed, they will be completed in due time.
The weather so far this month has been quite moist. Last night, June 15, there was a heavy shower of rain and hail, accompanied with severe lightning and thunder, and also a fierce wind. This continuous rain retards work on the R.R. and in the mines, but the lumber men are happy. They tell me they will be able to clear all the streams of lumber, which is a god send to the mill men at the mouth of the Menominee river.
The location of a postoffice at Waucedah has been delayed until after the R.R. is completed. It would be a difficult matter to furnish mail there with the present facilities.
They are crowding the ore onto the docks at the Breen, as the road is being pushed rapidly to that point. The rock cut that has delayed them so long is finally finished.
The Quinnesec mine is being surveyed with a view to ascertain the best point for opening it.
SPAULDING, June 16, 1877.
WOLVERINE.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 467 [Saturday, June
30, 1877], page 1, columns 4—5
MENOMINEE RANGE ITEMS. -- The weather was quite cold the latter part of last week, but this week opens very warm and pleasant, and there are indications of rain.
Last Tuesday, the 19th of June, was pay day at the Breen and Breitung mines, and the railroad men got their pay a day or two before. There was quite a loud old time, and had there been a saloon here things would have been pretty generally stirred up.
The tunnel at the Breitung was finished on the 22d, striking a fine bed of ore. The tunnel is 75 feet long.
A Frenchman by the name of Felix Suprise [sic], who was working on the rail road about five miles east of the Breitung mine, while peeling cedar bark on the morning of the 20th to cover a shanty, cut a fearful gash in his arm just above the elbow. He was carrying his ax on his shoulder through thick underbrush, his toe caught and he fell, and the ax slipped down on his arm, and it being very sharp nothing but the bone of the arm stopped it. Dr. Belknap, the mining surgeon, sewed the wound together and otherwise dressed it, and sent him home to Wisconsin.
A man working at the Breitung mine cut his hand quite severely with an ax, which will lay him up for a few days. His name is Lego [Legault].
We recently received a visit from Mr. Conrad, of Saginaw mine fame. He is looking after some iron land interests about twenty miles west of this location.
The Railroad store, belonging to parties from Chicago, has been sold to other parties from Chicago, and is going to be moved toward the western terminus of the road.
The docks and pockets at the Breitung are finished, and they will begin to shove ore into them at once with the full force.
It is rumored that the track will be completed to the Breen this week.
WOLVERINE.
SPALDING, June 25.
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Book Page 17
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 31
[Saturday, July 7, 1877], page 2, column 2
OUR CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY.
Sec. 42, July 5, 1877.
After a lapse of two weeks we proceed to enlighten you with the news of the week. On Friday last, Joseph Goetz, a laborer in the employ of Wells & Co., was somewhat injured by the falling of a bank on the new road; he was taken to camp No. 1, and Dr. Fortier, of Menominee, was summoned, who pronounced the man out of danger. Goetz was sent to his home near Green Bay, the following Sunday. The iron is laid within a short distance of the Breen mine, on the new line.
Sheriff Ruprecht, of Menominee county, was in this place a few days since hunting illicit liquor dealers; they say that Joe had fifty dollars for the per son that would point out the guilty parties, but it appears that his labors were not crowned with success.
The glorious 4th passed by us with nothing in the way of excitement except some six or half dozen exhibitions of fistic exercise, after which the wounded were, with few exceptions, carried off the field dead -- i.e. dead drunk —- and, indeed, your humble correspondent, Racketty, had instruments of various makes (principally Old Rye seven shooters), placed in unpleasant proximity to his smeller, but as he has long since shook the gang, he of course retreated in good order.
One of the enthusiastic citizens succeeded in getting away with a pint of kerosene oil, property of Mr. Duncan McMillan; we would propose that he now proceed to light himself.
As our time is short, and confusion great, we will proceed to stop.
Yours, & c.
RACKETTY.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 468 [Saturday, July 7,
1877], page 5, column 4
MENOMINEE RANGE ITEMS. -- A great many of the workmen in the mines and on the railroad are going away to spend the fourth of July; there will a few stay and work. The cars run very close to the Breen mine now, within a mile and a half, and they will be detained there about two weeks on account of a cut through a hill not being finished; their men left them, so they had to stop work, or it would have been all ready for the iron. The boarding camps all along the western division will be moved up in a few days, the bed of the road being so nearly finished up to the western terminus. Ore is being rushed on to the docks and into the pockets at both the Breitung and Breen mines at a rapid rate. The ore that comes out of the tunnel at the Breitung mine is very fine, entirely unmixed with rock of any description. The ore at the Breen is about the same quality, but is not as convenient for mining as it is on the lower ground. The company will probably put in a large stock of general merchandise at the Breitung to supply all their miners as soon as the railroad men move out of their store.
The boys bring in beautiful strings of trout every day; the opportunities for catching them are as fine as I ever saw, and not far off, either. There is a little lake a few rods from the location at the Breitung, which is filled with all kinds of fish that usually inhabit such lakes. The shooting this fall is going to be first—class.
No births, deaths or marriages.
WOLVERINE.
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Page Number 18
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 32
[Saturday, July 14, 1877], page 2, column 3
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY
Sec. 42, July 12, 1877.
MR. EDITOR. -- The glorious Fourth has come and gone, the jug has been buried, and once more peace and quietude reign supreme in 42. You may think the above expression wholly uncalled for, but had you been at this place on the Fourth, you would have remarked without hesitation, "Why is this thus?" Last Wednesday, that glorious one hundred and first anniversary of our national independence, when every loyal citizen of this enlightened country should have been offering a tribute of respect to the star spangled banner, the boys at 42 were whooping it up lively. The day was occupied in the usual manner, and in the evening a fair display of fire works, together with the firing of an anvil, and a genuine dynamite explosion, after which the people were addressed by Mr. J. Ronan, of this place, who made some very appropriate remarks. He was followed by Hon. Garry Forrest, who hails from the south of Ireland, and is recruiting his health in this place.
The post office at Powers of which we made mention in a previous number, has been decided on, and Miss Carrie Roberts of this place has been appointed post mistress, with the necessary bonds signed and approved; this will be a great convenience to the citizens of this place.
Two gentlemen from Negaunee, were in this village last week, who stated their intention of building a drug store at the Breen mine.
John Skogel, an employee with Wells & Co., was run over by one of the construction trains, and almost instantly killed, on Tuesday of this week. It appears that Skogel attempted to jump off the cars, while in motion, and struck against some obstruction, which threw him under the train. The deceased is of Swedish origin, and has a brother lying ill at Menominee.
The Breen mine can now be reached by rail from this place.
Yours, & c.
RACKETTY
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 469 [Saturday, July 14,
1877], page 1, column 5
MENOMINEE RANGE ITEMS. —— The fourth of July passed off very quietly. On the east end of the road the men all laid off and had a general spree, also the men at the Breen mine did not work, but every thing was quiet; they indulged in a picnic which was a very pleasant affair.
We can say now that the rail-road is at the Breen, a thing which has been looked for with a great deal of anxiety, and the grading is nearly completed between there and the Sturgeon river, so they can push the iron laying right ahead if they choose to; but instead of that I think they will make that headquarters for a time and ballast up what they have laid, as the bridge across the Sturgeon river will delay them some time.
The fourth at the Breitung mine was spent by the men working as usual, also on the railroad the same; but in the evening there was a large bonfire and a small show of fireworks, and the stars and stripes were flung to the breeze for the first time in this part of the country, creating a great deal of excitement in consequence, and the firing of guns and singing of national airs.
One of the bosses on the railroad, Mr. Chapman was his name, I believe, had his shoulder dislocated while on duty. It was soon adjusted by Dr. Belknap, the mining surgeon, and he is doing well at present.
They have got to increase their pocket capacity for ore at the mines, espe-
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Book Page 19
cially at the Breitung, where they are taking out now one hundred tons Per [sic]
day, and as soon as they increase their force, which they are going to do soon, the amount of ore taken out will be increased proportionately.
Buildings are beginning to go up pretty fast now, but they can't complete them for the want of lumber for which they have to wait from below, by railroad. Not having lumber has put us back here in building very much, but the cars being at the Breen they can haul it on wagons.
Supt. Whitehead is expecting a number of gentlemen who constitute the company here to-day, and he is going to the Breen with horses and saddles to show them the way in, that being our only means of getting over unless we foot it.
WOLVERINE.
SPALDING, July 10, 1877.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 33
[Saturday, July 21, 1877], page 2,column 2
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY.
POWERS, MICH[.],
July 19, 1877
MR. EDITOR. -- The present week being pay week on the road has been one of unusual excitement in this place. The latest excitement is a stabbing affray between two natives of Poland, the same taking place at camp 4 on the new road. One of the parties received a severe knife cut on the right side, almost directly under the armpit; he was sent to camp and his wound dressed, and is now in fair shape to recover. The perpetrator of this foul deed has since escaped. The name of the injured man is Joe Blitskie, and it is said the deed was done without pro vocation on his part. Work on the new road is still rushing. Our new postoffice is doing a fair business under the supervision of postmistress Brooks. And now we are beginning to feel like a business community.
Yours, & c.
RACKETTY.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 471 [Saturday, July
28,1877], page 8, column 1
MENOMINEE RANGE ITEMS. -- They are making extensive improvements at the Breen now, since the cars have brought them lumber; their houses are rapidly approaching completion, and it looks really like a town. The docks are being largely added to, and Supt. Whitehead has just given them a plan of pockets to build, which everyone thinks surpasses in strength any they ever saw.
Railroad iron has given out, and has caused a cessation in track laying, which is probably just as well, as the bridge over the Sturgeon river is yet un finished, and there is about a week's grading before they can get to the river; but all on the west side of the stream is ready for the iron up to three miles west of the Breitung, and the workmen have all moved to the western end, and will have that part all ready for the iron long before they are ready to lay it.
Captain Armstrong has made extensive additions to his ore dock at the Breitung so that its capacity for holding ore, including the pockets, is several thou sand tons. The ore continues just as fine as at first. The captain is going to increase the facilities for working by putting in two or three more stopes. Also, after a while, he will run in another tunnel to strike the bed of ore farther east, giving him a very extensive face to work upon.
There is just north of the mine a beautiful ledge of Potsdam sandstone, which
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Book Page 20
comes out in large blocks, and some time may richly pay for quarrying. It makes a fine, rich building stone.
Dr. N.P. Hulst, of Milwaukee, has been here for some time, making preparations to strip the Quinnesec mine. He is home now, but will be back soon and commence the work of stripping. I understand it's a very extensive piece of work, requiring a great deal of energy and perseverance, of all [sic - all of] which the doctor possesses a great abundance. No exciting news from this quarter this week.
WOLVERINE.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 472 [Saturday, August
4, 1877], page 8, column 1
MENOMINEE RANGE ITEMS. -- The spur at the Breen mine is finally laid, so now as soon as the balance of the road is in condition they will begin to ship ore. All supplies come up as far as the Breen, and passengers can ride up if they are at the depot when the train leaves every morning; but there are no regular trains on the road as yet, and probably will not be until the work is accepted by the engineers. The eastern end is in very fine condition, even better than the old road. The new houses at the Breen are now about completed; one or two of them are receiving their occupants, and a more tasty [sic - tasteful], convenient and well-constructed house I never saw put up by any company. They are first-class in every particular, with nice front yards and large roomy garden spots in the rear; Supt. Whitehead has not left a thing undone that should be done to make them perfect in comfort and convenience.
Mr. Hagerman, president of the company, from Milwaukee, and A.C. Brown, one of the stockholders, were here last week and expressed themselves highly delighted with the manner in which everything was being carried on; also with the future prospects of the mine. They are both gentlemen who are glad to see their employes comfortable and doing well. They visited all three of the mines, but in consequence of the railroad difficulties outside they hastened home. Their intention was to spend a number of days up here. They selected a town site while here, and, I believe, settled on "Vulcan" as the name of both town and mine, and work is to begin at once on the new town site. Chopping and clearing off, preparatory to building the town, has already begun. It will overlook the lake, and will be much nearer the mine than the present location.
They are going to commence work at the Quinnesec at once. Dr. N.P. Hulst, of Milwaukee, who is also a stockholder, will be in charge of operations.
The weather still continues excessively warm with now and then a shower, but that don't [sic] seem to cool the atmosphere altogether.
A child belonging to Mr. Thos. Rice, of the New York farm, was severely burned last Saturday about the neck and shoulders. I believe the doctor thinks the child will recover.
No news of startling character; all quiet on the Menominee.
WOLVERINE.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 36
[Saturday, August 11, 1877], page 2, columns 2-3
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY.
POWERS, MICH.,
Aug. 7, 1877.
We have of late been taking a short holiday in the iron district, and although we do not feel exactly competent to give a fair description of what we beheld on
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Book Page 21
our tramp, still we will endeavor to do justice to the country surrounding us.
Your correspondent started on the 6 A.M. construction train and arrived at the Breen mines[,] a distance of about 13 miles, at 7 o'clock and thence on foot to headquarters of C. Lipe & Co., about 6 miles further up the grade.
We did not tarry long here, learning that there was a heap of brook trout to be had for the catching, in Pine Creek, we went and did considerable fishing, but no catching before sunset. As we, like veteran sportsmen[,] took no grub along, we dined on wood buck and wild pigeon, and after a night of warfare with gnats and mosquitos, retraced our steps to the Breitung. This mine is located in a beautiful spot, and from what we saw of it, appeared to be doing a smashing business.
After leaving the mine, we proceeded to take in Lake Hamburg [sic - Hanbury], situate[d] about one quarter of a mile from the mine. This little lake is a marvel of beauty, being about one mile long and one—half mile wide, having no visible outlet. It is perfectly alive with large bass and pickerel, which can be seen at a depth of 30 feet, in its transparent waters. On the opposite shore from the mine and railroad grade, are huge boulders of rock which rise some 45 or 50 feet above the level of the water; these rocks are seemingly one compact mass, but are of various colors. On a close examination of this country, we observed a quarry, or bed, of splendid American marble, and another of variegated slate, either of which would pay some enterprising man to examine.
The work on the railroad is still on the move, and without doubt but little time will be taken to complete the same. The bridge over the Sturgeon river, is seemingly a grand affair, and we opine that it will eclipse anything of its kind, on the C. & N.W. R'y, between Marquette and Chicago.
On Saturday of last week a man named Larson was run over by one of the construction trains, and had his knees badly crushed. The accident was caused by the man's carelessness in jumping from the train while under motion. We report weather in this part, very fine.
RACKETTY.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 37
[Saturday, August 18, 1877], page 3, column 3
The probability now is, that the Menominee Range Railroad will be extended twenty miles further west. The deposits of iron seem to be full as good on the other side of the Menominee river, as on this, and in the case of the Commonwealth mine, it is supposed to be better.
A singular fact is noticeable along the line of the C. & N.W. R'y. Where the original pine, cedar and hemlock forest has been burned off, the ground is now covered with a dense growth of poplar. The question is, where does the seed come from? If this transformation of the pine districts keep [sic] on, it will not be long before an evergreen tree will become a rarity in sections that was [sic] previously covered with them. In our own locality, tracts of burnt pine lands are growing up with oak, poplar, and similar trees.
It is proposed to call the new paper to be started at Quinnesec, "The Iron Center." That name will be very appropriate, as the town will be about in the center of the iron ranges, on both sides of the river. Should everything prove as favorable as is anticipated on the range, Quinnesec must from its proximity to the magnificent water powers close by, make in the future a manufacturing town of importance. The diversified natural resources in the vicinity will induce the establishment of manufactories other than iron.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 38
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Book Page 22
[Saturday, August 25, 28??], page 2, column 2
BREEN MINE ORE.
The first train of iron ore from the Breen mine on the Menominee Range, arrived here Aug. 17th, since then one train a day has been sent in- The Schr. Our Son, took the first vessel load, consigned to Andrew Hitchcock & Co., Cleveland. This ore is to be thoroughly tested there and we think the yield of iron will be equal to expectations. Other iron mines will follow as the road is extended and the prospect is, that the small stream which has commenced to pour in from that range, w111 be increased indefinitely. As Escanaba is the only outlet by water, for the ore of this mineral district, it is very likely that this port will soon regain her former prestige and a few years of business, is bound to produce a marked change in our surroundings.
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY.
POWERS, MICH.
Aug. 22, 1877.
Notwithstanding the drawbacks of the
outside world and the pullbacks of its feminine citizens, our little hamlet is
lively beyond imagination, and the daily arrival of ore shipments from the Breen
mine serve to heighten our enthusiasm.
One of the engines (No. 83,) working on the construction, was considerably used
up by being thrown off the track above the Breen mine, on Saturday last; she was
towed into Escanaba, and another engine (No[.] 135,) brought to replace the
damaged one.
The saw mill at Spalding has
suspended operations, owing to the low water and scarcity of logs.
The directors of the C. & N.W.
R'y took a trip up the new road on Tuesday last.
Our surroundings were visited by a
copious fall of rain Tuesday night.
RACKETTY.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 475 [Saturday, August
25, 187?], page 4, column 2
MENOMINEE RANGE ITEMS. —— At the Breen mine it is beginning to look more
like heavy work, as they have just finished putting up an immense derrick with
which they can lower and raise a loaded car and place it on the track for
transportation. New houses are being finished and occupied by new families.
Everything is already [sic] far shipping ore as soon as the railroad company
will receive it. The side track and loops are all finished.
There were several car loads of iron
pushed upon the Breen mine side track the other day, preparatory to laying track
again. There are about fifteen miles of road bed finished for the iron now, and
all will be done in a month, probably.
A man by the name of Barney Collum
was killed in one of the cuts the other night by a stump rolling upon him.
Everything looks very prosperous at the Breitung. To-day is pay day at both
mines. The men receive their pay and go at once to work, showing that they appreciate the idea of laying up their wages these hard times.
The weather continues very warm with
an occasional shower of rain. There is a general good state of health.
A great many deer are making their
appearance in this locality, which will make fine sport for sportsmen.
WOLVERINE.
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Book Page 23
LATER -- The shipping of ore began at the Breen on the 16th, when Capt. Schwartz
had seventeen cars loaded, 50 cars on the 18th, and 50 cars on the 20th.
Mr. john R. Wood, of Ishpeming, paid us a visit to—day; he is on his way to
the Commonwealth mine.
Scarcely a day passes without a great number of men passing up the line; most of
them are after work, but some are looking for a place to locate in business.
Such are the men we want. They are still laying iron, and it will be but a short
time before the track will reach the Breitung. Supt. Whitehead is pushing the
work at the Breitung mine very energetically, as well as at the Breen, and both
mines look very promising. Improvements at both localities are constantly being
made, and each place begins to look quite town like.
A great many hunters are coming in now, mostly from Chicago, and game is plenty
[sic — plentiful].
Mr. A.C. Brown brought a party of ladies with him the other day over the wagon
road. They were nieces of his and his daughter. They expressed themselves highly
delighted with the trip. We were glad to see them -- wish some more would come.
WOLVERINE.
The Escanaba Tribune. Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 39
[Saturday, September 1, 1877], page 2, columns 2—3
ON THE MENOMINEE RANGE.
The new town of Powers is lively as usual, and everybody seems to be busy. We
noticed quite a number of signs of those necessary adjuncts of civilization
—— saloons, -- scattered all through the place, since our last visit, and
are told that about pay day, they sometimes produce scenes that are altogether
too lively. The churches and schoolhouses that are to be, have not yet appeared.
The store of D.L. Wells & Co., is doing an active business, and the clerks
are kept busy all day, and seemingly part of the night. Mr. S.H. Selden, chief
engineer, and his corps, are actively engaged on the railroad work, and judging
from appearances, have not much idle time on their hands.
The main boarding house for the men, -- camp one, -- is kept by Mr. Essington.
He has now about 80 men, although the number is sometimes increased to more than
100. The bill of fare is excellent, and from the way in which the viands
disappear at each meal, is unquestionably relished by the men. Viewed as a
first— class watering place, the accommodations would not be considered
tiptop, but for a hungry man just out of the woods, the cuisine, superintended
by Mr. E., and his estimable lady, are just the thing.
We had some little opportunity of examining some of the farming land in the
vicinity, and were very much pleased with the quality of the soil, and growth of
the timber. Of course, from the newness of the country, it is impossible that
the soil could have been thoroughly tested, but wherever farms have been made
along the line of the supply roads to the various lumber camps, the result has
been at tended with gratifying results. -- Three and a half miles from here, Mr.
Barney Bromsted has a young farm that he purchased three years ago from one of
the lumbering firms. At that time, some 15 acres had been cleared. This year he
will raise from 60 acres now in cultivation, a surplus above his own
requirements, of about $1200. His crops consist principally of oats, potatoes,
buckwheat, hay, and turnips. He is well satisfied, and says that any year he
cannot clear $1000 from his place, he will sell it. The work is done principally
by himself, besides a good deal of labor thrown in on the road. There is an
immense quantity of land just as good as Mr. Bromsted's around here, waiting for
the settler to come and make him-
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Book page 24
self independent in a few years.
At the newly-fledged town of Waucedah, we found everything lively, and the
citizens jubilant and enthusiastic over their prospects. Several new buildings
are going up, in addition to those already built. The Breen mine is now shipping
ore regularly, and enlarged and extended their operations lately. They have
erected a large derrick, and now handle the ore with more ease. Explorations for
ore are to be commenced immediately east of the present mine location. The indications are good, and it is quite likely that the same formation extends in that
direction. The chain of the Hamilton Lakes in the vicinity are beautiful little
sheets of water, and as they with the connecting streams of water are generally
filled with the finny tribe, they are becoming favorite resorts for those piscatorily inclined. Mr. Selden's family are enjoying here a pleasant season of camping out.
The Breitung mine is opening splendidly under the superintendency of Capt.
Whitehead. This mine is located in a hill which rises up between two and three
hundred feet, in the highest part. The arrangements for handling the ore are excellent, and when all the plans are completed, it can be worked very
economically. The ore is a dark blue hematite and the best will yield somewhere
in the neighbor hood of 65 per cent of iron. A tunnel 75 feet in length has been
driven into the face of the hill, to the vein on the second level, which will be
about 50 feet above the railroad track, exposing a 75 feet [sic — foot] face
of ore. At present a series of pockets will receive it, when finished, and from
them it will be run into cars alongside. Just now they are dumping in stock
piles, and have on hand 2500 tons of first-class, and 1000 tons of
second—class ore. Several hewed log buildings are going up for the
accommodation of the men. This mine is beautifully located. At a distance of
less than a quarter of a mile, directly in front, is Lake Hamburg [sic—
Hanbury], -— a most beautiful little sheet of water, about a mile in length
and a quarter of a mile in width. The formation of the lake is some what
singular. On the north side the ground gradually comes down to the edge, and for
a distance of perhaps 200 feet the water is quite shallow, and the bottom covered with clear white sand. It then commences to deepen very fast until the
south shore is reached, where the rocks rise abruptly, in some places 50 feet
high, and a hill behind, probably rising fully as much more. The strata, which
seem to be of a ferruginous character, are tilted up from the lake at an angle
of about 45 degrees. The water is very deep and clear, and in some spots the
rocks descend almost into it, to a great depth. The deepest part is about 100
feet. The fishing is reported to be excellent. As a brisk northwest wind was
blowing at the time we were there, we did not have an opportunity of
substantiating the assertion. It is certainly a gem of a lakelet, and is
admirably framed by the rising hills around it, all trim med with the green of
the virgin forests of pine and other woods, and must eventually add much to the
pleasure of the dwellers of the future town. At the mine we met Mr. Win. Ross,
who was formerly in the railroad company's store in this town. Mr. E.P. Shine,
reporter for the Detroit Free Press, is also rusticating there.
The railroad track is completed to Sturgeon River, about two miles this side of
the Breitung mine, and the grading and bridges are almost finished as far as
Quinnesec.
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY.
POWERS, MICH.
Aug. 28, 1877.
Did you ever shake hands with the pick or the spade,
And work on the muddy railroad grade;
If not, take a trip to the Menominee Range,
And you will soon undergo a remarkable change[.]
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Book
Page 25
You must pull off your fancy tie, collar and shirt,
And make up your mind to go shoveling dirt;
You're sure of a job, and you'll get all your pay,
Which sums up in full, ten shillings per day;
And this we call good, considering the times,
For 'tis hard nowadays to turn up the dimes.
At Powers Junction begins the new line,
Which extends to a point called the Quinnesec mine.
Along the route are several prominent stations,
Populated by representatives from most all the nations;
But suffice to say, they're a fine lot of men,
To describe all their merits would wear out our pen.
One thing of importance we forgot to mention,
Which we're sure will attract your people's attention;
'Tis the deer, and other desirable game,
Of every describable nature and name,
And although quite a secret, we must let you know,
That the streams which through our forests so gradually flow,
Are filled with the angler's delight i.e. the brook trout,
Which would sharpen your appetite without any doubt[.]
So clean up your gun, and collar your devil
Also your fishing rod, fly hook, and swivel,
And make me a visit, it won't hurt you a particle,
And we'll be well paid for writing this article.
RACKETTY.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 476 [Saturday,
September 1, 1877],page 4, columns 4—5
THE MENOMINEE RANGE. -- The railroad will be completed to the
Breitung mine in about two weeks, if no serious delays occur. The bridge over
the Sturgeon river is nearly finished, and the grading is progressing steadily.
The shipments from the Breen mine to this date comprise 200 cars, or about 1,200
tons -- not quite half the ore which had previously been mined. Outsiders
visiting us, particularly those acquainted with iron ores, are quite agreeably
surprised to find the Menominee range ores so rich and pure. Experts pronounce
them equal to any of the same class of ores found in the Marquette district.
At the Breitung work is progressing favorably, though operations have been
somewhat retarded by the delay in laying the railroad track to this point.
Still, the men find enough to do in building and finishing houses for the
winter, and it is confidently expected that the road will be finished in time to
ship all the ore contracted for this season's delivery. It is doubtful, however,
if shipments will be made through the winter by rail to the Wisconsin furnaces,
though there has been considerable talk to that effect.
A laughable occurrence took place here the other morning. Our gentlemanly clerk
"went out a hunting" for deer, and was not long in coming upon a large
herd. Singling out one of them, he banged away, and put eighteen buckshot into
its neck, which was broken. Fearing it was not dead, and that it might start up
and get away, he drew his revolver and put six pistol balls into his head, when,
not with standing it did not stir, he ran up and, clubbing his gun, beat it over
the head until he was fully satisfied it was quite dead -- though he did not
come to that conclusion until he had broken his gun. He then came home and
reported, and sent out some men to bring his trophy into camp. We all agreed
that he couldn't have killed that deer any deader if he's had a whole pack of
artillery along with him.
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Book Page 26
Deer and more than plenty.
WOLVERINE.
The Escanaba Tribune, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 40
[Saturday, September 8, 1877], page 2, column 3
OUR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MENOMINEE RANGE RAILWAY.
POWERS, MICH.,
Sept. 6, 1877.
The business prowess of our little village is evidently on the decline. The
contractors (Wells & Co.,) are moving their forces up the line, and
undoubtedly the future rush of business will follow the laboring class. It is
impossible to say where your correspondent will locate at, but without doubt,
will turn up in some remote part of the country at no far distant day, but as
(this is thus,) we cannot stand the monotony of a dead location. In speaking of
Powers, we must give the place its just dues, and we are confident that as a
farming country, it cannot be excelled on the upper peninsula. Of course some of
your readers may think the above assertion a little loud, but as we are not
financially interested, we are ready to substantiate our remark at any time,
provided some of your readers will take the trouble to call on us. Mr. Bromsted is at present unearthing potatoes at a rapid rate, and we are in receipt of some
of the vegetable product of his farm, which defy competition, unless the farmer
locates in his vicinity.
That delicacy, called venison, has been suffering greatly in this vicinity,
within a few weeks past, and the various hunters along the line are now
disposing of venison saddles at 4c per pound, and throw in the hide at that. A
genuine black tail deer was shot eight miles up the line, one day last week.
This, we believe, is the first of this species ever captured on the upper
peninsula. How he ever got so far north, will probably forever remain a mystery.
The rail on the new road is laid to the Breitung mine, and just now those who
admire scenery sublime, are to be accommodated without the difficulties
attending the weary pedestrian.
RACKETTY.
The Mining Journal. Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 479 [Saturday,
September 22, 1877], page 4, column 1
We learn that work has been commenced at the Quinnesalk [sic] mine, a con tract having been let to a Milwaukee party. It is the intention to ship a cargo of the ore before the close of the season. The grading of the west end of the railroad has been completed, and the track will be laid into the mine before many days.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 480 [Saturday,
September 29, 1877], page 4, column 1
AN interest in 3,000 acres of well selected iron lands, in the Menominee
Range, and adjacent to mines now being opened, for sale at a bargain. For
further information apply to or address the editor of the MINING JOURNAL.
MAJ. T.B. BROOKS and Prof. Pumpelly have returned from their examination of the
Menominee Range, and speak highly of its prospects. They say the Commonwealth
mine, on the Wisconsin side of the river, gives promise of ultimately becoming
one of the best mines in the country, the deposit being apparently very large
and the ore of the best quality.
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Book Page 27
The Mining Journal, Marquette, .Marquette County, Michigan, Number 481 [Saturday,
October 6, 187?], page 4, column 1
THE Menominee Herald says that the prospect for the extension of the
railroad to the Commonwealth mine in Wisconsin, is every day growing brighter. If
the de posit of ore is nearly as extensive as reported, and we see no
reason to doubt its being so, the building of a railroad to it will be a
question of short time only.
The same paper records the fact that an order has been received for 4,000 tons
more of the Breen ore, from the same parties to whom the first shipment were
[sic] made. This is the best evidence that could be had of the good quality of
the ore, unless it turns out that it is being sold at figures below the market
rates -- which is very often done by parties trying to introduce a new ore,
however unexceptionable its quality.
----
MENOMINEE RANGE. -- Our correspondent writes us that the iron is laid to with
in two miles of the Quinnesec mine. A report received from the furnace owners
who took the first cargoes of Breen ore is very satisfactory, the more
especially as it was accompanied by an order for all the ore of the same kind
that can be mined and shipped the present season. As a consequence the mine
force has been increased, and from twenty-five to thirty cars are being
shipped daily.
The name of the Breitung mine has been changed to Vulcan, which will also be
the name of the new post-office, which has been applied for. The spur at the
Vulcan is being pushed vigorously, the company being desirous of shipping all
the ore possible before the close of navigation.
A big show is being made at the Quinnesec, and mining will soon begin, in
order to have a cargo ready by the time the road is finished to the mine.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 45 [Saturday,
October 13, 1877], page 2, columns 3—4
|
|
THE above profile will show something of the direction of the railroad, through what is called the Menominee Iron Range, from Escanaba, the port of of [sic] outlet, westwardly across the Menominee river, to the Common wealth mine, in the the [sic] State of Wisconsin. The stars indicate the mines that are at present opened along the line. There are other deposits the future value of which time will develop. At present the railroad is only finished as far as the Quinnesec mine, but the probability is that it will be completed as far as the Common wealth next season. It will be observed that the line runs nearly due west almost to the river, and from there |
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Book Page 28
diverges in a northwesterly direction, to the farthest mine. As mineral deposits do not terminate there, this road may be extended indefinitely still further west, at no very distant day. At the junction at Powers this mineral range has a communication by the C. & N.W. R'y, with the towns at the mouth of the Menominee River and with the cities farther south. As the iron trade revives and the demand for ore increases, the output from this range by way of Escanaba must be enormous, emphatically entitling it to the name of the Iron Port.
|
|
The Iron Port,
Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan,
Volume VIII, Number 47 [Saturday, October 27, 1877], page 2, column 3
|
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 46 [Saturday,
October 20, 1877], page 3, column 5
THE contractors of the Menominee River Railroad, Messrs. D.L. WELLS & Co., are, according to the terms of their contract, to have it completed by the 1st of November next. They are using every exertion to finish their contract by the specified time and have lately made large additions to their working force in order to do so. Ground for the side track and depot, has been laid out at the town of Waucedah, where the Breen mine is located. The side track will also soon be laid at Vulcan, near the Vulcan mine. Ground has already been selected at Quinnesec for the round-house, and, as soon as contractors turn the road over to the company, its erection will be commenced. Rumor has it that the extension to the Commonwealth will be commenced this fall, but so far nothing has been definitely determined in regard to the matter; although we should not be surprised if such was the case.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 484 [Saturday, October
27, 1877], page 4, column 1
WE learn from the Menominee Herald that the iron was laid on the bridge across the river, near the Quinnesec mine, last Monday, and that trains are now running through to the end of the track.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume VIII, Number 48 [Saturday,
November 3, 1877], page 2, column 3
Powers. -- 'RACKETTY' wrote us on the 30th, as follows:
J.M. ESSINGTON, of this place, shot on Saturday last, a buck which weighed, when
dressed, three hundred pounds.
Several of the Menominee River lumber companies are sending men to the woods, by
the new road, almost daily.
The completion of the new R.R. line, commencing at this place is near at hand
and the contractors have put on an extra force, which will no doubt end
operations by Nov. 5th.
Several Chicago gents are hunting in this locality and, from the noise which
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Book Page 29
they make while tramping through the brush, we should judge that they were more
accustomed to the Nicholson pavement, of Chicago, than the haunts of the deer in
northern Michigan.
P.C. MURPHY, the gentlemanly conductor who had the misfortune to lose one of his
legs on the new road, some time since, was removed to Escanaba on Saturday last.
The best wishes of the citizens of this place are with him; and we sincerely
hope that the day is not far distant, when he will fully recover the physical
strength of by-gone days.
We imagine that the day is not far distant when "Racketty's" little
contributions to the IRON PORT will come from the head waters of the Sturgeon
River, as we are contemplating a month's sojourn in that direction ere long. We
will notify ye Editor in due time, that he may enlarge his paper; for it is our
intention to write up about sixteen feet of nonsense, every week or two at
least. But we would have it distinctly understood that we are not going to try
to immortalize our name; as that idea has proved a failure with too many of our
calibre during the past two or three years.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 485 [Saturday,
November 3, 1877], page 4, column 1
MENOMINEE RANGE ITEMS. -- The iron has finally been laid as far as the Quinnesec, and trains running through on time. Shipments from the mine will soon be
commenced.
Shipments from the Breen mine average fifteen to twenty-five cars per day.
Shipments from the Vulcan mine will be commenced about Monday next, and will
consist of nearly a hundred cars per day. The ore on the docks -- about 5,000
tons -- has all been sold, and a market for as much more secured.
The spur was finished Friday last. The dwellings and other buildings are nearly
all completed, and everything arranged for the winter's campaign.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 485 [Saturday,
November 3, 1877], page 8, column 1
A TRIP TO THE MENOMINEE RANGE. —- Having just returned from a trip to the Menominee iron range, I herewith enclose you a brief outline of my experience in that important, but yet undeveloped region. Arriving at Forty-Two, or "Powers," as it is now called, I found everything in a flourishing condition. The place is laid out for a town, but the only buildings there as yet are a post—office and several boarding houses. The boarding houses are all full to overflowing. Leaving there next morning, I arrived at the Quinnesec during a heavy rain. At this place four buildings are going up, and are so much needed that they are being filled with merchandise while yet in an unfinished state. While here I called on John McKenna, of course, who is running a drug store at this place. John seems to be doing well, and is glad to see a Lake Superior man at any time. I then went over to Dickey Brothers' place, which is a mile and a half distant. The Dickey Brothers have kept an Indian trading post at this place for the last six years, and while there I examined some most magnificent furs procured from Indians and trappers. The next place I arrived at was on a section of the Menominee river called Bad Water, 10 miles from the Quinnesec mine. Here, in company with Mr. Keyser, of Menasha, Wis., I stopped over night at the house of a man named Miller, and in justice to Mr. Miller, must say that he keeps one of the best and neatest houses in the state of Michigan. I crossed the river at 7 o'clock next morning, (Sunday), on my way to the Commonwealth mine. I arrived there at 11 o'clock a.m. and found my way to the house of John Tobin. I found Tobin home, and took dinner with him, after which we sat down together and had a smoke. After taking a short rest we started for the mine, which is half a mile distant from Tobin's house.
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Book Page 30
There I found a stripping or opening of a vein of blue steel ore 162 feet wide, and 25 feet deep as far as developed. The Commonwealth company has a range of four miles from east to west on the line of this vein, with several test pits a mile and a half distant, showing in places a good sample of magnetic ore. From my limited experience I should judge by the looks of this mine that it is an immensely rich find, and will some time turn out to be a sort of bonanza to the owners. While at this mine I was the recipient of many kind favors from Mr. To- bin, to whose courtesy and kindness every visitor in this region will testify. The Quinnesec mine is doing a large amount of work, and are preparing for extensive mining operations next spring. At the Breen mine they are taking out from 10 to 15 car loads of ore per day. The captain says that as soon as they get their shaft in good working order, he calculates to ship 120 cars of ore per day.
P.D.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number 486 [Saturday,
November 10, 187?], page 4, column1
The Breitung mine, on the Menominee range, made its first shipment of ore Friday of last week. It was consigned to the Bangor furnace.
The iron region of Menominee is now coming into quite prominent notice, and will, ere another six months, be a prominent iron mining eldorado. It has been quite thoroughly explored as a whole, and is known to be rich in mineral wealth, while there are now several valuable mines in course of development and operation. Since the partial completion of the Menominee Range railroad, capitalists interested in the region have renewed their grip, and everything now looks favorable to wards a complete development of the new region.
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, Number487 [Saturday,
November 17, 1877], page 4, columns 1—2
IT will be seen by our tables that up to the 14th inst. there had been shipped from the Breen and Vulcan mines, in the Menominee range, about 7,000 tons of
ore, which is a good showing, considering the short time these mines have been
supplied with transportation facilities. All our advices from that region are of
the most encouraging character, and it now looks as if the mines being opened
will be able to supply all the soft ores there is likely to be any demand for
next year. The Menominee hematites are exceedingly rich in metallic iron, and
all that is now needed to give that region great prominence is the discovery of
hard ore of merchantable quality and in proportionate quantity.
ESCANABA. -- The following table shows the ore shipments from Escanaba up
to and including Wednesday, November 14th:
Vulcan................................................1,868
Breen.................................................4,992
The Mining Journal, Marquette, Marquette County, .Michigan, Number 492 [Saturday,
December 22, 1877], page 4, columns 1—2
The following well considered article from the Menominee Herald commends itself to the attention of those who are interested in the development of the new iron fields of the Menominee range. While there can be no objection to the extension of the line to the Commonwealth, or any other new mine, it cannot be expected that any part of the grant of swamp lands shall be applied to the building of a line which shall not have for its main object the development of mineral
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Book Page 31
interests within our own state. Let the line be run to the
Menominee river, as the Herald suggests, through the iron belt west of the Quinnesec, and the
object of the grant will have been at least partially attained. Any attempt to
divert it from such a course should meet with the united and persistent
opposition of the people of the upper peninsula and of the state authorities.
The Herald's article is as follows:
The route to be adopted in the proposed extension of the Menominee River
railroad, is a matter of so much importance not only to the people of this and
Delta counties, but the state at large, that we cannot forbear calling public attention, for the second time, to the subject. We have no reason to suppose that
either the railroad authorities or the Commonwealth mine interest are prejudiced
against the extension from the present terminus by a line which shall skirt the
south side, the iron formations in 40 30 and 40 31, west of the Quinnesec. On
the contrary it is the impression that this route is favorably regarded by both
of these interests. But as there are rumors to the effect that there is a possibility of the extension commencing at a point on the present completed line,
two miles east of Quinnesec, and running thence regardless of all intervening
interests, northwesterly to the Commonwealth, we are going to invite the attention of our readers to some of the important reasons why such a step would be
inexpedient and unsatisfactory.
The state swamp lands of the counties of Delta and Menominee, which apply on the
grant to the Menominee River railroad company, were, in the year '73, excepted
from the Marquette and Mackinaw grant, for the specific purpose of applying
them, at a future day, to the aid of a railroad through the Menominee range. The
act approved, April 3, 1875, conforming to this purpose, donated seven sections
per mile of these lands to this road, and specially required that the road
should run "as far west and south as section 34 40 30, and from thence to
the Michigamme river." It is not fair to suppose the petition embodying the
above limitation, which was so generally signed in this and Delta counties, had
for its sole purpose the mine of Quinnesec. It would have been made to reach a
point four miles further west, had not its originators believed that the
formation of the country. If not the good sense of the railroad projectors,
would continue the line a sufficient distance westerly to embrace the Iron
mountain [sic], Walpole and Edward's interests on section 31 and 32 of the same
town. This is leaving out the important interests on the same latitude in the
adjoining town of 31. However this may be, a proper construction of the language
of the act locates the main line of the road as far south and west as section
34-40-30, and in no sense does it provide for a "direct" route to any
iron location in the state of Wisconsin. Michigan has not pledged her swamp
lands to the attainment of any such purpose. There is not, and cannot be any
question, in a business point of view, as to the expediency of this road running
to the Commonwealth mine, or rather to so establish its main line, destined for
the Michigamme river, as to provide a connection with that important location.
But there are grave reasons, founded upon the subsidy extended it, and connected
with the revenues of this county and the state, why the iron locations on this
side of the river should not be "left out in the cold," in the
attainment of that point.
Many persons in this community have the impression that iron properties are not
subject to taxation for town and county purposes. This is not the case. The
specific tax of one cent per each ton of ore is in lieu only of state taxes. The
mining property at its true cash value is as subject to town and county listing
as any other property, and it is not far in the future when the iron locations
of the Lower Menominee Range will contribute as much to our local revenues as
any other class of property, provided always, that they are not "left out
in the cold." It becomes the duty, then, of every taxpayer to interest
himself in this extension, and direct his influence to the selection of a route
which shall develop in the highest degree the resources of Menominee county and
the revenues of the state.
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Book Page 32
There are men of information and influence in all parts of the state interested
in our range. They should not fail to observe closely the progress of this
enterprise.
If it was an effective argument in '75 in obtaining the grant for the road, that
the specifix [sic - specific] tax accruing to the state from the ore raised
would ultimately counterbalance the value of the lands donated, it is no less effective to-day; and the great promise which the range now presents for an inexhaustible supply of ore gives good color to the proposition. The state officers
who hold these lands in trust for the accomplishment of this enterprise, will undoubtedly see that the object of the grant is not sacrificed to develop
interests in the state of Wisconsin. We are particular to state that at this
writing we have only the rumors floating about that it is the purpose to diverge
from the Lower Range at a point east of Quinnesec, and cross the river at Twin
Falls. We trust the railroad authorities do not contemplate such a step. It
would surely invite serious opposition from more than one source.
More than a year would pass before a decision was made to extend the Menominee Range Railway mentioned in the above article. The following articles from Escanaba's The Iron Port document the growth of the new settlements along the Menominee Range Railway during 1878 and early 1879.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume IX, Number 43 [Saturday,
September 28, 1878], page 3, column 4
WAUCEDAH.
In this stirring little town, signs of improvement are everywhere visible. New buildings are going up on both sides of the stream and everything looks promising. W.E. Ferguson, who is engaged in general merchandising business, finds his former building too small to accommodate his increasing trade and has consequently been forced to build another story on top. John K. Stack was just opening a very large assorted stock, in his new building, which is almost completed. The Waucedah hotel, of which Gifford is the host, is increasing its size to more than double its former dimensions. Dr. Fortier, of Menominee, is building a drug store and office, which he will occupy as soon as completed. The new school house is almost completed. Several small dwellings are going up and another hotel, or something of that kind[,] is contemplated. The prospects of Waucedah look quite bright and, as it is surrounded by a splendid farming country, which is at pre sent rich in timbered wealth, it can only be a question of comparatively limited time, when the whole region will be under the plow. Settlers are coming in and taking up this land quite fast and a very few years must convert this present wilderness of timber and and [sic] wild growth into smiling farms. The location of an iron furnace here would materially assist the development of the place and the surrounding country. From the vicinity of favorable ores and a comparatively unlimited supply of hard wood, together with the railroad facilities it would seem as though the point should arrest the attention of capitalists, to its advantages, for a plant of that kind. The present prosperity of the town is owing in a great measure to the energy and enterprise of Messrs. Breen, Saxton and Judge E.S. In- galls, the mine proprietors. Under the proper mining head we speak of the Breen and Emmett mines.
BASS LAKE, near Iron Mountain, on the new road from Quinnesec to the Twin Falls, is described as a beautiful sheet of water, completely framed in with a pebbly beach. It is full of fish that are anxious and willing to take a bite pro vided that the opportunity is offered them. This will be another attraction,
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Book Page 33
among the many, with which that region abounds. -- It is only five miles from town and you can either ride or go afoot. Owing to a heavy rain while we were there, we missed the chance of gazing on its crystal contents.
QUINNESEC.
Is putting in its best licks for the honor of being the first city in the
Menominee Iron Range. Although the reporter of this institution has made
numerous pilgrimages into that locality of late, yet he has without the aid of a
field glass observed numerous improvements every time. The residence of the Hon.
John L. Buell, on the eminence just as you enter town[,] is approaching
completion. Wendel, of the Quinnesec Hotel[,] is not behind in fresh
attractions. He has secured at a great expense a brand new barber, and has him
safely penned up in one corner of the billiard room. A small admission fee is
charged to view the acquisition. His bar is also adorned with a newly coined
tender, who was imported directly from Sweden. Still further improvements are in
contemplation. John McKenna, in the plate glass fronted structure, across the
way has lately put in one of the finest pool tables in the country. It is
supported by four lions who have been trained so that they are perfectly
peaceable to strangers. He has also got hold of a barber, but has not got him
caged up yet and lets him run round loose. The mining company's store is fast
approaching completion and will soon be filled with molasses, dry goods,
codfish, perfumery, pork, flour and other fancy articles: Wright, Bros. &
Co. are doing a smashing business in the line of general merchandise, and are
still trying to serve the Lord and the post-office department to the best of
their knowledge and belief, so help them Bob. Newberry & Jenkins are still
slashing up the sirloin roasts and venison steaks at a great rate. If business
keeps on in this way with them they will soon have to put up an appendix with a
cupola on top. Tim Macnamara's hotel -- the Central -- is doing finely, and
internal improvements are going on in the neighborhood of its insides. Tim's
barber has'nt [sic] arrived yet, but when he comes he will be a nice one. A.
Surprise, nearly opposite, is doing a surprising good business with a billiard
table and all the necessary trimmings to go with it. Maurice McKenna has been
improving his store very much of late and in addition to pills and plasters,
has fitted up one side for groceries and other good things to eat. Maurice is
bound to do well, and if he keeps on improving in good looks, will soon be able
to get married and retire on a competency. Hugh McLaughlin's headquarters we
believe are at the Quinnesec Hotel. -- To his fatigueing duties as township
clerk he has added that of insurance agent, and is prepared to insure anything
from a store or dwelling to a lightning rod peddler. His policies will cover all
the mishaps and accidents of life -- fire, brimstone, cholera, mad dogs and book
agents. The Hon. John L. B. is full of business as usual, and if Quinnesec is
not a first-class suburban, hay fever retreat, it will not be his fault.
Everybody else is well and happy.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume IX, Number 45 [Saturday,
October 12, 1878], page 3, column 4
THE work of improving the upper Quinnesec Falls so that logs can be safely got over is at length completed. It spoils the wild beauty of the river but will put thousands of dollars into the pockets of the lumbermen. As this was one of the worst places on the stream and it became necessary to build a pier 156 feet long by 12 feet wide, which acts as a breakwater and makes a safe channel 20 feet wide on the Wisconsin side. The rocks had previously been blasted out of the channel, so that logs can now come through with perfect safety.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume IX, Number 46' [Saturday,
October 19, 1878], page 3, column 6
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Book Page 34
For the IRON PORT.
WAUCEDAH, Oct. 9th, 1878.
Business is very lively here for a small place and the town is growing --
morally, physically and numerically. Dr. Fortier, of Menominee, has his office
completed, and has already moved in. He will be a valuable accession to the
place.
J.K. Stack has got his new store in full blast, under the charge of Joseph
Brown, and is determined to share the profits with W.E. Ferguson -- the pioneer.
Competition is beginning to be felt and already there is a fall in prices.
Opposition is the life of trade.
In a village with only one saloon not as much spirited amusement can be expected as if there were three or four, but we can occasionally get up a lively
rumpus, especially when a "bit of shtick," came into play. But leaving
all jokes aside whisky is no benefit to a place and Hays or Kearney may tramp
the land till doomsday talking about what will help the working man, to no
effect, as long as he will not let this liquid hell—fire and distilled
damnation alone.
Judge E.S. Ingalls and Bartley Breen made us a pleasant visit lately while
looking over the mines that they are interested in.
The Emmett mine still continues to look very favorably. The management are now
stripping off the edge of the swamp and are uncovering a large body of blue ore,
which mining experts pronounce to be of the best quality. There are acres of
BROWN hematite in sight. It is very easily mined and placed on the dock at a
very small expense. Altogether this mine looks as well as the most sanguine
could desire. In pit No. 2 of the Breen mine they have found what appears to be
a large deposit of ore beneath a slight overlay of sandstone, which is now being
blasted out. If this ore bed meets expectations it will be the first underground
mining on the location. A horse derrick is running at pit No. 3 and the ore is
being taken out at a lively rate. Capt. Harrington attends to both mines.
PINE TREE.
For the IRON PORT.
WAUCEDAH, Oct. 15.
The new store at Vulcan is nearly ready to be occupied.
Mr. Hultz [sic - Hulst] is having a new house built which he will occupy as soon
as finished.
The shipment of ore from the Vulcan has been unusually large for the past few
weeks.
The shipments of ore from the Norway for the past few days will press hard upon
200 tons per day, and their output is increasing. They will soon be ready to
ship from pit No. 2 at the Norway; the ore of which is very similar to the Quinnesec.
Mr. Buell is improving the wagon road between Vulcan and Quinnesec very much.
The weather in this locality has been quite stormy of late; severe winds and
rain storms, with heavy thunder, blowing down great quantities of fine timber.
M.
The Iron Port Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 1 [Saturday,
December 7, 1878], page 3, column 3
THE new iron bridge across the Menominee River at the Twin Falls is completed, and will probably be open for travel this week. This will be a great convenience to the large lumbering firms operating on the river and its tributaries.
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Book Page 35
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 4 [Saturday,
December 28, 1878], page 3, column 3
WAUCEDAH.
Mr. J.K. STACK returned last week from a visit to the flourishing village of
Waucedah, and reports everything as looking very promising. The mining prospects
never were better, and the company will work a large force of men this winter,
as they can readily sell at remunerative figures, every ton of ore that they can
mine. With the present flattering indications of the market, for the sale of the
Menominee ores, he thinks that this location will present a very lively
appearance next season.
HERMANSVILLE.
Is the name of the new post-office just established at the new saw-mill location of C.J.L. Myers, Esq., the great sash, door and blind manufacturer, of Fond
du Lac and Chicago. The improvements placed there already are very substantial,
consisting of the mill which is now inclosed, a large and handsome boarding
house and a general store, besides other buildings; the whole of which has been
mention ed before in our columns. Everything wears an air of permanence and
substantiability which characterize all the operations of that gentleman. We
hear it rumored that there is a possibility of Mr. Myers removing his blast
furnace from Fond du Lac and rebuilding it at his new town. The site would
certainly be a good one, as it is in a fair hardwood region and is close to the
mines.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 10 [Saturday,
February 8, 1879], page 3, column 5
WAUCEDAH. -- From our correspondent.
ED. IRON PORT: -- The weather here now is simply delightful. For mining purposes it could not be better, but for logging it is not so good; no snow to
speak of and what there was, left us a few days ago.
This burgh grew fast last summer and fall. There are more people than appears at
first sight. Fourteen families living north of the mine, and six or eight a few
rods up the railroad and there are other buildings to be erected the coming
summer, which will add still more to the attractions of the place.
The company has succeeded in clearing the mine of water and Capt. Harrington is
doing good work with the small force of men available. Forty or fifty more men
could find work here. The mine looks well; a shaft 12x12, 25 or 30 feet is down
in pure ore of an excellent quality for Bessemer steel. Mr. Tuttle, of
Cleveland, has secured the handling of the ore and henceforth the orders of the
company will be as good as Tuttle himself. There is no doubt but that with
proper machinery, good management and ample means, "There's Millions in
it."
The homestead wave is passing over this locality, tending toward the
"Common wealth." A dozen or more have already taken up homesteads
thereabouts and will become "badgers," and more will follow the
example. That's right gentlemen, the soil pays bountifully, and with passable
industry your children will not go to bed hungry. Then you will be independent
of the Iron Kings. There is plenty of good hardwood lands in this vicinity, but
it is owned by rich men or wealthy corporations and they say, "pay us our
price or go without the land." These lands should be taxes as high as the
farmers['] clearnings. That would be better than taxing government bonds.
I would like to ask the "Iron Port" where its farmer correspondents
have gone to? Now, gentlemen of Delta county, yours is pre-eminently an
agricultural county
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Book Page 36
and for years will remain so. You haqe [sic - have] a very excellent paper published for you, -- I say FOR YOU; for until an editor can lay up $10,000 a year,
he publishes it for you. Therefore subscribe for it every one of you, and write
for it and let people outside of your immediate vicinity know what you are
doing. Don't say you have nothing to write about, there are thousands of things
you can tell the editor, and that will be of interest in the county and
elsewhere. Can you spend a half hour any more pleasant than in writing for your
paper. Tell what crops you raise, or are going to raise, and cost of the same.
What kinds of cattle or hogs you have, profitable or unprofitable; fencing or
wood chopping, rate of wages, and hundreds of other things you will think of
when you sit down to write. Remember it is the items gathered through the county
that go to make up a good paper, and published in a reliable paper as the
"Iron Port" will be the means of bringing thousands of settlers into
your county who otherwise would never draw inspiration from its health giving
breezes. Again I say, keep your editor posted as to how you are getting along.
Now sir, I have written these few words without either fear or wit, -- just as
thoughts came uppermost. If you conclude to "prent" them, well and
good; if not it's all the same to
JERRY McPHEEN.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 15 [Saturday, March
15, 1879], page 2, column 3
ALONG THE MENOMINEE.
The future of the Menominee Iron Range points unerringly to the march of a large
immigration into this section in a comparatively short space of time. The new
developments but enhance the ultimate result. Pine and mineral enough exist to
employ $100,000,000 of capital and an untold army of men at work. These elements of wealth cannot be overlooked and must very soon attract the situation of
the miner, speculator, capitalist, scientist and philosopher. This range is rich
beyond question, throughout its entire length, which is comparatively
undeveloped. Amid the grandeur of its hills and in the preadimate [sic -
preadamite] store houses of its treasure caves, lies untold wealth awaiting the
hand of intelligence and capital to unlock its doors.
To those in search of pleasure, health and recreation, away from the din and
exticement [sic - excitement] of the busy cities, who wish to find sport and
amusement in wild, picturesque and grand scenery of this region, will find all
they expect and more too. In the streams and lakes are to be found myriads of
fish, from the muscalonge [sic — muskellunge], weighing sometimes thirty
pounds, to the gorgeous speckled trout, who really think it is a pleasure to be
caught. In the forests surrounding are to be found deer, rabbits, partridges,
woodcock, and pigeons in their seasons. Those in search of more exciting game
will find the black bear and huge timber wolf. On the rivers and creeks wild
duck, snipe and other aquatic fowls abound. All this game is to be found within
a few miles of the stations along the line of the railroad. As a general thing
good hotels can be readily obtained. Towns and villages have sprung up within a
few months on the streams, the borders of the lakes and amid the primeval
forests, and the day cannot be far distant when the population of the Menominee
range will be composed of a sturdy, energetic and intelligent people. Every
State in the Union has contributed to its growth and as the resources are
inexhaustible and so many elements conspire to happiness and prosperity, it will
in time, become densely settled. At the pre sent terminus of the railroad -—
Quinnesec, -— will be found a perfect store-house of the grand and picturesque
in nature. On one side of the town are high hills from whose summit the eye can
wander over river and valley, forest and plain, to a distance of 18 or 20 miles.
About 600 yards from the depot are the beautiful lit-
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Book Page 37
tle Fumee Falls, which with its rocky surroundings, will in time, be a very attractive piece of scenery. Two and a half miles below the village are the magnificent lower Quinnesec Falls, on the Menominee river, which pour through a gorge at an acute angle and is probably not less than 90 feet in perpendicular altitude. At nearly the same distance above the town is the upper Quinnesec Falls, which is not quite so high. Boating and fishing is good on the river and the adjoining streams abound in speckled trout. Quinnesec is about 47 miles due west from Escanaba.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 15 [Saturday, March
15, 1879], page 3, column 3
MENOMINEE R.R. LAND GRANT.
On the 6th of March the State Senate passed by a vote of 22 to 4 -- the nays
being Messrs. Hodge, Lewis, Pendleton and Weir -- a bill to grant seven sections
of swamp land in Menominee or Delta Counties, except in range 18 west, to aid in
the extension of the Menominee River Railroad, through the Menominee iron range
from its present terminus, near Quinnesec, to the Michigamme River. The provisions of the bill require five miles of the road to be built before January,
1881, and ten miles a year thereafter. If the company construct [sic] in any one
year more than the number of miles specified the excess is to be credited upon
the amount of the next year.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 16 [Saturday, March
22, 1879], page 3, column 3
HON. JOHN L[.] BUELL, of Quinnesec[,] is starting a newspaper in his thriving young town, under the management of Mr. PENBERTHY, formerly of the Menominee Herald. The name of the new paper will be the Menominee Range. It will be independent in politics and luke warm in religious matter. The IRON PORT wishes it all the success imanineable [sic - imagineable] and hopes that it may amass stocks o' wealth, as big as the hills, which surround the charming village.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 19 [Saturday, April
19, 1879], page 3, column 3
AN express line was established last Wednesday, along the Menominee River rail way, by WILL DALIBA, general agent for the American Express company.
MR. HOMER HUFF has now the Quinnesec Hotel under his management and this popular house is kept full and running over. Mr. WENDELL the proprietor is turning his attention to outside operations.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 21 [Saturday, April
26, 1879], page 3, column 3
MESSRS. HARTEAU & BEBEAU of this place have determined to open a dry goods store at Quinnesec and for that purpose have already purchased the vacant lot on the main street, next to WRIGHT BROS[.] & Co., and will immediately commence the erection of a building. They design to carry a heavy and complete stock of goods.
IT has been reported that the parties interested in projecting the building of a narrow gauge railroad along the intermediate iron range to Escanaba cannot get the right-of-way to our water front and consequently would have to seek some other outlet. This is not the case, and the IRON PORT is authorized to state, that on the contrary, every facility in that connection will be extended to them.
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Book Page 38
[NOTE: The "intermediate iron range" is the Felch Mountain Range.]
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 21 [Saturday, April
26, 1879], page 3, column 4
LAST Tuesday night a burglar broke a window in the Quinnesec Hotel at Quinnesec and stole a valise from the office belonging to ED. GIRZIKOWSKY of Ishpeming containing watches, jewelry, silverware &c. A young man of the name of KELLER was subsequently arrested at Green Bay as the supposed thief.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 23 [Saturday, May 10,
1879], page 3, column 3
SEVERE ACCIDENT.
T.S. FORT, a well known citizen of this place, who removed to Quinnesec a few
weeks ago, met with the misfortune of breaking his leg. It appears that he was
building a scaffolding, last Friday, on the outside of Maurice McKenna's drug
store and while in the act of raising a heavy green board to the staging above
him, the one on which he was standing gave way and he was precipitated to the
ground, a distance of about 15 feet. The board fell at the same time and the
end struck him in the leg, below the knee, fracturing both bones in such a shape
that they protruded through the flesh. The surgeon of the Menominee River Mining
Co., Dr. McLEOD, reduced the fracture and he appears to be getting along as
well as could be expected. We understand that-he is in straightened
circumstances, and it is a case where the assistance of the charitable would not
be misplaced.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 23 [Saturday, May 10,
1879], page 3, column 5
QUINNESEC ITEMS.
MR. FELCH is building a dwelling house on Pine Street.
MR. BUELL has been absent during the week in Chicago.
MR. OLESON has got a new two-story dwelling house almost finished.
JOHN McKENNA seems to have his hands fill, with his new mine, and his other
business.
MR. A.R. HARLOW of Marquette and ROBERT NELSON of Ishpeming visited the Menominee River Range on Tuesday last.
Fluries of the "beautiful" were distinctly seen along the Menominee
River range last Monday, and flowers were in bloom at the same time.
NEWBERRY & JENKINS are doing a fine business in the meat line and have all
they can attend to and are now giving the citizens beef from fresh slaughtered
cattle.
The Quinnesec Hotel is as usual crowded with guests and Mr. C.L. WENDEL, the
host, sometimes has his ingenuity taxed to the utmost, to supply accommodations
for all.
WRIGHT BROS. & Co[.], are prospering in worldly goods, which is evidenced by
the large improvements on their store, and their increased stock, which made the
enlargement necessary.
Our old friend TIMOTHY MACNAMARA[,] proprietor of the Central Hotel, has got the
building in first-class shape and it presents a fine appearance and judging from
his good natured looks, business must be well with him.
The town is lively with the hum of
business and the sound of the hammer and the
saw is heard from early morn to dewy eve and at the rate that new buildings are
going up and people coming in, Quinnesec will have a population of a thousand
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Book Page 39
in a short time.
PATRICK McKENNA is commencing to build a store on the main street, second lot
south from his brother's drug store. The building will be 24X50 feet on the
ground and two stories high. The lower part is intended for a hardware store and
the upper portion for a dwelling.
JOSEPH PECARD of Menominee, the owner of the Quinnesec Hotel, was in town during
the week. Joe looks as young as ever and seemed as though the world went well
with him. We understand he offers the Quinnesec Hotel building for sale, which
is a very desirable property.
WRIGHT BROS. & Co., are building a new addition to their store, two stories
high. It is 22X85 feet on the ground. As soon as they can shift their goods a
little into the new part they will raise the present store another story, which
when completed will give them a commodious store 75 feet in length, with a ware-
room at the back.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 24 [Saturday, May 17,
1879], page 2, columns 2—3
HERMANSVILLE.
The new saw-mill erected last winter by Mr. C.J.L. Meyer at Hermansville, is now
running and giving good satisfaction to its owner and builder. It is located
about 25 miles west of Escanaba, in the heart of a large tract of timber owned
by Mr. Meyer to whom the little town of Hermansville also owes its origin. The
saw mill, which was built under the veteran sash and door maker's personal
supervision, contains one circular with its various appurtences, lath and
shingle machinery. It is capable of cutting 50,000 feet of lumber and 100,000
shingles per day. Dry kilns have been erected and will prove of great utility in
fitting the shingles and some grades of lumber for early shipment. The shingles
will be sold and shipped to the trade direct from the mill, via the Chicago
& Northwestern railroad. Mr. Meyer spent a large portion of his time
superintending the construction of this mill and takes no little pride in its
operation. About 8,000,000 feet of logs were secured last winter and an
important feature of the owner is that they are not subject to the caprice of
wind or rain, having been hauled direct to the mill instead of to the banks of
some uncertain stream. About 2,000,000 feet more will be put in during the
summer, giving a total produce of 10,000,000 feet for the season.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 24 [Saturday, May 17,
1879], page 3, column 4
PERSONAL MENTION.
MR. THOMAS HAY and family have moved to the Norway Mine near Quinnesec.
DR. J.S. NORTH, of this place[,] removed to Quinnesec on Wednesday last. He will
practice medicine in company with Dr. J.A. McLEOD of Vulcan. The citizens of the
Range have reason to congratulate themselves that they have two such good
physicians and surgeons as doctors McLeod and North. Dr[.] North will be located
at the chief town of the range and both will attend to any and all calls
promptly and satisfactorily. The Iron Port wishes the two gentlemen success.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 25 [Saturday, May 24,
1879], page 3, column 2
HARTEAU & BEBEAU of the one price establishment are receiving the reward of merit this spring in the large quantity of goods that they are selling. Their
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Book Page 40
business has increased so, that they are forced to open a branch store at
Quinnesec.
ROSE[,] the artist [photographer], has got a brother and that brother has come
here and the firm name is now Rose Bros., and furthermore they have got a tent
and one of them proposes to travel around the country and take the likeness of
every thing animate and inanimate at moderate prices and in the very first style
of the art. The objective place now is Quinnesec and the IRON PORT would advise
the Quinnesecers to interview him. Headquarters will be here.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 26 [Saturday, May 31,
1879], page 2, column 2
A RUN TO WAUCEDAH.
Breaking loose last Saturday after a hard week's work, we took a trip to Waucedah. The morning was warm and pleasant. The woods were looking glorious in
their new green dress and the ground at their feet were besprinkled with
flowers. The Quinnesec accomodation [sic] train left at 8:30 in the morning,
conductor M. HOULI HAN, carried us out as far as the Menominee River Junction.
We passed several fine farms, that in a few years will be hard to beat, and on
which spring work was actively going on. A large amount of wood, ties and posts
were on the banks of the track, but fires in the woods were making this kind of
property quite unsafe and during a strong wind, when it was as dry as it was
this time, the efforts of watchers are sometimes unable to save it from entire
destruction. Such a case happened in the afternoon of the day when the high wind
had made the flames uncontrollable and destroyed a lot of posts and telegraph
poles between Ferry and Spaulding. CROZER & McINTYRE'S mill at the latter
place, is turning out a big amount of lumber. The convenience of a planing mill
adds largely to their sales. They were also experiencing some little difficulty
with the fire, among their sawlogs on the railroad bank, further up the line. At
the Junction we accepted an invitation from Superintendent W.B. LINSLEY to take
a ride on his lately arrived minature [sic] engine "Minnie." It is a
perfect little beauty and skims over the road like a thing of life. It will run
anywhere where there are two rails and will be of immense convenience in
facilitating business with the various mines and lumbering location[s]. We
passed by the fine lumbering establishment of C.J.L. MYERS on Little Cedar
river, which by the way is [a] model of its kind. An immense quantity of logs
for a small stream are on hand and everything is arranged systematically,
substantially and neat, giving it an air of permanence which is seldom found, in
the country, at mills of this kind. The making of sash, doors and blinds, in
connection with the lumber business, will be carried on extensively. Arrived at
Waucedah, we refreshed our selves first with a dinner at the excellent table of
Mr. GIFFORD -- who by the way has largely improved his house lately -- and then
took a survey of the town and surroundings, including the far famed Emmett iron
mine, with its hidden treasure of gold and silver, we [sic] found Mr. W.E.
FERGUSON about as busy as ever, dispensing his fine general assortment of goods
to his numerous customers. He carries d large and well selected stock
of almost everything that the people want and should be well patronized. As he
had the pioneer store and lived through the times when business was small he
should reap the benefits when times are prosperous. Another old pioneer PAT.
O'CONNELL looks as though the world went well with him and he tells us that he
has some slight prospects of developing into a new mine owner, some of these
days. P.J. GATES, the boss boot and shoe maker of the place can turn out those
articles of foot wear, which for style and comfort cannot be beaten anywhere. He
is doing well and has a large run of custom from the surrounding country.
THOMAS BREEN one of the genial proprietors of the Emmett mine, turned us over to
his mining captain, MICHAEL HARRINGTON, who accompanied us in an examination of
the mine and its workings. This valuable mine never looked better than it does
at
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Book Page 41
the present time and an immense body of ore is uncovered. They are working
however principally on the blue hematite, on the south side, which is showing
splendidly. With an average of about twenty-five men in the mine, he is taking
out from seventy to eighty tons a day, which is being shipped about as fast as
it is removed. They have also a stock pile on hand of about 5000 tons. Capital
seems to be all that is necessary to make this one of the best mines, in point
of yield, on the range, as there is a demand for every pound they can take out.
We had intended to have visited the new find by Hamilton, Merryman Co., on
section 21, about a mile from town, but shortness of time prevented us doing so,
we shall however examine it before long. We are informed the show is good and
the ore somewhat similar to that of the Emmett. If this should prove to be the
case it will stimulate other mining explorations in the vicinity.
The trip was very agreeable and was a very pleasant break into the monotony of
everyday labor. It will pay our citizens well, during this early summer weather,
to rest themselves with a trip along the Menominee Rives [sic - River] mineral
range.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 28 [Saturday, June
14, 1879], page 3, column 4
QUINNESEC.
Towards the shank of last week our reporter made a run to the future metropolis
of the Menominee river range -- Quinnesec. Everything in and around the town
showed a fair business activity. Building still continues to be lively.
Patrick McKenna's building is almost as far as it was before the unfortunate
blow-down. Edward Smythe, the contractor, keeps it securely braced as the work
progresses, all ready for any more little frisky zephyrs which may take a notion
to happen along that way.
Harteau & Bebeau's new store was almost completed, and their large general
stock was fast arriving to fill it. Samuel and John looked as happy as two clams
in one shell and were as busy as a horse's tail in fly time. They have got a
handsome store, and no mistake.
Wright Bros. & Co. were just putting the finishing touches on their mammoth
building, and were gradually filling it up, from cellar to garret, with every
thing, from eatables to dry goods. It is well arranged and everything is as neat
as a new red wagon. The postoffice in the store has also improved itself, and
with its lock boxes looks quite metropolitan. As was before remarked, they keep
everything that is generally called for, from saw mills to steamboats.
Jenkins, of the firm of Newberry & Jenkins, was slashing away the beef and
pork steak at the rate of a shilling a pound, and Newberry was trying to be
sick, but he was going to be around in a day or two, as he could not afford to
be sick very long when beef cattle are worth $4.90 on foot.
Penberthy was off to Menominee buying a saw mill, seeing his girl, or attending
to some other important business of that kind.
Buell was off in the woods for his health and was roaming around the romantic
borders of Lake Antoine and occasionally catching a sucker by way of pastime.
John McKenna was in town on business, and reports the prospects of that mine tip
top. Maurice, his brother, is constantly adding new goods to his already large
stock. He says business is first—rate.
A sectional view was had of Mr. T. Macnamarra [sic], landlord of the Central. We
might be afraid to bet against Tim being one of the first aldermen of the new
city.
Drs. McLeod, North and Fortier were all in town, and still the health of the
place was reported to be very fair. No deaths occurred while they were there.
Captain Tobin had just returned from the virgin forest, weighted down with
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Book Page 42
rocks for ballast, which he unloaded on Wendell 's center table. Among them were
some fine looking specimens of hematite ore, found either three feet under the
surface or above it. It looked rich anyway.
Wendell had his good clothes on and was going to Menominee. He says the hotel
and iron mining business is running nicely.
Rose Bros., the artists, were enjoying themselves under a canvass tent, and
taking first-class pictures at the same time. They will take the falls, the Quinnesec mine, and all the other valuable property around. A set of first-class
views of scenery in the Menominee region will sell like fire crackers on the 4th
of July.
George Barclay and Hugh McLaughlin looked as though their boarding houses agreed
with them.
Mr. Felch is hurrying up his new building on Quinnesec street as fast as the
Lord and the carpenters will let him.
Surprise's billiard hall is as neat as a pin, and he complains of doing a very
satisfactory business.
Omer Huff, the accomodating [sic] manager of the Quinnesec Hotel, declares the
business is first rate and prospects for the season good.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 31 [Saturday, July 5,
1879], page 3, column 5
We understand C.L. Wendel has sold out his furniture stock and fixtures, in
the Quinnesec Hotel to a man from Marinette.
MR. ED. McKENNA of Quinnesec, met with a very severe accident at that place on
Tuesday morning. He had been sleeping in his room, in the second story of his
brothers [sic] house, and it is supposed that he got up in his sleep, about 4
o'clock in the morning, and stepped out of the open window. His cries soon
brought the family to his assistance, when it was found that he was severely
injured. A physician was summoned, who ascertained that besides being hurt
internally, that some of his ribs were fractured. He finally sank under his
injuries and died last evening.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 35 [Saturday, August
2, 1879], page 3, column 3
C.L. WENDELL ESQ. has purchased a tract of land near the Norway and
Cyclops mines, which he designs laying out into a town site. [NOTE: Wendell laid
out Norway.]
IT would seem to an outsider, that the C. & N.W.R.R. Co. might afford to
foster its passenger trade over the Menominee River R.R. to the extent of one
coach. The Caboose on the Quinnesec accommodation is utterly inadequate to accommodate the travel on the route.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 36 [Saturday, August
9, 1879], page 2, column 2
OUR NEIGHBORS.
[Marinette Eagle.]
--A party of men under the charge of Mr. Dow are at work improving the Menominee river, at the Little Quinnesec falls. Wing dams will be built so as to con
fine the water to a narrow channel , and some rocks, at present a hindrance to
log driving, will be blasted out.
*********
Book Page 43
[Menominee Herald.]
--Mr. Buell has decided to erect a handsome brick building at Quinnesec a
few doors north of the post office, the lower story of which will be used for a
bank. It will be in charge of a gentleman experienced in the business. The upper
story will be used for an Odd Fellows Hall.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 36 [Saturday, August
9, 1879], page 2, column 3
[Menominee Range.]
--We neglected to mention last week that Capt. Whitehead, of the Vulcan House,
Vulcan, was running a 'bus line between Vulcan and Quinnesec.
--Mr. J.L. Buell has sold the option of a lease of what is known as the Walpole
property to the Menominee Mining Co. for the consideration of $11,000. The
property is said to be one of the most valuable on the range. [NOTE: The Walpole
Mine was located on Pewabic Hill in Iron Mountain.]
The Iron Port. Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 36 [Saturday, August
9, 1879], page 3, column 2
ROSE, the photographer, has started a branch establishment at Quinnesec.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 36 [Saturday, August
9, 1879], page 3, column 4
FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
On Saturday, the 2d inst., the Quinnesec accommodation train on the M.R. rail
way, Conductor Van Dyke, had some switching to do at Hermansville. In the
discharge of his duties it became necessary for one of the brakemen to board the
moving train, which he did by catching the side ladder of the end car as it
passed him and climbing to the roof of the car. Just as he reached the roof and
straightened up to step upon it, his feet being still upon the side ladder and
his hand-grip loosed, the "slack of the train" was taken up with a
slight jerk, and the unfortunate man was thrown upon the road in front of the
still moving car and instantly killed, the wheels passing over his head and of
course crushing it; one leg was also crushed. The name of the man was Frederick
Roberts. He had been in the employ of the rail way company since the opening of
navigation, and had proved himself a sober, careful, railroad man, while his
associates and acquaintances speak of him as an estimable person in other
relations of life. The remains were forwarded to the residence of his parents
at Sheboygan, Wis.
While the loss of life is to be mourned, it is but proper to say that the
accident was one for which no one, not even the deceased himself, was in fault;
was one of those
occurrences inseparable from the railway service, to which the
careful man, the man of experience, is as liable as a green hand.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 37 [Saturday, August
16, 1879], page 2, column 3
[Menominee Range.]
--The Emmett mine is shipping about 170 tons of ore per day.
--The Vulcan mine is now turning out about 400 tons of ore per day.
--The Emmett Mining Co. has taken charge of the Breen mine and commenced work
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Book Page 44
there.
--A bank in Quinnesec! Only two years old and about to have a bank establish ed.
Just think of it.
--Rumored that D.L. Andrews has struck it big west of the Emmett mine, and has
a vein of good ore over 50 feet in width.
--It is with pleasure and gratification that we are prepared to announce to
our readers, and the public generally, that the Menominee Range will be
enlarged within the next sixty days.
--Jos. Reilly, a conductor on one of the ore trains, has a pet owl, which
rides on his caboose a good share of the time. On Thursday last, as the train
was passing a woodpile, the owl attempted to drop from the top of the caboose to
the guard rail around the platform, but missed his guess, and landed on the side
of the railroad. The next morning when the train arrived at that particular
spot, the owl, who had been roosting on the wood pile all night, recognized it,
and soon occupied his old quarters on the caboose again.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 43 [Saturday,
September 27, 1879], page 2, column 2
AN unknown man, having the appearance of a laborer, was found drowned in the
Little Cedar river, at Hermansville, on Tuesday. It is not known how he came to
his death, but is supposed that he fell off or through the railroad bridge.
SWAN OLESON was drunk and John Morrison was drunk. Swan Oleson was quiet and
sleepy, John Morrison was unquiet and savage. Swan Oleson is short an ear and
fragments of cheek and nose which John Morrison bit off and ate. Aall [sic] at
Quinnesec on Sunday.
THE boarding house and office of O'Callaghan's mill, near Norway, were burned on
Wednesday morning. We did not learn how the fire originated. Some of the mill
hands lost clothing and small sums of money in the house, and Mr. O'Callaghan's
loss on buildings and furniture is about $1,000. No insurance.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 43 [Saturday,
September 27, 1879], page 2, column 2
"RANGE" ITEMS.
QUINNESEC, Sept. 24.
[A volunteer correspondent sends us the following items from the Menominee
range. Come again, Jeems:]
--The woods are full of explorers, and you run across test pits in almost every
direction. Considerable mining property is changing hands, and some very fine
strikes have been made.
--Norway has already twelve buildings, seven of them business houses. Robin son,
of Marinette, is building one hotel and Thomas Hay another. A large livery
stable is going up. A depot will be built there, as it is bound to be a large
business point. C.L. Wendell, the proprietor, has built him a neat residence,
and is busy improving the town by grading streets, etc. A number of other
buildings are in contemplation. Twenty lots were sold last week to parties
intending to build.
--Quinnesec is improving rapidly. Hon. J.L. Buell is going to build a large
two—story building on a prominent corner of the main street. It will be 50x90
on the ground, divided into two rooms below, one of which will be a store and
the other a bank, with a hall overhead. Mr. Buell has offered to give four lots
and $500 to the Catholic church to build an educational institution. The Sisters
of
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Book Page 45
Charity are soliciting additional subscriptions, and are very successful. The first building will be brick, to cost $4,000 or $5,000. The railroad from here west will be commenced this week. The contract of grading five miles was let to Mr. Conro, of the Menominee Mining Co. It will open up four or five new mines, and business here will be red-hot while it is building.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 44 [Saturday, October
4, 1879], page 2, column 4
[Menominee Range.]
--The diamond drill still keeps at work boring for the Quinnesec vein, and has
now reached a depth of about 675 feet; are still boring in limestone.
--Work on the extension of the railroad west of this place commenced Monday. Men
have been arriving for the past few days, and are strung along the line for a
distance of two or three miles.
--Active explorations are in progress on sections 17, 20, 21, 25, 30, 31, 32 and
33, 40-30, sections 17 and 21, 39-28, section 18, 40—31, and section 2, 39-30;
and in every case with good prospects.
--The brute who has been sending obscene letters through the mail to a respectable lady of this place should be ham-strung. It is a State prison offense, and
we understand that efforts are being made to trace up the offender, who, if he
has a name, does not use it. If discovered, he will be prosecuted to the full
extent of the law.
--The Menominee River Lumber Co. are locating their camps somewhat earlier
this year than usual, on account of the long hauls. They are putting in four
camps on the Sturgeon river, one at Hay creek, one at Hamilton creek, one at
Quinnesec, one at Week's landing, and three at Chalk hill.
--"We are bound to have order in Norway," says Mr. C.L. Wendel,
"if we have to appoint every business man in town a constable." Let
those rowdies and roughts who have been in the habit of raising little h—-ail
Columbia around the town take warning.
[Menominee Herald.]
--A house of ill fame was burned at Quinnesec on Friday night last. The fire was
incendiary, and the party who started it was arrested and fined $5 for assault
and battery.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 44 [Saturday,
October 4, 1879], page 3, column 3
WE visited Norway, the new town, lately, i.e., on Sunday last (we may as well be explicit), and found it buzzing like a bee hive. Mr. Wendel's residence is so nearly completed that he occupies a portion of it. Mr. Kimball's drug store is completed and the stock in place. The foundations for the new hotel are laid, as are also those of a large general store to be occupied by Johnston & Co. Crane & McElroy are in their building. Four saloons are open. A milliner's store is en closed, and will be occupied soon. Harteau & Bebeau will open a stock of goods there on the 15th of October, in a store which Bennett contracts to have ready by that time, although at the time of our visit only the sills were on the ground, and the ground had yet to be broken for the cellar. They will soon have a rail road station and a postoffice, though Mr. Wendel, the projector and proprietor of the town, promises nothing, saying only: "When the place does business enough with the railroad to make a station necessary, it will be built; when a postoffice is needed and asked for, it will be established. The railroad company wants busi-
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Book Page 46
ness, and the postoffice department revenue; that is your guarantee. Neither the railroad nor the postoffice is interested in or jealous of new towns." Norway will grow.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 47 [Saturday, October
25, 1879], page 3, column 4
WE made a short visit to "the range" this week, but found little to remark that is not already known to our readers. Quinnesec grows, and must grow, as long as Menominee ores are in demand at present prices. The hotel enlargement is so far completed as to be in use, the opera house building begins to show above ground, Barclay is in his new stable, and a dozen new houses are up and occupied. Every man, boy and animal is busy, and others are constantly arriving. The woods are full of explorers, and all are hopeful and happy. Norway makes rapid progress. There are now three concerns with stocks of general merchandize [sic]: Johnston Bros. & Co., Crane & McElroy, and Harteau, Bebeau & Co. (Jas. F. Atkinson in charge); Kimball, drugs; Robinson, hotel; Anderson & Co., hardware and stoves; Hay, restaurant; Krouse, boots and shoes; Miss Vaughn, milliner; Roberts, livery stable; and four or five saloons. There is plenty of pluck and energy displayed in the little burg, and if it does not overtake Quinnesec, in point of population and trade, it will not be for want of trying. Vulcan holds its own; but we noticed one thing only of which to make an item, viz: that the present prices of ore had the company to hauling the stock pile from the No. 1 pit, in carts, to the branch, for shipment. It is stated, we know not upon what authority, that the shipments of the Menominee Mining Company for the season, to date, aggregate over 200,000 tons, which would make the total shipments from the district 250,000 tons, or more.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 47 [Saturday,
October 25, 1879], page 3, column 3
ON the 14th instant, at an exploring camp two miles east of Vulcan,
there died, of diphtheria, after an illness of only twenty-four hours, John
Cook, a native of New York, about 22 or 23 years of age. He was in the employ
of Hamilton & Merriman. He had, we are informed, no medical attendance, and
was hastily buried beside the railroad track near the camp.
O'CALLAGHAN'S store, kept chiefly for the supply of his force at the mill and in
camps, has this week been removed to the mill location near Norway. John is
furnishing piles and sawed timber and lumber for the new ore dock, a job which
is big enough to give all our mill men a share.
JAS. F. ATKINSON, late of the IRON PORT, was in town on Sunday and Monday He
will open a stock of goods (in company with Harteau & Bebeau, of Quinnesec,)
at Norway, at once, if indeed he has not done so before now.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume X, Number 51 [Saturday,
November 22, 1879], page 2, column 4
[Menominee Range.]
--The Curry is expected to ship 30,000 tons next season.
--The Quinnesec mine is to be lighted by the Brush electric light, soon.
--The Cornell mine looks better with each day's work. It is undoubtedly a big
thing.
--The new town west of this place, near the Chapin mine, is to be called Iron
Mountain City.
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Book Page 47
--The ore from the Stephenson mine has been tested in the Champion furnace, and
makes No. 1 iron.
--At the Chapin mine, Michael Schendler and Martin Clump quarreled, and Mar
tin used his knife, but not with fatal effect.
--The new hotel at Norway will undoubtedly change hands this week. Negotiations are now pending looking to such a result.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number I [Saturday,
December 6, 1879], page 3, column 4
THE winter schedule of the C. & N.W. goes into effect to-morrow,
Sunday. Except that the ore trains are withdrawn, the changes affecting
Escanaba are slight. The up passenger is due at 11:29 a.m., the down passenger
at 3:30 p.m., the Quinnesec accommodation leaves at 7:40 a.m. and arrives at
7:45 p.m. A passenger train is put upon the M.R.R.R., which leaves Quinnesec at
9:12 a.m. to connect with the up passenger at the junction, and returns,
arriving at Quinnesec at 11:54 a.m.; leaves again at 3:12 p.m., connects with
the down passenger and arrives at Quinnesec at 6:02 p.m. The range is well
served on the new table.
THE C. & N.W. Railway Company has determined upon pushing westward its Menominee river branch, so as to open the iron district in Wisconsin, of which the
Commonwealth location is the best known, if not the central, [sic] point. The
contractor now engaged in preparing the road bed for the five mile extension
beyond Quinnesec, Mr. Conro, has undertaken an additional eleven miles, whhic
[sic - which] will take the road to the Commonwealth. With that district opened
up, and the Felch mountain lands developed, the product of the Menominee range
will not fall far short, if it does not finally exceed, that of the Marquette
range.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 10 [Saturday,
February 7, 1880], page 3, column 3
THE Iron Chronicle office is to be removed from Ishpeming to Norway.
The editor announces the fact in the Chronicle of the 31st, and adds: "In
making the change we feel that we are doing the people of Ishpeming a favor
rather than an injustice, for the reason that they are already overburdened with
newspapers, and the support necessary to maintain them falls heavily upon the
few who are obliged to contribute. There are too many papers in the county and
especially so in Ishpeming, and it is evident that in order to make the
business profitable some one must go; and, as we are working for money and not
fame, we feel perfectly willing to make the change." Which is, to say the
least, frank and outspoken. We wish the new enterprise every success, but we
can't help wondering how Mr. Jones expects to do better at Norway than at
Ishpeming. He will find the competition quite as sharp in one place as in the
other, and those "obliged to contribute" fewer, for the present, at
least.
ON Saturday evening 31st ult., a row, ending in pistol practice, took place in
Rocheon's [sic - Rochon's] saloon, at Waucedah. As the story reaches us it is to
the effect that two men named O'Donnell, for some reason, assaulted Rocheon, and
had him down, when another man, one Kennedy, entered and interfered in the
interest of peace and public safety, pulled the O'Donnells away, and was
rewarded by a pistol shot. Rocheon had withstood the assault of the 0'Donnells
without recourse to weapons, but, mistaking Kennedy for a reinforcement to the
enemy, and thinking three upon one too great an odds, pulled his pop and blazed
away. The muzzle of the pistol touched Kennedy's head, but fortunately the axis
of the bore was at an acute angle with the wall of his cerebellum, and the
result of the shot was a scalp would only. The next time K. sees a fight he'll
take notes for the
*********
Book Page 48
PORT, perhaps, but he won't be counted in. He don't fancy the reward of merit he got last time.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 14 [Saturday, March
6, 1880], page 3, column 5
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Side tracks are under way, to reach the Chapin and Lake Antoine (Cornell)
mines.
...
--One hundred and eighty-three strangers registered at the Quinnesec hotel
during the week endinf Feb. 28.
--The station at Norway is to be at the east end of the embankment and to
accomodate [sic] Frederickton and Ingallsdorf as well as Norway.
...
--The Menominee mining company will employ 1,500 or more men during the season
of navigation, and expects to ship over 400,000 tons of ore.
--The marsh between the village of Norway and the railway embankment will be
filled up and built upon. The marsh is shallow and the bottom hard.
...
--The Menominee mining company is to build a large boarding house near the
Norway location, and dig a big well to furnish a supply of water for ordinary
use and to extinguish fires should any occur.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 15 [Saturday, March
13, 1880], page 3, column 5
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--BOTH the Wisconsin Central and Milwaukee & Western railroads talk of ex
tensions to reach the range.
...
--NORWAY, not to lack anything that Quinnesec has, is to have an opera house
50 by 80 feet. The lower floor is to be divided into two business rooms.
...
--A MINER'S hospital is to be established somewhere on the range, probably at
Quinnesec. Drs. McLeod and North will be in charge thereof, which is guaranty
[sic] sufficient for efficiency and good management.
--COMMUNICATION by mail with the towns of the Menominee range is very slow and
uncertain. A passenger may leave Quinnesec in the morning and spend five hours
in Escanaba, and be at home again to supper, but it takes two days to get a
letter from that place to this, at the best, and longer yet if anything is out
of order. The range deserves better treatment at the hands of the postoffice
department.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 16 [Saturday, March
20, 1880], page 3, column 5
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--JOHN O'CALLAGHAN and Thos. McKenna are to build the Norway opera house.
*********
Book Page 49
THE steel rails for the M.R. extension have begun to arrive, and will go into
position as soon as the weather permits. There will be no avoidable delay in get
ting the extension ready to handle ore.
OUR Norway neighbor is a trifle touchy. The announcement that the railway
company would put the station at a point where it would serve Ingallsdorf and
Frederickton as well as Norway, provokes it to say that such mention is "an
insult to every resident of the village, and those editors who are constantly
linking the three towns should receive the cold shoulder from every business
man here." Six months ago Norway existed only on paper, and no man can say
where the population will be five years hence. It is hardly good form to be so
cranky.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 17 [Saturday, March
27, 1880], page 3, column 5
RANGE ITEMS.
EVERY lot on the principal street of the new town of Florence has been sold.
...
THEY have commenced laying the steel on the extension west of Quinnesec, but
can't do much until the snow and ice goes.
...
AN iron property near the forks of Sturgeon river, a mile and a half from the
railroad, has recently been purchased by Chicago parties for $15,000.
RUMOR says that the railroad company will put up a round-house and shops at
Florence, and extend a branch thence northward to the Republic mine.
...
A COLLISION occurred, near Norway, on Tuesday, between the freight, Manley
conductor, and the switching engine in charge of John Moore. A demoralized caboose was the result and the extent of the
damage
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 20 [Saturday, April
17, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
TRACK laying on the extension beyond Quinnesec commenced this week.
THE NORWAY depot is to be located west of the culvert and fairly opposite the
town.
...
DENIS MULLINS wanted a revolver, and Anderson's clerk, in showing him one[,]
managed to shoot him with it. Dennis bought the pop, and now wants a chance to
get even.
...
THE only lively township election in our vicinity was held at Waucedah, and the
Norway Chronicle gives an incident thereof as follows:
...
"All I want," said Mike O'Connell, as he put his vote in the ballot box, "is law and order." Now this was reasonable enough, and would have been passed over by almost any crowd, but Jake Hoar, who was running for clerk on the opposition, would ask Mike what kind of law and order there was when he, Mike, was constable three or four years ago, during the time when the great sleepy city of Waucedah was in its infancy and its town site a deer lick. "An' faith, there was the best of ruling," answered Mike. "I well remember the toime that a big spalpeen was raisin' bloody murther down there beyant, and I goes to him and says, exhibiting my star, 'You're me prisoner.' 'And what can you do?' said he to me, 'ye've got
*********
Book Page 50
no jail.' 'Come and you'll see what I'll do,' says I, and wid that I takes him
over to a big sthump, binds him hand and foot to it and leaves him there over
night. 'That's the kind of law and order we had thin, me boy."
Of course, the ticket that Mike voted was elected. Efficiency like that
described is always appreciated.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 21 [Saturday, April
24, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
QUINNESEC has a cemetery.
...
THE Iron Mountain folks want a postoffice.
...
THE Norway depot has been commenced and will soon be ready for use.
...
THE railway company has put in a turn table at the Norway mine branch.
...
THE arrivals at the Norway hotels, for the week ending April 17, numbered
350.
...
THE Norway railway station has to be observed very carefully to detect
progress.
...
R.G. BROWN, formerly postmaster at Quinnesec, and the "Co." of Wright
Bros., has opened his trading post on the Brule.
...
THE mail facilities for the towns on the range are simply shameful. There are
10,000 people to be served by that route, and they are now as well served as the
people of Fayette.
THE railway company will have to put on a night force, especially night telegraphers, between Quinnesec and Escanaba, at once. The next thing will be a
double track. Engines and ore dumps are too thick for comfort or safety on a
single track.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 22 [Saturday, May 1,
1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Norway station will be a telegraph station as soon as the building is ready
for occupation.
...
--The railway company will have a double track, west of Powers, before they know
it, if they keep on putting in long sidings.
--The stage between Quinnesec and Florence leaves Quinnesec on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Florence on the alternate days.
--It is reported that a mail car and messenger will be put upon the M.R.
railroad on the 1st of July. Three months too late, but better late than never.
--New telegraph offices have been established at Hermansville, with A.F. Sanford
in charge, and Norway mine branch, with C.J. Molloy in charge.
...
--The railway company has laid a mile of track west of Quinnesec. The track is
expected to reach the river by the first of June and give transportation facilities to the McKenna, Keel Ridge, Ludington and Chapin mines, each of which
will have its side track ready by the time the main track reaches them.
*********
Book Page 51
--A flying trip to Norway and Quinnesec, early in the week, was not productive or profitable by reason of a raw northeaster that prevailed at the time and rendered any visiting of mines unpracticable. We saw, however, evidences of enterprise and prosperity on the right hand and the left. The hotels were full of strangers, the trading places thronged with customers, and the streets with out fits for the woods, explorers and miners. At Norway the railway company is making progress (while we stood in a pelting rain waiting for transportation we wished it were better) upon the depot building, for the foundation of which piles have to be driven eighteen feet into the swamp. McKenna (Tom, we believe,) has commenced a building for a livery stable, and several new residences and business houses are going up. Quite a village, known as Sweden, has grown up on the south side of the track, and the whole vicinity thrives. Messrs. Gaynor and Hay, at the Wendel and Glen houses, are hard pressed to accommodate the traveling public, and each pro poses to enlarge his house as soon as practicable. At Quinnesec we did not see quite so many new shingles, but the town is thriving and will thrive while the men of the place retain the intrepid energy so far displayed, and adjacent hills yield their ferruginous wealth. During the summer we propose to visit the village again, and see how it looks when the sun shines.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 23 [Saturday, May 8,
1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The side track to the East Vulcan will be completed, and shipping begin, by
the end of the month.
...
--It is said that the railway company will erect its warehouses at Common
wealth, and make that location headquarters for freight. That will make the
place the depot for lumbermen's supplies.
...
--The mines west of Quinnesec and between there and the river -- the Keel Ridge,
McKenna, Chapin, Ludington and Lake Antoine -- have their sidings well advanced, and will be in shape to ship ore as soon as the main line of railroad is
completed.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 25 [Saturday, May
25, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The depot at Norway was completed on Thursday. The approach thereto, from the
town, has yet to be made and is more of a job than the building itself.
...
--The Quinnesec opera house will seat 800 people, and the folks thereabouts are
fond of amusement; knowning which, we asked Forbes why he did not go there with
his show. He replied that he had not learned how to seat an audience on beer
kegs. Clifford had tumbled to it -- small kegs, eighths, 50 cents; quarters,
reserved, 75 cents; half barrles, procenium boxes as it were, $1 -— but he was
accustomed to chairs and feared he wouldn't succeed with the Quinnesec seats.
...
--When the company can get cars, the Norway mine ships over 1,000 tons per
day. -—Range.
*********
Book Page 52
Mr. West informs us that, upon an average 150 cars stand over from one day to the next on the mine branches of the Menominee road; that the requisition of the manager of the Menominee company's mines was for 225 cars daily, which number was supplied for a time, but that 197 was the largest number loaded in one day, and that the requisition was reduced to 200 on the attention of the manager, being called to the facts.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 26 [Saturday, May
28, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--A postoffice has been established at Iron Mountain City, and R.0. Philbrook
appointed postmaster.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 27 [Saturday, June
5, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The grading of the railroad has been completed to Iron City [Iron Mountain].
...
--The 0'Callaghan brothers will build the Norway opera house. They are al ready
sure of tenants, at a good rent, and the business of the Hahleys.
...
--If half that is told of discoveries north and northwest of Quinnesec is true,
a line of rails will soon be demanded reaching thence to the Republic location.
Rumor says that a large body of ore, similar to that of the Republic mine, has
been discovered about midway between the two places.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 28 [Saturday, June
12, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Keel Ridge mine commenced to ship ore on Friday of last week.
...
--The railway company is pushing the track west from Quinnesec at the rate of a
quarter of a mile a day.
...
--The Chapin and East Vulcan mines have commenced shipping ore, and the Ludington and Lake Antoine [Cornell] will soon follow.
--H.J. Bebeau is president and A.J. Cronkhite cashier of the Bank of Quinnesec.
Bank offices in the Buell opera house.
...
--The fall of iron does not seem to render any less eager the search for ore.
The whole country west of us is full of explorers, and new parties are fitted
out daily.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 29 [Saturday, June
19, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
*********
Book Page 53
--Water, too much of it, delays explorations. The woods are full of explorers, but the earth is full of water and a pit three feet deep requires a pump to keep it clear.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 30 [Saturday, June
26, 1880], page 8, columns 1-2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The Norway depot is open and running. Mr. Sampson is agent and telegraph
operator.
...
--Water troubles not only explorers but miners. Cyclops and Curry were flood ed,
and the Lumbermen's company suspended work on section nine until the water sub
sides.
--The highway between the junction and Quinnesec is getting a good deal of work
just now. Correct. Put your roads in good order, buy horses, and laugh at the
rail way company.
...
--A subscriber at Waucedah complains that the PORT does not reach there until
Monday, and asks us where the delay occurs. We can not inform him further than
this: The paper is always in the postoffice here on Friday evening, and should
reach Waucedah on Saturday. That it does not is probably the fault of the post-
off ice department in not putting a regular messenger on the M.R. railroad. The
postal arrangements for the service of the people of the range are, and have
always been, shamefully inadequate -- a fact we have had occasion to mention on
previous occasions and shall again allude to until the fault is remedied. At the
same time it is possible that the messengers on the C. & N.W. road are
partly at fault, or the postmaster or mail agent at Powers, in which case we beg
of them to do the best they can to serve the public and not make a bad thing
worse by inattention. Our contemporaries out [on] the range might help us howl.
We never get the Range until Friday or the Chronicle till Monday.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 31 [Saturday, July 3,
18801, page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The Ludington mine commenced shipping on Thursday, and the Cornell (Lake
Antoine) will probably commence to-day.
...
--It is expected that the Florence will have 20,000 tons of ore stocked by the
time the railroad is completed so that shipments can begin.
...
--The grading is done to the river, and the track will probably reach there next
week.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 32 [Saturday, July
10, 18801, page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
--The track is laid to the river.
*********
Book Page 54
--The roads in the timber are just bottomless.
--Florence has 500 and Commonwealth 300 inhabitants, by count, not estimate.
...
--The range was to have had a better mail service on the 1st inst. We do not
hear that it is yet established, but that it soon will be, with George Estover
as route agent.
--Mr. E.P. Royce "set up" the cigars, on Saturday last, upon the
occasion of the first shipment of ore from his (Lake Antoine) iron mine. We
smoked and congratulate.
The Iron Port. Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 33 [Saturday, July
17, 18801, page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The Norway Chronicle says that a project is under consideration to open a.
wagon road from Norway to Felch Mountain, a distance of twelve miles. It ought
to be done, as those Norwayans are just enterprising enough to do it.
--And now the talk is that the postal car will not be put upon the M.R. rail
road until it is completed to Florence.
--The Quinnesec bank will open, if it has not already opened, a branch at
Norway, with Cronkhite, junior, in charge.
...
--A mail car for the M.R. railroad is in the yard at Escanaba, and we hope to
be able, next Saturday, to announce the fact that it has been put upon the road.
The range has been neglected by the p.o.d. [post office department] long enough.
--Cyrus Mason, a brakeman employed on Jos. Riley's ore train, was severely
pinched about the hips while attempting to couple a high car and a low one, at
Quinnesec, on Friday of last week. He was brought to Escanaba to be cared for.
...
--The next howl that will greet the ears of the Chicago & Northwestern
rail way company, from this section, will be for a railroad from Escanaba to the
Felch iron mountain. --Chronicle.
You won't need [to] howl. The C. & N.W. company will put a track to the
Felch mountain as soon as anybody has anything to ship therefrom.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 34 [Saturday, July
24, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Iron Mountain station, four miles west of Quinnesec, is open for business.
John Merriman is in temporary charge.
...
--One Samuel Gayner, a man about 50 years of age, was run over and killed by
ore train No. 42, Langworthy conductor, at about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday night,
between Norway and Vulcan. He was known as a "hard drinker," and our
readers may remember that he has paid a fine or two for drunkenness in our
police court. As he was killed near a saloon, which is located near the Vulcan
mine track, it is surmised that he was drunk at the time of his death. He had,
at any rate, been drinking during the day. The wheels passed over his neck,
severing his head from his body entirely. His latest employment had been that of
a laborer at the Curry mine. Nothing is known of his antecedents, and he had no
family, at least none
*********
Book Page 55
that are known.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 35 [Saturday, July 31,
1880], page 8, columns 2—3
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The livery men at Quinnesec have opened a road to the lower fall, which can
hardly fail to become a place of popular resort.
--The Norway opera house, which will not be an opera house but a "town
hall," (because John O'Callaghan is sensible,) will be 46 by 80 feet in
size.
...
--The car is ready, and the man. Why, then, does the old order of things
continue, and a letter take two days to travel from Hermansville to Spalding, a
distance of seven miles?
...
--Norway grows. During the two months which intervened between a previous
visit and one which we made on Friday last, as many as twenty new buildings had
been erected, and the place greatly improved otherwise.
...
--The bridge over the Menominee is completed. Mr. Conro, contractor for the
grading, is doing what he can, but is short of men, and the opening of the road
to Florence may be delayed beyond the date contemplated, for that reason.
--Highway robbery is becoming a recognized industry. Near the Chapin mine, a
few days ago, a little fellow was set upon and horribly beaten, but the enterprise was a failure, as he had given his money to a comrade who escaped and
saved it.
--The towns on the range understand the necessity of roads and highways better
than our people seem to. Norway will cut out and work a road to Felch mountain,
distance twelve miles, and one to the Quinnesec fall. Quinnesec has already
roads to both these points, and others are projected.
...
--At Waucedah, on Monday, one Scanlan was arrested and held for an attempt at
highway robbery. He, with three others, waylaid a couple of peddlers and demanded their wealth, but got, instead, fighting and noise. Scanlan, was the only
one captured, and his address, after Judge Goodwin's next tour, will be Jackson,
Jackson county, Mich.
...
--The death of Samuel Gayner, near Norway, announced in the PORT last Saturday, was the subject of a good deal of discussion, many persons, and among them
the men on the train which ran over him, suspecting that he was killed or came
to his death elsewhere, and that his dead body was placed upon the track to
cover up a crime. The inquest held on the remains did not get at any evidence in
support of the theory, however, and the verdit was "accidental death,"
which was probably correct. The man was liable to come to his death in just that
way.
--We had been led to suppose that the Skandinavian immigration to this
region was essentially a mining one, but Mr. Wendel assures us that the idea is
erroneous, that the bulk of the immigrants are agriculturists, and that the hope
and intention of each is to get hold of a piece of land. To this and they
engage in any labor that offers, without losing sight of the purpose, delving in
the mines or chopping in the woods to acquire the small sum sufficient to buy a
home. Mr. W. expects to see the hard-wood land north of Norway taken up and
cultivated by the Norsemen now engaged in and about the mines, their places
being filled by new comers.
*********
Book Page 56
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 36 [Saturday, August
7, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The frame-work of the Norway opera house is up.
...
--A town hall, 24x60 feet, is being built at Waucedah by Safford Oatman.
...
--Highwaymen, near Iron Mountain City, on Thursday night last, attacked George
Donaldson and beat and kicked him in an unsuccessful attempt to rob him. They
then attacked Matt. Murray, breaking his arm and stealing his watch and
pocketbook containing $50. The robbers are still at large. --Chronicle, 31st.
...
--On the night of Saturday, July 30 [sic], one James Howarth was dangerously
stabbed by one of a party of five Italians, on the road between Norway and
Vulcan. Officer Bush, of Norway, after making several arrests, finally nabbed
the man identified by Howarth as the one who did the stabbing, Antoine
Christenalli by name, and he was, upon examination, held to the circuit court in
$500 bail.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XT, Number 37 [Saturday,
August 14, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
--No man in the mail car yet.
...
--Penberthy has taken to the woods and "Racketty" Clark wields the
"pencil, pastepot and shears" in the Range office. [NOTE: "Racketty"
is now identified, and working on The Menominee Range in Quinnesec,
following his correspondence to The Iron Port from Powers, or
"42."]
...
--It is now generally believed that the Felch mountain railway will be built
at once. An association of explorers and miners, of which Mr. Maitland, of Negaunee, is president, has a mine there, without doubt, and other parties have
good indications. We are assured that the road will be built as soon as there is
any ore to come out.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 38 [Saturday,
August 21, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
--The track is laid to Spread Eagle lake.
...
--The same old, slow—coach, inefficient arrangement for mail transmission.
Kick!
...
--A Frenchman, name not given, was killed on the Stephenson mine side-track,
on Saturday last. A loaded car, drawn by a horse, ran over him.
...
--Penberthy has been out on Felch mountain and we gather from his log that he is
not enthusiastic as to the prospects of that range. Professor Roumynger [sic].
state geologist, was of the party, and the first locations of which the log
makes mention are the explorations by McMinn, Tracy and Wood, in 31, 42, 29. The
whole
*********
Book Page 57
section was gone over, and Professor R.'s opinion was that they would have to look elsewhere for ore. Explorations on 32, 42, 29, and thence eastward to section 36, were visited and "no satisfactory results" was the verdict. On 31, 42, 28, Wright Brothers have done a great deal of work, but the mine, if it exists, has yet to be found. On the next section, 32, 42, 28, Capt. Curry has struck fine ore and the property seems valuable. On the north half of the section Matt. Moore's discovery is said to be "second to none in this part of the country." After viewing the explorations on sections 26 and 35, 42, 29, the Professor advised that work therein be suspended, which advice was at once acted upon by Mr. Alex. Kempt. On the whole, only 32, 42, 28, is mentioned at all favorably, which does not coincide with former reports from that region.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 39 [Saturday,
August 28, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Engines and construction train now run to Spread Eagle lake.
...
--There are only 25 or 30 places between the junction and the river where the
wayfarer can allay his thirst (unless he is thirsty enough to imbibe water, like
a locomotive), in view of which fact, careful travelers, Chicago and Milwaukee
missionaries and "sich," carry a tickler.
--In making an embankment near Spread Eagle lake, for the railway extension, a
sink-hole, or peat-bed, was discovered, into which the embankment sunk as fast
as it was made. The distance across it was short, however, and firm ground was
reached during the fore part of this week.
--Breitung is the most populous township of Menominee county "by a large majority," having 4,554 inhabitants. Menominee township is next, with 3,947.
Breen, Spalding and Stephenson follow, in the order named, with over 1,000 each.
Cedarville, Ingallston and Holmes bring up the rear with 222, 195 and 158,
respectively.
...
--The man who was killed at the Stephenson mine was a Frenchman named
Rubaur.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 40 [Saturday,
September 4, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
--The town hall at Norway approaches completion.
...
--Building goes on all along the range. We noticed quite a number of new houses
at Frederickton, as we passed there, on Tuesday, and others at Norway, Quinnesec
and Iron Mountain.
...
--The reception and entertainment of the members of the Institute of Mining
Engineers, at Quinnesec, was a neat thing -- as neat as anything we have seen in
many a day. The opera house had been decorated in their honor, and tables set
with what was modestly called a lunch, but which was really a banquet. After a
time for attention to the toilet, the guests were escorted thither and seated,
and were welcomed in a short address (he knew they were hungry) by John L.
Buell (we might call him "Hon." or "Esq.," but prefer the
plainer phrase), to which, after full justice to the viands, the president of
the institute, Mr. Win. P. Shinn, of St. Louis, re plied in a happy vein, and
called upon Mr. Charles Ridgely, of Springfield, Ill., whose fluent and witty
speech was just the thing for the occasion. The ladies of
*********
Book Page 58
the party, or such of them as desired, were then taken to the lower Quinnesec fall, while the gentlemen visited the group of mines embracing the Keel Ridge, Ludington and Cornell. At the Cornell mine one of the engineer party said, "I have seen some iron mining, but never before iron ore mined with pick and shovel only."
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 41 [Saturday,
September 11, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The money has been raised to open a road from Norway to Felch mountain and
work on it begun.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 42 [Saturday,
September 18, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
--The track is laid to Commonwealth and will reach Florence in about another
week.
--A passenger train has been put on west of Quinnesec. It leaves there on the
arrival of No. 4, runs as far as Lake Antoine junction and returns in time for
No. 5.
...
--Among the mining engineers who visited the range was a representative of the
Iron Age. In his report of the trip of the institute of where they went and what
they saw, he calls the Menominee range "the latest and grandest
development" of mining industry in the regions they visited.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 43 [Saturday,
September 25, 1880], page 8, column 2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Norwayans want a township of their own and called Norway, and will ask the
board of supervisors to so order at its annual meeting. They ask for towns 39,
40 and 41 north, of range 29 west.
...
--The railroad track will have reached Florence by the time this is read, but
will not be in a condition for anything except construction work before the 1st
proximo, at which date it is probable that shipments of ore will commence from
both Commonwealth and Florence.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 44 [Saturday,
October 2, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
--A wagon road is under construction from Florence to Keyes lake.
--The Commonwealth will probably commence shipping early in the coming week.
--No mail agent on the M.R. railroad yet. Uncle Sam is awfully slow about it.
...
--The track of the railway was completed to Florence last Saturday, but is not
yet open for business.
--0'Callaghan's hall at Norway, is so nearly completed that it is proposed
*********
Book Page 59
to
open it with a ball on Friday, the 8th.
--In an affray at a camp of railway
laborers near Commonwealth, a man by the name of Burke wounded another, whose
name we have not heard, very severely, with an ax.
...
--Freights are pressing, and the road
to Florence will be got into working order and business undertaken at the
earliest possible day. The work yet to be done is the widening of the clay cut
beyond Spread Eagle lake and the surfacing of the new track.
...
--We hear that the Menominee mining
company is considering the question whether it is economy to pay the
Northwestern money enough every year to pay for a railroad. Some members of the
company think it is not, and that true economy dictates the building of a road
and docks by the company for the transportation and shipment of its own ores.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 45 [Saturday,
October 9, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The company will put on a passenger
train between Quinnesec and Florence next Monday.
...
--The new hall at Norway was opened
with a dance on Friday (yesterday) evening. We return thanks for "complimentaries,"
which we were too busy to use.
...
--A collision between a loaded ore
train and an empty one occurred at Vulcan, on Saturday morning last. Nobody
killed -- one engine pretty well used up and a dozen or so of ore cars ditched,
was the outcome. Two conductors and two engineers suspended until the case can
be decided upon at headquarters is the corrollary [sic].
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 46 [Saturday,
October 16, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
--In all the smashes on the M.R.
railroad last week, no one was killed -- not even a bone broken.
--On Friday of last week some cars
upon the Vulcan mine siding got away from the men in charge and ran out upon the
main track just in time to be caught by an ore train. The engine and a lot of
cars were disabled.
...
--The Chronicle details the truth of
the report that the Menominee mining company is considering the possibility of
railroad building and says that the project under consideration is of vessel
owning instead of railroad. Maybe the Chronicle knowns -— we're sure we don't,
but gave the rumor as we heard it.
--We heard, just before going to
press last week, that the banks of Quinnesec, Norway and Florence had closed and
the banker, A.J. Cronkhite, levanted, but so vaguely and upon such slender
authority that we did not use the information. It was true, though, and now
everybody says: "Of course. Didn't he play the same game at Neenah?"
*********
Book Page 60
--At about daylight on Saturday morning last, a loaded ore train collided with
a train of empties, near Hermansville, to the general demolition of both engines
and trains. The wreck was so large and the work of clearing it away so tedious
that a track was built around it ir order that work might go on. The loaded
train was the tresspasser, being behind time and out of place, while the empty
one was on time.
--The opening ball at 0'Callaghan Opera House hall (Bowlders [editor of The
Chronicle in Norway] could not be got to consent to a more modest apellation
-- no "town halls" for him, while Quinnesec has an opera house), at
Norway, was numerously attended and heartily enjoyed. If any of our readers
want a poetic description they can turn to their copy of Byron -- Don Juan,
canto commencing, "There was a sound of revelry by night" -- which
will answer for the Norway affair as well as for that at Brussells, all but the
wind up.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 49 [Saturday,
November 6, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The road from Florence to Keyes lake is completed and in use.
...
--Five lumber companies have built warehouses and established supply depots at
Florence. The Menominee mining company is building a big store at the same
place.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 50 [Saturday,
November 13, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
--A man named Rupert [sic - Ruprecht] has started a sawmill near (west of)
Waucedah.
...
--At Florence, on Tuesday last Frank Martin attempted to board a moving train,
but missed his hold, was thrown under the wheels and killed.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 51 [Saturday,
November 20, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--"Sich is fame." THE IRON PORT says: A man by the name of
"Rupert" is building a mill west of Waucedah, and sheriff Ruprecht was
beginning to think he was getting quite noted. --Menominee Herald.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 52 [Saturday,
November 2?, 1880], page 8, columns 1-2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Frank Bureau had his leg crushed by an ore car, at the Norway mine, and
refuses to submit to amputation, thereby imperiling his life. --Norway
Chronicle.
*********
Book Page 61
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 2 [Saturday,
December 11, 1880], page 1, column 3
THE C. & N.W. company are now running another line to reach the Felch Mountain region. The survey leaves the branch at Hermansville.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 2 [Saturday,
December 11, 1880], page 1, column 5
THE winter schedule of the C. & N.W. went into effect last Sunday. The passenger train north now arrives at 11:25 a.m. and the south passenger at 3:32 p.m. The Quinnesec freight leaves at 7:55 a.m. and arrives at 6:50 p.m. The south freights leave at 5 a.m., 2 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and the north freights at 12:45 and 6:45 a.m. Passenger trains arrive at Florence at 12:35 and 6:40 p.m. and leave at 8:23 a.m. and 2:25 p.m.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 2 [Saturday,
December 11, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--We learn from the Menominee Range that a company has been organized to work
the "big find" at Felch mountain. It is called the Northwestern Mining
company, and is officered as follows: W.D. Reese, president; J.N. Glidden,
treasurer; Win. Sedgwick, secretary and Natt Moore, superintendent. Active
mining operations will be undertaken at once. Also that the Lumberman's company
has finished exploration on 30, 43, 32, having developed a 22-foot vein of good
ore.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 4 [Saturday,
December 25, 1880], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
--Chapin ore goes to Chicago by rail.
...
--The engineer who has lately run an experimental line from Hermansville to the
Felch mountain speaks favorably of the line.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 5 [Saturday,
January 1, 1881], page 8, column 1
RANGE ITEMS.
Engineering parties are still working up the Hermansville and Felch Mountain
routes. It is safe to say that is the one that will be chosen. --Men. Herald.
On the contrary, it is as safe as any prediction can be that it is not the route
"that will be chosen" by the C. & N.W. Railway company.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 8 [Saturday
January 22, 1881], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The railway depot at Commonwealth is nearly ready for occupancy -- will be
*********
Book Page 62
completed by the first of February.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 14 [Saturday, March
5, 1881], page 8, column 1
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--We have it from quite a reliable source that the C. & N.W. railway company
is making preparations to extend their line to the Iron river country, and a
branch from there to Ontonagon, and from that place to Houghton, while the main
line will be run to connect with the Northern Pacific. The course has already
been mapped out. --Men. Range.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 15 [Saturday, March
12, 1881], page 8, column 1
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The next new town in the iron country is to be at or near the Crystal Falls of
the Paint.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 17 [Saturday, March
26, 1881], page 8, column 1
RANGE ITEMS.
--One of the experimental lines of the Michigan & Wisconsin road crossed the
track of the M.R. road just east of the station at Norway.
...
--The engineer force of the Wisconsin & Michigan railroad company is at
work, running experimental lines north of the Menominee river. The lines point
towards the Little Bay de Noquette -- not towards Ontonagon.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 18 [Saturday, April
2, 1881], page 8, column 1
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The work of laying the side—track to the Sturgeon mine is now in progress.
...
--We hear of an "argyment wid fishts" between a couple of railroad
men, "out on the branch," on Monday last. No casualties, and no names.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 20 [Saturday, April
16, 1881], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The C. & N.W. company will proceed at once to determine the route of extension north and west of its present terminus at Florence, and there is every
probability that the iron region north of the Brule will be reached by rail
before the shipping season closes.
*********
Book Page 63
--Mr. Palmer, with a surveying party, went out [on] the branch, on Monday, to run lines west and north of Florence for the extension of the railroad. Authorities differ as to what the company intends, but to an outsider it appears very plain that the C. & N.W. can not afford to delay the extension of its lines to Felch mountain, Crystal falls and the country west of the Paint and north of the Brule.
The Florence Mining News, Florence, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, Number 16
[Saturday, April 16, 1881], page 3, column 5
THE train was delayed at Waucedah the other day for ten minutes, by a novel obstruction, namely a free fight, beside the cars. The combatants struggled promiscuously and rolled over among the car wheels, so that if the train had moved, it would probably have sent some of them to a celestial Donnybrook' Fair. Denny O'Brien was a prominent figure in the melee, and emerged with a bad cut on the forehead. Not satisfied with that, he came here and later in the day ran across a snag, that closed his left peeper, and made his features resemble a map of the Yellowstone Park.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 22 [Saturday, April
30, 1881], page 1, column 4
MR. POWERS, with an engineer party, left here on Wednesday to run the lines for the mine sidings at the Metropolitan and Northwestern locations, and we are informed that work on the Felch Mountain branch will be commenced at once and pushed as rapidly as possible. It is intended to complete the branch in time to allow of [sic - for] the shipment of some 50,000 tons from the two mines mentioned during the present season.
The Florence Mining News, Florence, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, Number 18
[Saturday, April 30, 1881], page 3, column 4
THE Canal Co., are preparing to lay out a town site on the Felch Mountain Range. It will be located on the south half of the south west quarter of section 29, 40 28. The town will adjoin the Metropolitan and Northwestern mines location, and lies on a level piece of hard wood land, high and dry, and there is an abundance of excellent water. We understand that a good many persons are preparing to purchase building lots.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 24 [Saturday, May
14, 1881], page 8, column 1
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Felch [ran the Commercial Hotel in Quinnesec and proposed building a hotel at
Felch Mountain in mid-April, 1881] will run a tri-weekly stage from Norway to
Felch mountain, leaving on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at 9:45 a.m. --Iron
Chronicle, 7th.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 25 [Saturday, May
21, 1881], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
*********
Book Page 64
--The extensions of the Northwestern railway to the Felch mountain, Paint river and Iron river districts are progressing with all possible speed. It is not probable that that company can hold its monopoly of the ore-carrying on the range, but the company that comes in to compete with it will find the Northwestern every where there is a mine and pretty well fixed to stand competition.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 26 [Saturday, May
28, 1881], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Work has been commenced on the railway extension beyond Florence.
...
--Albert Keep, president and J.B. Redfield, secretary of the Menominee rail road
-- the Wisconsin organization of the range branch of the peninsula division of
the Northwestern, on the 23d filed an amendment to the articles of association
of that company, providing for the extension from Florence to the Brule and
thence through Marquette and Ontonagon counties, in this state, to lake
Superior. The extension proposes 148 miles of line north and west of Florence
and don't ask for anybody's iron lands either.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 28 [Saturday, June
11, 1881], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Captain Runkle contracts for the railroad extension to Crystal Falls and has
already sixty men at work.
...
--Work upon the railway extensions, towards Felch mountain and Crystal falls, is
pushed with all possible vigor, but it is almost impossible to keep men in the
woods at laborers [sic] wages, on account of the flies and musquitos [sic].
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 29 [Saturday, June
18, 1881], page 1, column 3
FRANK ROACH, a brakeman employed on ore train No. 52, was severely hurt at the Ludington mine on Monday. He was standing on the back end of the tender as some cars were being pushed, when the draw-head of the car next [to] the engine broke and the broken end caught and crushed his ankle. He was brought to his home at Norway and placed in Dr. McLeod's care, who amputated the leg on Wednesday.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 30 [Saturday, June
25, 1881], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--"A real, live mail-agent" now accompanies the branch train. The
Metropolitan is laying out a town near its mine and will have a newspaper.
--Chronicle, 18th.
The Florence Mining News , Florence, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, Number 27
*********
Book Page 65
[Saturday, July 2, 1881], page 3, column 4
THE morning passenger train, going west on the Menominee River
railroad, on Tuesday last, came near sustaining what might have been, a serious
accident. At the Menominee River Junction, the train had just passed the Y and
was waiting for one of the trainmen to adjust the switch -- which seemed to have
something the matter with it -- when am ore train came thundering along at a
rapid rate of speed. As soon as the situation of things was observed, the
passengers in the rear car, rushed to the door and jumped out, and the train got
under motion as soon as possible. The ore train had also clapped on brakes and
the switch still not being adjustable ran off the track. No further damage was
done, and the accident was soon remedied.
The Iron Port , Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 32 [Saturday, July
9, 1881], page 8, columns 1-2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--Three town sites have been laid out in the Felch mountain neighborhood and
named, respectively, Felch Mountain, Metropolitan and Theodore. Felch Mountain
is near the Warner location, occupying the s1/2 se1/4 29, 42, 28; Metropolitan
adjoins the Metropolitan mine property, on 32, 42, 28, and is the property of
that company; and Theodore is the property of the canal company and adjoins the
Northwestern mine on 29, 42, 28. Two of them, we can not say which, will
doubtless be fizzles.
The Florence Mining News , Florence, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, Number 28
[Saturday, July 9, 1881], page 3, column 2
"THEODORE" is the name of the Canal Co's new town at Felch Mountain. Theodore M. Davis, the president of the company, is named after it.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 33 [Saturday, July
16, 1881], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--The C. & N.W. company will at once extend a branch to the Indiana mine and
the mine commence shipping.
...
--Four hundred men are employed on the railroad to Crystal Falls and it is
expected that ore can be shipped over it early in October.
...
--The prospect is now that the railroad will not be completed to Felch mountain
before the close of the season for shipments. —-Range, 7th.
The Iron Port, Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan, Volume XII, Number 45 [Saturday,
October 8, 1881], page 8, columns 1—2
RANGE ITEMS.
...
--A postoffice has been established at Felch mountain. Name
"Metropolitan" and L.A. Friedrichs is postmaster.
*********
Book Page 66
--The rains have made the roads to and through the Felch mountain district almost impassable, nevertheless [sic]. O'Callaghan has succeeded in trnasporting a saw-mill thither and will soon have it at work. A court has been established L.D. Fleming, magistrate, and John Madden, constable, and a school district is to be organized. All which we learn from the Range.
The Florence Mining News , Florence, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, Number 44
[Saturday, October 29, 1881], page 3, column 3
ON Tuesday last, between Vulcan and Norway, the freight train and an
ore train, which was being handled by the switch engine, collided. The trains
met on a curve and could not see each other until just as they met. The several
engines were re versed, but too late to avert a collision. Both locomotives were
badly demoralized
-- the freight engine getting all jammed up and disfigured, and the switch
engine came out of the muss minus the smoke stackand [sic - smoke stack] and
some other trimmings. Twenty-three ore cars were thrown off the track. Nobody
was hurt and nobody was to blame, except the railroad track, which seemed to be
extensively crooked in just about that locality. The same day ten ore cars left
the track at Waucedah. This accident was the fault of the track again. The rails
spread.
The Milwaukee and Northern Railroad Company,
incorporated on June 5, 1880, was the next railroad to extend into what is now Dickinson County, as evidenced by the following articles.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume I, Number 40 [Saturday,
November 7, 1885], page 1, column 1
MORE RAILROAD FACILITIES.
THE CURRENT is informed upon authority that it seems reliable that the extension of the Milwaukee & Northern railroad is to be completed to the range at
once. The engineers are now at work making the final survey, and our informant
tells us that the heavy cuts on the new line will be made this winter. In the
spring the work of grading, etc., will be commenced, and the road pushed to
completion, as far as Iron Mountain, at least, as rapidly as possible. What
direction the new road will take from Iron Mountain we are not informed, but
that it will be in a western direction hardly admits of doubt. A branch is to be
built to Norway, and which will no doubt be extended to both the Vulcan mines.
The new road, which is now built to a point some twenty-five miles south of Iron
Mountain, besides opening up a valuable timber country to the south of us, will
afford our mining and other business interests much greater facilities for
shipping, and as competition is the life of trade, it will also mean lower rates
of freight. There is scarcely a doubt, from what we have heard, but that cars
will be running on the new road early next summer.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume II, Number 6 [Saturday, March
13, 1886], page 1, column 3
QUINNESEC QUOTUM.
Tools have already been shipped to Quinnesec for the work on the extension of
the Milwaukee & Northern.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume II, Number 10 [Saturday, April
3, 1886], page 1, column 5
*********
Book Page 67
Breen, Connolly, and Butler, railroad contractors are here and are pushing their supplies across the river as fast as possible.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume II, Number 17 [Saturday, May
22, 1886], page 1, column 4
The grading of the Milwaukee & Northern between Iron Mountain and the river will be completed about July 1, when a track will be laid, and stone for the abutments of the bridge across the Menominee will be hauled from the Ludington quarry.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume II, Number 17 [Saturday, May
22, 1886], page 1, column 5
Ben. High came down from his camps on Wednesday, bringing with him five teams of horses which he will work on the new railroad south of Iron Mountain.
The Current , Norway, Me nominee County, Michigan, Volume II, Number 19 [Saturday, June
5, 1886], page 1, column 4
QUINNESEC.
Anyone who wishes to see a specimen of real slavery, has only to take a trip
over to where they are building the new railroad.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume II, Number 20 [Saturday, June
12, 1886], page 1, column 3
Mr. A.F. McGillis came in last night from the line of the extension of the Wisconsin & Michigan R.R. [Milwaukee & Northern]. Mr. McGillis has the contract for all the bridges needed on the extension, some thirteen or fourteen in all, and is to have them completed by August first. He says he has four done, and that track laying from Iron Mountain will soon commence, when he will be able to handle his timber with greater facility and will no doubt be on contract time. He says there are some very high trestles to build, one of them being eighty feet; that for some of them he will be able to get the timbers in their place only by aid of a track and locomotive. He is of the opinion that grading will be done, but the track will not be done, by August 1st.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume II, Number 24 [Saturday, July
10, 1886], page 1, column 2
Owing, we suppose, to the demand for teams on the M. & N. railroad extension, there is a scarcity of teams for jobbing work at the present time, which is altogether unusual at this season of the year.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume II, Number 32 [Saturday,
September 4, 1886], page 1, column 2
--By the time this reaches our readers the W. & M.R.R. [Milwaukee & Northern] will have reached the river in its approach to Iron Mountain. The only break in the line will be an unfinished bridge and trestle across the river, and as there will be some 700 feet of trestle to build after the track reaches the river, it is not at all probable that the road will be open for traffic before October 1st.
The Current, Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume II, Number 37 [Saturday,
October 9, 1886], page 1, column 2
*********
Book Page 68
--The Wisconsin & Michigan R.R. [Milwaukee & Northern] has at last been completed to Iron Mountain, and we learn that the first train came in on Tuesday last. This will no doubt add materially to the business of that place, and we hope benefit the whole range.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume III, Number 33 [Saturday,
September 17, 188?], page 1, column 4
THE MILWAUKEE & NORTHERN
It Will Be Extended to Norway, Engineers Surveying the Link
Yesterday chief engineer C.H. Vinal, of the Milwaukee & Northern railroad,
moved to Norway with his crew to look over the district, and to run the preliminary lines for an extension of that road to this place. It is a question which
will be the most feasable [sic] route, and several lines will probably be run.
Engineer Vinal informed the writer that he has already run one line from Iron
Mountain parallel to and south of the C. & N-W track, and will continue at
work until a route has been decided upon. There is no doubt, (as we asserted two
weeks ago) that we shall soon have another road, and it won't be one of Chase
Osborn's paper roads either.
The following newspaper articles and time charts taken from contemporary newspapers once again document happenings "along the line" on the eastern half of the Menominee Iron Range, and remind the reader how essential the railroads were for commerce and travel during the latter part of the nineteenth century.
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 3
[Thursday, April 11, 1889], page 1, column 2
TREMENDOUS TRAIN SERVICE.
Any one passing through the main street of Iron Mountain, and hearing the
perpetual jangling of the warning locomotive bells, would scarcely imagine the
enormous extent of the traffic that has to be registered up at Antoine. From the
5th of May until the 24th of October last year no fewer than 8,067 different
trains were registered, and the probability is that that great average will be
considerably exceeded this year.
The Menominee Range . Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 3
[Thursday, April 11, 1889], page 1, column 3
OF the 158 trains that will run on the upper peninsula division of the C.N. & W. [sic] this summer, all but 60 will run on the Menominee range branch. As the branch is a single track part of the way it will require some close running to keep all this traffic moving along without delay. Ninety eight trains a day is four every hour out of the 24, with two over to be sandwiched in somewhere. In fact we saw three ore trains pull out after the morning passenger had passed, the other day, not more than five minutes apart. Here is one employment, at least, where it behooves a man to be on time.
On the left portion of the following page is an enlarged copy of the railroad time tables which appeared regularly on page 5 of The Menominee Range, showing the Milwaukee & Northern schedule adopted March 18, 1888, and the C. & N.W. schedule.
*********
Book Page 69
|
|
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee
THAT miserable little tinder box dignified with the title of C.
& N.W. depot must go. It is a wonder to us how it is that an
enterprising concern like the company could think of maintaining
such an unsightly, incommodious, and discreditable hovel as its
depot in a city like Iron Mountain. Is there no positive danger of
people arguing, "as the depot, so the company?"
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Me
nominee AN ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL DEPOT.
|
regards that depot, which shall be a credit to themselves as well as to Iron Mountain. Mr. Lindsley said that they had specifications for a new building already prepared in Chicago, and that they intended to remove the water tank and the coal
**********
Book Page 70
shed,
but even if they remove their tank, so that their engines need not stop in Iron
Mountain, I think it is absolutly [sic] necessary that we should have a good and
creditable depot here.
Alderman Graham asked when the
committee had obtained Superintendent Lindsley's promise, and Alderman O'Connell
said he thought it was so far back as last October.
Alderman Sweet proposed that a
committee of three be appointed to confer with the C. & N.W. authorities not
only upon the subject of a decent railway depot but upon the necessity of
improving the crossing at the Ludington, which was now a regular danger and a
public nuisance.
Mayor Anderson remarked that the
company could not possibly avoid their responsibilities, because the statutes
declared that if the city's architect declared their depot to be dangerous and
unsafe after a certain time, they they were liable to a fine of $500 if they
used that depot after the expiration of the time.
Alderman Ingram, seconded Alderman
Sweet's motion, which was of course, carried.
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 7
[Thursday, May 9, 1889], page 5, columns 2-3
IT IS A PIG PEN.
When Bro. Youngs, of The Florence News, wrote that the C. & N.W. depot in
this city was more like a pig pen than a depot, probably he was not aware how
absolutely correct that statement was. It is literally and litterally a pig pen.
Pigs wallow in the mud under the depot and the stench that arises some days is
enough to knock the baggage truck off the platform. We expect some day to see
the passenger train knocked into the middle of Stephenson avenue by it. The
reason why no one falls off the platform in front of the incoming train is
because they become so paralyzed by the horrible smell that they stagger up
against the side of the depot, and the conductor and brakemen have to rush out
and drag the passengers on board the train. Once in a while they get an
invigorating whiff from a petroleum tank car standing on the side track that
braces them up wonder fully, but no more frightful calamity could ever happen to
a mortal than to be found dead around that depot.
We take a good deal of satisfaction
in assuring our readers, including our Florence friends, that there is now no
doubt that the company will build a hand some brick depot in this city this
summer. There is a good deal to be done and it cannot be done in a day. The
people of this city have no desire to be unreasonable, and will cheerfully wait
with patience, so long as they are assured that their necessities are commanding
the attention of the railroad officials. A force of men are now at work
preparing the ground at Antoine for the water tank, and as soon as a tank is
built there, the tank near the depot will be removed. This will relieve us of
the great annoyance of having trains stop at this tank every few minutes, and
block two or more streets while the engineer takes water. The old depot will be
moved south one block and used as a freight depot, and the new depot will be
erected on the site of the old one. To make room for the larger structure,
however, tracks will have to be moved, some filling done, etc., which will all
take time. It is expected also that two of the old spur tracks running up to the
Chapin mine will be removed, thus giving a clear street in front of the new
buildings now being erected on the burnt district. Before snow flies Iron
Mountain can boast of the handsomest depot in this part of the state, and then
if Brother Youngs dares to say it looks like a pig pen we shall come up to
Florence, and shortly after our arrival the undertaker will have a job.
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
10
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Book Page 71
[Thursday, May 30, 1889], page 1, column 4
M. & N. TRAIN ROBBED.
When the M. & N. train arriving
at Ellis Junction at 9:45, reached that station last night, the writer noticed
an unusual degree of excitement among the passengers, and inquiring to ascertain
the cause, learned that the train had been robbed between Beaver and the
Junction. A rather tall, raw boned but well dressed man, wearing a heavy blonde
[sic] moustache, boarded the train at Beaver. He entered the rear door of the
last coach, and when the train pulled out, drew two revolvers and proceeded to
relieve the passengers and train men of their valuables. He first demanded the
brakesman's wealth, but that individual proved to be entirely destitute of
filthy lucre. He ordered the brakesman to go on ahead of him, and made his
demand on the next victim. In this manner he drove the passengers ahead of him
and robbed those who were unfortunate enough to have money about them. He
secured from John Wells, lumberman of Menominee, about $50 in cash and a
valuable gold watch. Having held up the passengers in both coaches he sat down
on the front platform and jumped off the train and skipped for the woods as the
train pulled into Ellis Junction. The fellow showed lots of nerve. It is
singular that one man could successfully rob a train and escape without arrest.
Passengers who were on the train say that the robber took no precautions to
prevent attack from the rear after passing through the first coach, and several
men remained on the front platform, and returned to that coach after he had
passed by, but evidently everyone was too much frightened to think of making any
attack. The robber could easily have been shot if any one had a revolver with
him. A large number of men started out to scour the woods about Ellis Junction,
but at this writing we have not heard of the bold robber's arrest.
----
$500 REWARD.
The Milwaukee & Northern railroad
company, will pay $500 reward, for the arrest and conviction of the man that
robbed the passenger train No. 1, last night. Discription [sic] of man that
robbed the train:
He is about 5 feet 9 inches high,
will weigh 150 or 160 pounds, wore dark clothes and had dark soft hat, his pants
were turned up at the bottom; wore a blonde [sic] moustache and about a week's
growth of beard; looked dark, but his face was dirty; he carried a yellow cloth
bag being over his shoulder and a small bundle tied up with a blue polka dot
handkerchief; he carried a large 6 shooter and a small nickel plated pocket
pistol.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
11 [Thursday, June 6, 1889], page 1, column 3
CIVIL Engineer Palmer of the C. & N.W. railroad, again viewed the sites, for a new depot in this city yesterday. He seemed to be most favorably impressed with the ground immediately in front of the present structure and nearer Stephenson avenue, and it is understood that situation will eventually be chosen.
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
13 [Thursday, June 20, 1889], page 1, column 3
THE C. & N.W. Railroad Company is making quite an improvement at the Antoine switch this season. In addition to the immense coal shed, the water tank is soon to be placed there, the foundation for which is alreay complete, a new office 12
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Book Page 72
|
|
by 24 is being built, four new side tracks are being put in, and it is probable that next sea son a round house will be built there to accommodate the six or eight engines that now have no shelter when off duty. Work on the new de pot will begin soon -- that is, as soon as the heaviest of the work at Antoine is finished.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 20 [Thurs day, August 8, 1889], page 1, column 4
NEW RAILROAD TO ESCANABA.
Mr. Willis has rented rooms in John R. Wood's brick block [First National Bank], which will be used by himself and associates, who are here to superintend the survey and construction of a new railroad from this city to Escanaba. A surveying party will be sent out at once, and it is asserted that the new road will be ready for business next May. We can not learn from Mr. Willis at present what company is pushing this enterprise but we are assured that it is not the Milwaukee & Northern. It is a new company, we are told, that has been organized to carry forward this enterprise, and they have se cured from the Milwaukee and Northern dock facilities at Escanaba. As their docks are to be erected on lands that have been held by the Milwaukee and Northern company, it was natural to suppose that this company had undertaken the construction of the new road. The people of this city are not so particular as to what company builds the road, as that the road be built. This new outlet to our nearest lake shipping port cannot fail of being a great advantage to Iron Mountain and the other towns on the range that will eventually be tapped by it.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 21 [Thurs day, August 15, 1889], page 5, columns 2—3
THE NEW RAILROAD.
|
push it. The line will start at a point near where the Milwaukee & Northern crosses the Chicago and Northwestern, and pass along the north side of Lake Antoine and Lake Fumee, cross the Sturgeon river near the month [sic - mouth] of Pine creek, and so on in as direct a line as possible to Escanaba. The first 20 miles will be under
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Book Page 73
contract by the first of September. There will be a good deal of heavy work at this end of the line, but it is expected that the rails will be laid on the first 25 miles before snow flies. In the meantime work will also be pushed on the construction of docks at Escanaba, so that they will be in readiness for business as soon as the road is completed. If Mr. Willis knows who or what corporation is responsible for all this activity he continues to keep it to himself. However, that is not important to the general public so long as the money comes [sic - comes] from some where to keep the men a hustling.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
24 [Thursday, September 5, 1889], page 1, column 2
THE Chicago & North-Western is now selling tickets to Ishpeming, for
$2.35, former price $4.40. Mr. Stiles has been working for this reduction for
some time and at last his efforts have been crowned with success.
...
THE M. & N. train going south that arrives here at 6:45, now stops twenty mi
nutes for supper, a change that is certainly in accord with the comfort of its
passengers. It arrives here at about the same time that people usually take
their evening meal, and we wonder that the change has not been made before.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume V, Number 34 [Saturday,
September 21, 1889], page 1, column 6
A MODEL MILL
Friday of last week the writer visited the new mill of the Laing Lumber Co., at
what has been known as Holmes Siding 20 miles north of Iron Mountain on the line
of the M. & N. R. Rd. The Mill is located on the E1/2 of the S.W.1/4 of Sec.
29, 43 30 on the west side of the track, and about six miles east of the
Michigamme river. It is situated on a beautiful knoll on the north forty of the
80-acres, and when completed will be second to none in point of convenience and
facilities for economical hand ling of logs and the converting of them into the
various descriptions of lumber. The boiler and engine house is a stone structure
30 x 40 ft. in size containing a battery of three boilers and a powerful engine.
The sawmill building proper, is 35 x 140 ft. in size and is claimed to be as
well and strongly framed as any in the u, [sic] p. The machinery now in
operation is one of Prescott's band saw mills of a capacity of from 45 to 50
thousand feet per day, and so arranged that a circular saw may be used when
desired. [sic] an edger and butting saw. A ten-block shingle ma chine and a
planer are also on the ground but not yet in operation, and a dry kiln will soon
be added. About 700 ft. of trestled tramway has been built and a spur track run
on the west side of the tramway, from the north end of the siding to the mill,
and the grading for another track on the east will soon be completed, this spur
track is about 1,800 ft. long. On the east side of the main line and almost
opposite the mill is a small creek with a number of swamps and small ponds to
feed it and this creek has been convented [sic] into a canal which passes under
the rail road to carry the logs into the pond and thus avoid the necessity for
crossing the track with loads of logs. The pond which has been made by building
a dam to hold the waters of the creek. [sic] has now a capacity of about 300,000
ft. and is full of logs, but later it will be so cleared out and the dam raised
as to hold a half million. The logs of which the Co. has already secured about
thirty millions of feet, will be brought as far as the canal above mentioned on
a tramroad, of which about a mile and a half will be finished during the present
month. The present working force at the mill and the camp is about 75 men, but
fully 100 will be employed during the winter, and it is the intention to run
the mill night and day. The working hours, at present, are from 6:30 to 11:30
and 12:30 to 5:30. Ten teams
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Book Page 74
of horses are used. Nearly all of the north forty will be used for mill purposes, and much of it has already been cleared, and cleaned up, to prevent fires. The build ings now around the mill are only temporary ones and will be replaced by others on the townsite which we shall speak of later. Two large force pumps are kept in readiness in case of fire, one in the mill and another in a building adjoining, the latter having an independent boiler. A fine well has been sunk near the present eating and sleeping quarters, and the water is carried in launders to the horse stables. At the time of our visit, 0. Burlingame, the county surveyor of Menominee county. [sic] was engaged in laying out a townsite on the south forty. Ten acres had been cleaned up on a beautiful hardwood ridge and it was the intention of the Company to build a store, a residence for the president of the Co., residences for the sawyer, filer and others of the mill men and a mill boarding house before winter sets in, and to sell lots to those who may wish to invest. The company as nearly as we can learn is com posed as follows: John 0'Callaghan, Pres.; P. Flanagan, vice-Pres.; W.S. Laing, Sec'y.; J.R. Wood[,] president of the 1st Nat. bank, of Iron Mountain. The Company formerly did business at Big. [sic] Wausaukee, Wis., and moved its base of operations to what will probably be known in [the] future as "Segola [sic]," last Fall. Mr. O'Callaghan looks after the mill and yard. Senator Laing has undertaken to hustle a few logs out of the woods, build the town, sell the lumber and pay the bills, and the chances are that his best girl will not have much of his company this winter. The Norway contingent, -- his honor the Judge -- will probably take no active part in the business except to consult with Mr. Wood as to the declaration of dividends. We can not close this rambling description without complimenting the cook. If last Friday's dinner was a fair sample of his ability he is a daisy kitchen mechanic.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Me nominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
29 [Thursday, October 10, 1889], page 1, column 3
CAN'T KILL A DRUNKEN MAN.
A Swede was staggering along the C. & N.W. railroad track last Saturday in
front of Blackney & Son's furniture store just as the noon passenger was
coming into the city. He paid no attention whatever to the repeated warnings of
the whistle, until finally the "cow-catcher" tossed him about thirty
feet from the track. He appeared to be a little surprised when he picked
himself up, but he was otherwise all right. In fact, the incident seemed to
remind him that it was time to take another drink, and he made ror [sic - for]
the nearest saloon to get it.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume V, Number 38 [Saturday,
October 19, 1889], page 1, column 3
--The location formerly known as Holmes Siding, about 20 miles above Iron Mountain on the line of the M. & N. Ry., has been named "Zagola [sic]," and a postoffice has been established. This is the property of the Laing Lumber Co., and a thriving village will probably be built up by the Co's operations.
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
31 [Thursday, October 24, 1889], page 5, column 3
LOST BOTH FEET.
Frank Hicks, seven year old son of Samuel Hicks, lost both feet yesterday after
noon on the tram road leading from C shaft, Chapin mine to the quarry. The cars
on this tram road are propelled by an endless wire rope running between the
tracks. Near the quarry there is a turn in the track, and the rope runs around a
horizontal shieve placed beneath the track. The little lad is supposed to have
been running
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Book Page 75
along behind a car that was returning to the quarry and stepped into the shieve box, where his legs were caught between the sieve and rope and cut completely off a little below the knee. The man in charge of the car heard the boy's cries and picked him up and carried him to the hospital where he received prompt surgical attention and is doing as well as could be expected. The officials and employes of the Chapin Mining Company have been very much annoyed by children playing on this track, and they have repeatedly warned of the danger of so doing. It has been the custom of boys and girls living in that vicinity to place a board on the rope and ride up and down the track, at the imminent peril of being caught and mangled on one of the numerous shieves and rollers over which the rope runs. We hope the children will take warning from this accident and in the future indulge in some less hazardous amusement.
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
33 [Thursday, November 6, 1889], page 1, column 4
LEG CRUSHED.
John Peterson, yard master at the M. & N. depot, while attempting to couple
some cars last evening about nine o'clock, stepped into a cattle guard and fell
and the cars passed over him, crushing his right leg so badly that it must be
amputated near the body. Peterson is a young man of industrious and' temperate
habits, who has been married a little over a year, and has the sympathy of his
fellow employes and associates in his misfortune.
...
KILLED BY THE CARS.
About 4:30 Tuesday afternoon, Pat English while crossing the railroad track at
the hotel crossing, Quinnesec, was struck by a [sic] ore train, and died about
two hours later. Tom McKenna was crossing the track at the same time and just
escaped by a hair's breath [sic], but as Pat was carrying two pails of water he
could not escape. The train was running at a high rate of speed, as the trains
generally do through this town, and we hope this terrible accident will have a
tendency to stop the practice.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
33 [Thursday, November 6, 1889], page 1, column 6
THROUGH SLEEPER TO MILWAUKEE.
The Chicago & Northwestern railway company is now running a through sleeping
car daily between Florence and Milwaukee. Passengers can procure accommodation
therein by applying to agent C. & N.W. railway at Iron Mountain.
E.P. WILSON,
Gen'l Pass'r Agent.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
34 [Thursday, November 24, 1889], page 5, column 2
ONE DAY'S MORTUARY RECORD.
John Peterson, the yard master who was so seriously injured in the M. & N.
depot yard last week Wednesday, died Thursday night. Funeral services were held
in the Brown street Swedish church last Sunday afternoon, attended by a large
number of railroad employes and other citizens of this city, who knew Mr.
Peterson to
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Book Page 76
be a man of excellent character, industrious habits and genial disposition. The
switch engine that had been the cause of his death, was tastefully draped in
mourning and the bell tolled as the funeral procession passed the depot. Mr.
Peter son leaves a young widow who is nearly distracted by her cruel
bereavement.
The same night, Mr. A.H. Mills, tank-master, for the C. & N.W. railroad
company at this place, also breathed his last after a brief illness from
paralysis, and his remains were also buried Sunday, the services being held at
the Central Methodist church. Mr. Mills was one of the oldest settlers of this
city, and a man respected by all who knew him. His aged wife and bereaved
children have the sympathy of the entire community.
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
34 [Thursday, November 14, 1889], page 5, column 3
EXCITEMENT AT A FUNERAL.
Last Sunday, as the large funeral procession following the remains of John
Peterson, the yard-master at the M. & N. depot who was killed last Thursday
[passed], George Corning's horse, driven by Andrew Nelson, became unmanagable on
Brown street and upset the buggy, throwing the occupants into the street. The
now thoroughly terrified animal dashed through the alley back of Stephenson
avenue, the buggy part of the time one side up and part of the time the other
side up, and turning into Ludington street at the post office the horse fell
opposite Schuldes' store. When the outfit came to a halt the horse was lying
partly on the sidewalk and partly in the gutter, and the buggy was bottom side
up. After all this rough usage one would naturally think that Mr. Corning would
need to buy a new buggy and possibly another horse, but after the horse was got
on his feet and the buggy righted, the only ap parent injury was slightly
damaged thills, that a few dollars will make as good as new.
MAY BE A BLUFF.
Ferdinand Schlesinger said to-day that possibly ten or fifteen miles of the
proposed railroad from Iron Mountain to Escanaba would be built this year, but
not more than that. The road is now surveyed from Escanaba to the Brule River,
and it is announced that it will be completed to Crystal Falls and Iron River
within thirty days. A contractor who has been up north looking the ground over,
does not think the road will be built at all. It stands to reason, he says, that
the Chicago & North-Western will do everything possible to prevent the
construction of a road that would take away a great portion of the traffic on
their Menominee Range branch. The Schlesinger syndicate is shipping, or was very
recently, about 6,000 tons of [ore] per day, and with a business of such
magnitude the syndicate can well enough afford to spend a few thousand dollars
in making a survey, if the North-Western is thereby induced to lower rates. --Wisconsin.
The Current , Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume V, Number 42 [Saturday,
November 16, 1889], page 1, column 1
--We learn that the Laing Lumber Co. of Sagola will erect a large dry kiln as soon as arrangements can be made with an eastern firm to do the work.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
35 [Thursday, November 21, 1889], page 5, column 3
MR. SCHLESINGER'S GENEROSITY.
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Book Page 77
Our readers will remember the unfortunate accident that befell Frankie Hicks, about a month ago, by which he lost both his feet. Being crippled in such a terrible manner his opportunities for gaining a livelihood when he has to depend upon himself for support will not of course be as varied as if he possessed sound limbs, and unless he is able to qualify himself for some employment which will call for mental rather than physical activity, his future presents a dreary prospect. His misfortune has excited much sympathy from the kindhearted people of our city, who will be glad to learn that Frankie is to be given an opportunity to make the most of his faculties. Supt. Cady presented his case to President Schlesinger, and the later [sic - latter] has sent word that he will not only provide a present need that was asked for but will bear the expense of his education. Thus the calamity that has befallen Frankie when he has nearly his whole life before him, is robbed of one of its most distressing features.
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
37 [Thursday, December 5, 1889], page 1, column 4
THE CHICAGO AND NORTH-WESTERN.
The people of this city are in no humor at present to find fault with the Chicago and Northwestern railroad company, and indeed they have no reason to be.
Whether they shall or not next season, in deference to the wishes of our worthy
mayor, fence in and sod that portion of their right of way lying between their
track and Stephenson avenue, thus forming several beautiful little parks along
the west side of that street, we must give them credit for having greatly
improved the appearance of Stephenson avenue in what they have done. Their
sightly and comfortable depot is of course the most prominent improvement made,
and has been put up with that care and taste that shows that the company
appreciates the growing importance of Iron Mountain. The removal of the water
tank to the Antoine switch has not only removed an unsightly object, but has
done away with the annoyance suffered so long, of having long trains block two
or more streets while the engineer stopped to take water. The street and
sidewalk approaches to the track have been well graded, and there seems to be
nothing left to be done in the way of improvement, except the ornamentation
suggested by Mayor Anderson. In running a Pullman sleeping car over the range
branch they afford the traveling public a comfort which will be appreciated by
those who have occasion to come here from the south, or to go south from this
range. A ride from this city to Milwaukee or Chicago over the Chicago and
Northwestern is now a pleasant journey in every respect.
The Menominee Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
39 [Thursday, December 19, 1889], page 1, column 4
SAGOLA.
Last Friday we visited that flourishing little city founded by Hon. W.S. Laing
and his associates, John O'Callaghan and P. Flanagan, known as Sagola. The train
was late, and when we stepped off at the station it was past the dinner hour,
and with sharpened appetite we made our way as quickly as possible to the
boarding house, where we found the cook and his assistants busy cleaning up the
remains of a dinner which had been served to about 100 persons. About the first
man we met was our old friend Charlie Butler, yard foreman at the mill, and he
bespoke the good graces of the cook in our behalf, and we were soon surrounding
what is known as a good square meal. Without any desire to flatter we can
truthfully say that it was the best meal we ever sat down to in a mill boarding
house, and was way ahead of a good many meals we have sat down to in so-called
first-class hotels. With the accompaniment of silver ware [sic], napkins and
wooden tooth picks [sic], it would
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Book Page 78
have done credit to the finest hotel in the land. Having eaten enough to satisfy
four ordinary men, we started out to hunt up Mr. Laing himself, and we found he
was a good deal like the Irishman's flea -- when we had our hand on him he
wasn't there. We corralled him at last in the new store building just being
completed near the depot -- a large, well built, two-story structure, which is
to be filled with merchandise of every description that is needed to supply the
various wants of Sagola people. We spent the afternoon walking through the
extensive yards and mill of the Laing Lumber Company. The lumber produced by
this industry is of the finest grade, and as far as our observation went their
poorest grade will double discount the majority of the material that has gone
into Iron Mountain buildings in years past. This mill appears to be crowded to
its utmost capacity with orders for its product, as it certainly deserves to be
from the quality of lumber produced, if for no other reason. The mill is now
sawing from 30,000 to 35,000 feet of lumber per day and 100,000 shingles, but
when everything is got down to working order, will have a capacity of nearly
twice that much. One of the accessories to this end is a new four-foot smoke
stack, 100 feet high, which is now being set up, the present one -- a
three—foot stack -- having been found to afford insufficient draft to make the
required amount of steam. The mill is compelete in every respect, with both
band and circular saws, with steam feed, shingle machines, lath mills, edgers,
etc., and it is a sight worth seeing to stand in one end of the mill and see the
great logs come up the incline as fast as the carrier can be hauled in, unloaded
and returned for another load, and to watch the log go through the mill almost
as fast as a man can walk, and in its course be transformed into boards, plank
and timber of various dimensions, loaded upon lumber carts and pushed down the
long dock to be piled in the yard. There are now about 100 men working in and
about the mill, and they have to hustle to keep out of the way. The foundation
for a planing mill was being laid while we were there, and this mill will
probably be in operation next week.
Sagola, with its present industries, will become a prosperous village of 1000 to
1500 inhabitants, and there is [sic] excellent prospects of other industries
being added in the near future. Dry kilns will be put in by the Laing Lumber Company probably next summer, and the large amount of hard wood in that
neighborhood naturally suggests a chair factory or some such industry to utilize
this source of wealth. The extension of the M. & N. railroad from Sagola to
its Ontonagon and Brule River branch will make Crystal Falls and Iron River
assessible as markets for lumber, and as Sagola is surrounded by an excellent
farming country, it is not unreasonable to think that in a few years it will
become the trade center of a prosperous farming population. A splendid opening
is also presented for a good hotel, and we shall be surprised if some
enterprising hotel man does not fill this want before next summer closes. We
were informed by one of the firm that a news paper had been talked of, to be
edited by our honorable ex-senator and Mr. Flana gan, but so far they have been
unable to agree upon the political status of the publication, so for the present
that matter is held in abeyance.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
40 [Thursday, December 26, 1889], page 1, column 2
THE C. & N.W. DEPOT.
The new C. & N.W. depot was opened to the public last Sunday, and now that
it is entirely complete, its beauty, neatness and convenience makes it all the
more striking in comparison with the dingy old shanty that has served as a depot
so long. The old depot is being remodeled and fitted up into a convenient and
commodious freight house. The office will be in the south end of the building,
where a hardwood floor is being laid, and where such counters, desks, etc., will
be placed as may be required for the ready dispatch of business.
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Book Page 79
C. & N. W. DEPOT—IRON MOUNTAIN.
Original engraving from The Menominee Iron Range: Its Cities, Their Industries and Resources by Walter R. Nursey, Milwaukee: Swain & Tate Co., Printers, 1891, page 87 [enlarged]
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
42 [Thursday, January 9, 1890], page 1, columns 2-3
RAILROAD NOTES.
The Schlesinger syndicate, or Escanaba, Iron Mountain & Western railway
serveyors [sic], are camped at the lower Paint river bridge and are busily
engaged running lines. Several preliminaries have been run on both sides of the
river, al most parallel with the C. & N.W. track[.] The engineers have very
little to say regarding the work, but it looks as though they meant to have the
survey completed and men at work on the line before long.
Chicago & North-Western surveyors are camped near the Armenia mine and are
as busy as beavers. From the work being done, it would not surprise anyone if
the Armenia spur would be continued to the Hollister and on to the Mansfield
mine. A preliminary bears in the direction indicated.
The Milwaukee & Northern Railway Co. is also in the swim and has a gang of
surveyors at work east and north of this city. They will branch off the main
line, it is so stated, about opposite the Mansfield mine, and run their line
into that section and on to this city.
All indications seem to be that the railroad companies mentioned, will commence
building in the early spring, with a view of catching some of the immense ore
traffic sure to be offered here in the future. With all its mines and the
prospects of two more railroads, the outlook for Crystal Falls certainly never
was better than today. --Drill. [The Diamond Drill, Crystal Falls, Iron
County, Michigan]
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Book Page 80
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
43 [Thursday, January 16, 1890], page 1, column 2
BELATED TRAINS.
A heavy snow storm prevailed in this
section last Sunday, following Sunday night by a brisk gale, which made
railroading a difficult undertaking Monday. All trains were from one to three
hours late.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Me nominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
46 [Thursday, February 6, 1890], page 1, column 3
ENTIRE VILLAGE DESTROYED.
The startling intelligence was
received in this city last Monday morning that the entire village of Stager, the
junction of the branches of the C. & N.W. rail road to Watersmeet and
Crystal Falls, respectively, had been destroyed by fire. The origin of the
conflagration is not known, but when discovered it had gained such fearful
headway that the fire department was powerless to combat it, and the inhabitants
fled for their lives. In one short hour the entire village was a mass of ruins.
The total number of buildings destroyed was one -- the C. & N.W. depot. We
understand it will be rebuilt.
The Current, Norway, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume VI, Number 2 [Saturday,
February 15, 1890], page 1, column
--It is generally understood that the M. & N. Ry. will build a connecting link between Sagola (formerly Holmes Siding) twenty miles north of Iron Mountain, and Sidnaw. This will give a direct route to Ontonagon.
The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number
48 February 2O, 1890], page 1, columns 4-5
GOOD RAILROAD NEWS.
We are glad to be able to announce
that the Milwaukee & Northern have decided to build the remaining
connection, to make a through line, between Sidnaw and Iron Mountain. The survey
has been completed and as soon as the profiles and estimates can be completed
contractors will be asked to bid for the work. The McIntosh Bros., who were the
contractors for the last work, have already been up over the line and are ready
to put in their bids as soon as the profiles are finished for the north end of
the survey, and should they be the successful bidders, they will put on a force
at each end and push the work to completion this season. The length of the road
will be about 62 miles, and will be from Sidnaw to Sagola, a station on their
line about 12 miles northwest of Iron Mountain. We are now in hopes that before
the end of the year we shall have direct and daily trains between Ontonagon and
Chicago and Milwaukee. The next move of the company will be to turn their
attention to building along the great mineral range in this county to Houghton,
and the survey will be undertaken shortly. It will start from a point between
Greenland and Poristation, and proceed along the mineral range in this county
and Houghton to some point on Portage Lake. The building of this piece of road
will become an absolute necessity as soon as their main line is finished, and
will give the Milwaukee & Northern the key and control of the trade of the
copper district, and from a very direct line. Already the trade of the two
counties is largely with Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Paul, and the farming
districts of Wisconsin and Minnesota send a large portion of their products to
our district. The building of the line to Hough-
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ton will be a blessing to the people of that county, as it will open up competition in transportation facilities and give them much cheaper rates for their products. For the same reason it will be of great benefit to this county, as the company could not charge the mining companies more than they would at Houghton. The signs certainly begin to look auspicious for not only Ontonagon but the entire copper district, as cheapening the facilities for producing copper will ensure a cheap price for the metal, hence an in creased demand and more mines required to pro duce it. --Ontonagon Miner. The Menominee Range Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XI, Number 51 [Thurs day, March 20, 18901, page 1, column 2 WRECK ON THE C. & N.W. As the evening passenger train on the C. & N.W. going west was pulling out of this city last Monday evening, it collided with a flat car near the Y that had not been switched far enough on to the siding to permit the passenger to pass. The flat car, as well as the locomotive and mail car of the passenger train, was considerably damaged, but fortunately no one was injured. The train was delayed until about 9 o'clock. DON'T LIKE IT. The change of time that went into effect on the M. & N. last Tuesday is not likely to be popular here whatever may be thought of it else— where. The mail heretofore received at 10:20 is now received at 2:05 p.m. Heretofore business men could get their mail about noon time, and it breaks up the day less than to go for mail in the middle or (sic - of] the afternoon. If the train arriving at 7 a.m. brought the mail it would be all right, but as it is, it is a poor change. |
With the passage of the bill creating Dickinson County, Michigan, out of the counties of Menominee, Iron and Marquette, The Menominee Range, Iron Mountain's newspaper, also changed its name, becoming The Iron Range. Governor Edwin B. Winans signed Bill No. 89, creating Michigan's eighty-third county, on Thursday, May 21, 1891, and that same day the newspaper's name was changed. Dickinson County began operating as a political entity on October 1, 1891. The railroad time tables above and on the next page bear the same date, but the heading denotes the newspaper's new name.
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Book Page 82
 |
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 24 [Thursday, June 25, 1891], page 5, column 3
THE
E., I.M. & W. ROAD TO BE COMPLETED.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 16 F Thursday, July 9,18911, page 1, column 5
N. LAWRENCE and son attempted to steal a ride on the H. & N. freight going north early Tuesday morning, and were unceremoniously bounced by Conductor Allen and his train men. The son gathered together a crowd of tough associates and went to the depot about 10 in the evening, when Conductor Allen's train returns, and attempted to start a row but the "kids" proved to be nothing more than a lot of the loud mouthed, saucy, cowardly sort and backed off when one of the train men bristled up to them. They were armed, however, and had a row started would very likely have done some mischief. They should be fined first for carrying concealed weapons and then soundly spanked. A police man in that neighborhood would not have been out of place.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 17 [Thursday, July 16,1891), page 1, column 4
BUFFET sleeping cars will be run on the M. & N |
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Book Page 83
railroad
beginning next Monday. This will prove another convenience to the traveling
public, with whom this road is already so popular. Travelers starting out in the
evening or early in the morning can secure a light lunch before retiring.
...
ON Saturday last a twelve-year-old
son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Cleutier was almost instantly killed by an accident
which befell him on the road near "B" shaft house at the Chapin. It
seems that a team of horses was drawing a couple of tram cars, one of them being
fastened behind the other. Near B shaft the road is raised several feet in order
to pass over a tramway and while going over this elevation the boy, who was
sitting on the second car, lost his balance and fell between the two. The team
was walking at a rapid pace and as the driver was not aware that the boy had
fallen he drove along and two of the car wheels ran between the boy's legs and
upon his body, along the spine and over his head. The result was that the body
was terribly mangled and the skull crushed. A physician was called at once but
nothing could be done to save the boy's life and he died within a few moments
after the accident occurred.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 19
[Thursday, July 30, 1891], page 8, column I
ABE RICHARDS and Bernhard Reynolds, two boys of thirteen years of age, loosened the brakes on a lot of empty ore cars on the M. & N. side track north of Fleshiem street last Tuesday evening, and let them run down against a dwelling that stands at the end of the track, doing several hundred dollars worth of damage to the house and ore cars. A.B. BeDell, state agent of charities and reforms, took Richards to the reform school this morning, where it is hoped in the next three years he will learn better manners. Reynolds has not yet been sentenced.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 20
[Thursday, August 6, 1891], page 1, column 5
ROBERT BRENNAN, a brakeman on the M. & N., was killed at Sagola yesterday.
His relatives reside in the lower part of the state.
...
HOOSE & GAGE have the contract
for breaking the ground on which will be located the new round house at the Y
and they are now at work on the job. Material for the house is arriving and the
work on the structure will be commenced very soon.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 26
[Thursday, September 17, 1891], page 1, column 2
THE turn-table to be used for the round house at Antoine arrived last week and will be placed in position very soon now as the work is progressing rapidly.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 27
[Thursday, September 24, 1891], page 1, column 5
THE C. & N.W. round house at Antoine is assuming large proportions and will
be inclosed this week. The house will contain four stalls and is so arranged
that its capaciry [sic - capacity] may be increased at any time. The turn table
is in place and all other work is progressing very satisfactorily.
...
PROBABLY the largest number of loaded
cars drawn by one switch engine was on Tuesday morning when the M. & N.
switch engine No. 1 brought fifty-three loaded cars from the Hamilton and
Ludington mines. The weight of the load was something over 1166 tons and the
engine pulled the train without much difficulty.
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Book Page 84
The Map of the Chicago & North—Western Railway System [detail, enlarged]
below appeared in The City of Escanaba, Michigan, U.S.A.: "The Iron Port
of the World" by Walter R. Nursey, Escanaba, Michigan: Lew A. Gates,
1890]
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Book Page 85
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Menominee County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number
27[Thursday, September 24, 1891], page 1, column 6
FEW people have any idea of the amount of responsibility that rests upon the C. & N.W. train dispatchers at Antoine. Our reporter visited their office on Saturday and was given an insight into the duties they are called upon to perform. In this office are three operators, S.J. Spargo, Will Rothman and W.H. Kipp, who work eight hours each, and they are required to handle every train on the road and can ascertain at any time where each train is. The conductors of freight and passenger trains are required to register at each station they pass and when they leave a station the time is at once reported to the train dispatchers at Antoine and these men must arrange meeting points on the road for trains running in opposite directions. Should they happen to make a slight mistake in their instructions to train men serious collisions are liable to occur and to prevent mistakes their minds must be constantly on their work. A.C. Harteau is also a train dispatcher at Antoine and has charge of the wires going to the office at Escanaba. When only the regular trains are running these dispatchers have what they term a comparatively easy time, but when a number of special trains are on the road they sometimes have to remain at their post during the eight hours, which constitutes a day's work. On Saturday Mr. Spargo related an instance when he was compelled to remain at his post and work incessantly without getting out of the chair until his eight hours had expired. This causes a great strain on the nerves and a train dispatcher must of necessity be of sound bodily health.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 29
[Thursday, October 8, 1891], page 1, column 2
A BRAKEMAN named Frank Dumas was killed near Pulp siding on the C. & N.W. roil- road [sic], about five miles west of this city last Monday. He was working on ore train No. 124, and the engine and seven ore cars were thrown from the track at the siding by a broken switch, and the unfortunate man was caught between the cars and crushed to death.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 29
[Thursday, October 8, 1891], page 1, column 4
MOVE THE FREIGHT DEPOT.
One of the annoyances in this city
which is growing to be an insufferable nuisance, is the continual blocking of
Ludington and Hughitt streets by the switching done at the C. & N.W. depot.
These streets are becoming important business thoroughfares, and the
interruption of travel occasioned by the switching of cars and making up of
freight trains, seriously hinders the transaction of business on these streets
and works a constant injury to the owners of property. Ludington street is
rapidly being built up with business houses. It is the natural outlet for the
overflow of business from Stephenson avenue. The time will soon come when
business men [sic] must go west of the tracks to find a location to do business
and as the travel across the track is thus increased the danger to human life
will also be greatly increased. The freight depot should be moved, either up or
down the track, away from the business center of the city. If the freight depot
we [sic- were] located near the Standard Oil Company's tanks, it would be out of
the way and still be near enough not to entail much inconvenience in the matter
of drayage. The objection that will be raised by the company doubtless will be
that the business of the two depots cannot be conducted quite so cheaply if they
are separated as at present, but THE RANGE holds that public convenience and
welfare and the safety of human life are matters that should not be outweighed
by any such consi-
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Book Page 86
derations. If arrangements could be made to make up the ore trains at some other point and locate the freight depot opposite the Chapin shops, which is doubtful, that would perhaps be better, but it is time that the railroad company should take this matter into consideration and settle upon some point that will be mutually advantageous and remove this source of constant annoyance and menace to human life. Several business houses are now being built on Ludington street, and we hear of others that are soon to follow, and if the railroad company takes the proper view of this matter, their freight house will be removed before the close of another year.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 37
[Thursday, December 3, 1891], page 1, column 3
A CHANGE of time took effect on the M. & N. road last Sunday. Trains 3 and 4 do not run north of Iron Mountain. No. 4 leaves this city at 10 a.m. instead of 11:30 a.m. No. 3 arrives at 4:10 p.m. instead of 2:40. No. 5 leaves at 6:45 a.m. instead of 6:35 a.m., and No. 6 leaves at 6:40 p.m. instead of 7:35 p.m. By this change the connection at Champion with the D.S.S. & A. that was made by No. 3 arriving there at 4:45 p.m., and No. 4 leaving there at 9:35 a.m., is broken, and the change of time on the M. & N. was occasioned by a change in the time card of the D.S.S. & A., which made this connection impossible. The M. & N., had become the popular route of travel from the copper country south, and the road will consequently lose considerab[le] traffic we think by the change. The D.S.S. & A. train goes north now in the morning and returns in the afternoon instead of vice versa as heretofore
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 37
[Thursday, December 3, 1891], page 1, column 4
THE work on the Quinnesec Logging Company's new railroad is progressing rapidly -- five miles having been already graded. Nothing definite has yet been done to secure the extension of the line to this city. To do so will cost $12,000 to build a bridge across the Menominee and the balance of the road will cost about the same as to grade a road to a junction with the M. & N. on the other side of the river. As we understand it, while it would be some advantage to the company to run their line to this city and establish their headquarters here, the inducement is not sufficient for them to stand the entire $12,000 extra expense and they want some assistance in building the bridge. The advantage to Iron Mountain to have the line ex tended to this city is apparent. It is worth something to have the headquarters of the company established here. It will bring us into closer connection with the growing farming community on the other side of the river —- giving them additional facilities for getting their wood and other produce to this market, and for getting their supplies from here. It seems to us it is worth the while of the business men [sic] of Iron Mountain to give this matter some attention.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 39
[Thursday, December 17, 1891], page 4, column 1
GEO. SLEICH, the owner of the hotel at Ellis Junction, is building a hotel at Sagola, in anticipation, it is reported, of the extension next summer, of the line from Metropolitan to Sidnaw. Probably also some of the M. & N. trains will stop there for meals.
...
ANOTHER CHANGE IN TIME ON THE M. & N.
Next Sunday another change of time
goes into effect on the M. & N. by which they will return to nearly the same
time they run on all summer. Passenger train
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Book Page 87
No. 3 will leave Milwaukee at 7:30 p.m., arriving in Champion at 5:10 p.m. No. 4 will leave Champion at 9:35 a.m. and arrived in Milwaukee at 7 p.m., thus resuming the through service to Champion.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 42
[Thursday, January 7, 1892], page 1, column 2
THE locomotive Win. Allen, belonging to the Quinnesec Logging Company, was brought here from Republic over the M. & N. last Monday. In getting it from the woods to the station it fell through a bridge and some repairs will be made here before it is taken over to the company's new road across the river. The main part of the locomotive now stands on a pair of heavy bobs and will be hauled over to Wisconsin by horses.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 44
[Thursday, January 21, 1892], page 4, column 2
THE Quinnesec Logging Company's railroad, on the other side of the Menominee river, is nearly ready for business. The rails are now being laid and the road will be in operation by the first of February. By the way, is any move going to be made to induce the company to extend its line to this city? This is a matter worthy of the consideration of the Iron Mountain Business Men's Association.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 45
[Thursday, January 28, 1892], page 1, column 2
THE Quinnesec Logging Company has four miles of track laid and will be hauling logs by the 15th of February. They have been delayed in track laying by re pairs required to their locomotive, but these repairs were received last Saturday and the engine is now in working order.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIII, Number 45
[Thursday, January 28, 1892], page 1, column 3
THE locomotives in the M. & N. railroad yard gave an alarm of fire last Fri day evening about 6:30 o'clock, which was caused by a big blaze in an old box car used for storing oil and other company supplies. The car was standing close up to the north end of the coal sheds, and the possible damage that might have resulted but for the prompt work of the fire department is no small item. As it was, however, the loss is some damage to an old box car. One or two of the hydrants in that vicinity were frozen up and could not be used, and the fire department was caused some delay in getting water. The incident should be remembered when the council come [sic] to consider the granting of a franchise to the water works company, and if possible provisions should be inserted that will compel the company to have all their hydrants in perfect working order at all times.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 3
[Thursday, April 7, 1892], page 1, column 5
THE Quinnesec Logging Company has received another locomotive which is being taken across the river to their railroad in Wisconsin. The locomotive, minus tracks and pilot, weighs 16 tons, and considering the condition of the road is a good load for 6 horses.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 6
[Thursday, April 28, 1892], page 1, column 3
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Book Page 88
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MAIL
weighing on the Menominee river branch of the C. & N.W.R.R. was
completed on Tuesday. During the thirty-five days the following amounts of
mail were handled on the different routes named:
The
Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County,
WORK will be commenced very soon on the extension of the M. & N. road to Sidnaw to connect with their present line to Ontonagon. The branch will start from a junction on section 16, 42-30, in Sagola, and run to Amasa and thence to Sidnaw, and it is expected to have the new road in operation before snow flies.
The I Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 12 [Thursday, June 9, 1892], page 1, column 4
UNDER THE WHEELS.
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Book Page 89
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 13
[Thursday, June 16, 1892], page 1, column 5
JAMES Crowe, marshal of Sagola township, got on a tear last Sunday and started in to run the town to suit himself. He flourished a revolver, threatened and terrified citizens and behaved himself in a very unseemly manner for a man whose duty it is to see that other men conduct themselves properly. He is endeavoring to explain his conduct in Justice Bergeron's s court today.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 15
[Thursday, June 30, 1892], page 1, column 3
THE telegraph line of the C. & N.W.R.R. company is being rebuilt from Powers
to Florence.
...
JOS. DETORRE, an Italian working on
the gravel train of the C. & N.W., was caught by the falling bank last
Tuesday and pinned against the side of the car. His leg was broken and he
received several bruises, but will recover in a few weeks. He is being cared for
at the St. George hospital.
...
ONE of the switch engines on the M.
& N. railroad is equipped with the most outrageous whistle that ever
tortured the human ear, and the engineer in charge seems to delight in giving
vicious blasts with it every time he goes through the city. Ample warning to
pedestrians of the approach of a locomotive is all right, but we can see no
necessity for a screech that can be heard a mile away to warn people a block
distant. It is no small annoyance to people living along the line of the M.
& N. or walking the streets to have this locomotive go screeching through
the city a dozen times a day. Can't that engineer pull the whistle valve easy?
If not, for pity's sake give him another whistle to play with.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 15
[Thursday, June 30, 1892], page 1, column 4
BRAKEMAN KILLED BY THE CARS.
Paul Lavoi, a brakeman, was instantly
killed in a collision in Norway last Sun day. The yard crew were taking an
engine to the coal dock on the side track for coal, the crew being ordered to
take a special train to Iron Mountain. When near the main track it collided with
two freight cars. Lavoi was on the foot board of the yard engine and the bumpers
caught him cutting him in two.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 19
[Thursday, July 28, 1892], page 1, column 3
SHOT A BEAR.
While J. Park [sic - Parke] Channing
and Geo. O'Neil were seated outside their camp at Fort [sic - Ford] Siding (a
small station between Republic and Iron Mountain where they are exploring)
Sunday evening a black bear passed along in front of them. Both men quickly
picked up their rifles and shot at the animal, lodging two charges each in the
body of the bear. Mr. O'Neil brought the carcass to town, had it dressed, and
distributed bear steak among his friends. The bear weighed about 125 pounds when
dressed. --Iron Ore. [NOTE: Ford Siding became Channing, named for J. Parke
Channing.]
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 20
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Book Page 90
[Thursday, August 4, 1892], page 1, column 3
TELESPHORE ROUSSEAU, a section hand on the M. & N. railroad, was run
over by a freight train last Thursday and killed. He was intoxicated.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 20
[Thursday, August 4, 1892], page 1, column 5
WRECKED ORE TRAIN.
Yesterday afternoon about half past
five o'clock a bad wreck occurred in front of the Chapin mine office. Engineer
Joseph Cox was taking a heavily loaded ore train down the steep grade from the
ore pockets, and when he reached a point opposite the superintendent's house the
rails spread and the engine left the track. The engine was turned over and
thrown to the north side of the track bottom up, while the tender was tumbled
down a small embankment on the south side of the track. The engine and several
of the ore cars are a complete wreck. Engineer Cox attempted to save himself by
jumping, and that he was not instantly killed seems a miracle. He was found
under the tender, which had to be pried up by an old rail before he could be
released. His injuries are reported to be several broken ribs and a dislocated
shoulder, and his complete recovery is looked for. The firemen jumped to the
right and escaped without injury.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 25
[Thursday, September 8, 1892], page 1, column 3
C.E. RUPRECHT & Co. will erect a shingle mill at Merryman's Siding, above Iron Mountain, with a capacity of 100,000 shingles a day.
The Iron Range. Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 26
[Thursday, September 25, 1892], page 1, column 3
FATALITIES.
A workman on the M. & N. gravel
train was killed just above this city last Tues day morning. His name was Frank
Smokel. He attempted to jump from one train to another while the train was in
motion and fell between the cars and was so badly injured that he died in a few
hours. An inquest was held by Justice Miller Tuesday, resulting in a verdict of
accidental death, and exonerating the railroad company from blame.
Otto Hojer received injuries from the
falling of ground at the Pewabic last Saturday that resulted in his death in a
few hours.
Frank Ortland got squeezed between
two cars at the Chapin mine last Friday, receiving injuries from which he died
the next day. At the time of this writing the inquests on the last two cases,
which were to be held by Justice Miller, had not been had.
The Iron Range, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 27
[Thursday, September 22, 1892], page 1, column 2
A CHANGE on the Milwaukee & Northern Railway went into effect Sunday, by which Train 5, which formerly arrived here at 6:35 a.m. now arrives at 6:25 a.m., and leaves at 6:45 a.m., ten minutes earlier. Train 4, goes south at 11:15 a.m., as heretofore. Train 3, formerly arriving at 3:35 p.m., now arrives at 2:55 p.m., forty minutes earlier; Train 6, formerly due here at 6:15 p.m., now arrives at 7:15 p.m., and leaves at 7:40, just one hour later than formerly.
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Book Page 91
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number
27[Thursday, September 22, 1892], page 1, column 4
CUTTING AFFRAY.
JOHN SAMPSON and J.J. Whitman, two
section men in the employ of the M. & N. R.R., north of this city, engaged
in a quarrel on the south bound train Monday evening, in which Sampson used a
knife pretty freely on Whitman. Chief Catlin arrested Sampson at this station,
and sent Whitman to the hospital. At a preliminary hearing, befor[e] Justice
Bergeron on Tuesday, Sampson waived examination and was bound over to the
circuit court. He was taken to the Menominee jail yesterday.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 28
[Thursday, September 29, 1892], page 1, column 5
AN UNCAGED SCOUNDREL.
An unsuccessful attempt was made to
wreck the evening passenger train on the C. & N.W.R.R. last Tuesday evening
at the D street crossing. A resident in that neighborhood in passing on his way
home noticed a quantity of cord wood piled on the track and sticks wedged in
between the planks and rails for the purpose of raising the flange of the wheel
above the rail. The track curves at this point and had not the obstruction been
discovered and removed the train would certainly have been ditched. The
discovery was made about fifteen minutes before the arrival of the train. The
perpetrators of this dastardly deed are murderers in heart and de serve the
severest punishment.
The Iron Range , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 31
[Thursday, October 20, 1892], page 1, column 5
SHOCKING ACCIDENT.
Yesterday afternoon, about four
o'clock, the little five year old son of Louis Little, residence 207 west [sic]
B street, near the M. & N. track, was run over by an ore train and both legs
cut off, one above and the other below the knee. The little fellow had for weeks
persisted in playing about the cars, though he had repeatedly been driven away
by the yard men, and Mr. Melis, whose mill is along side the track. At the time
of the accident he was attempting to get on to a moving ore car and fell under
the wheels. Dr. Crowell was summoned as soon as possible, and the boy was
removed to the St. George hospital where one leg was amputated near the body and
the other at the knee. He is doing as well as could be expected at this writing.
This terrible warning should teach parents who live near the rail road tracks to
use every possible diligence to keep their children away from the cars.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 33
[Thursday, November 3, 1892], page 1, column 5
A BOTTOMLESS PIT.
The work of track-laying on the
Ontonagon extension of the Milwaukee & Northern railroad has come to a
standstill until what appears to be a bottomless pit has been filled. The
sink-hole is thirteen miles west of Channing, and some fifty thou sand yards of
earth have been dumped into it, but with no encouraging results, as the bottom
is still "out of sight."
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Book Page 92
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 33
[Thursday, November 3, 1892], page 8, column 3
Ruprecht's new shingle mill at Merryman Siding has commenced operations. It will employ about fifteen men, and has an immense supply of timber.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 34
[Thursday, November 10, 1892], page 8, column 4
BRAKEMAN KILLED.
Last Saturday morning a Milwaukee
& Northern brakeman named Hubbard was killed while coupling cars at Pembine
station. Hubbard was running backwards, his foot caught in a "frog,"
and he was thrown under the train. He was horribly mangled, nearly every bone in
his body being crushed. The deceased was a married man and resided at Green Bay.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 34
[Thursday, November 10, 1892], page 8, column 4
THAT SINK HOLE.
After dumping nearly 40,000 yards of
earth into the sink hole on the northern extension of the Milwaukee &
Northern, near Channing, bottom was finally located. It will take ten or fifteen
days yet to finish filling so that track-laying may proceed. In the meantime the
crews were transferred to the Sidnaw end of the road, and rails are being laid
at the rate of a mile a day.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 35
[Thursday, November 17, 1892], page 8, column 2
The contractors have finally succeeded in filling in the sink-hole near Channing, on the northern extension of the Milwaukee & Northern, and track-laying will be resumed next Monday.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 35
[Thursday, November 17, 1892], page 8, column 5
NEARING COMPLETION.
The connecting link between the
Milwaukee & Northern and the Ontonagon branch will be completed about
December 1. Channing is the name that has been given to the junction point near
Iron Mountain, formerly known as Ford Siding, and something of a town will
doubtless spring up there. By January 1 through trains will probably be run from
Milwaukee to Ontonagon over this extension, instead of going around by way of
the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, over which the Ontonagon trains now run
between Chompion [sic - Champion] and Sidnaw.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 36
[Thursday, November 24, 1892], page 1, column 3
NEW REGION OPENED.
Extension of the M. & N. from Channing to Sidnaw.
A representative of the Florence
Mining News returned this week from a trip
*********
Book Page 93
along the new extension of the Milwaukee & Northern railroad, from Channing on a point between Iron Mountain and Republic to Sidnaw where the Northern crosses the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, on its way to Ontonagon. The rails are about half laid on the new extension and the work of laying is being pushed, with the idea of finishing by Christmas. At the south end a bad sink hole has interfered materially with progress and while that was being filled, a work train, under Conductor Allen, of Iron Mountain, was put on from Sidnaw south, where four miles of rails have been laid. The extension of the Northern will accomplish many objects of material benefit to the company and to the section it traverses. It will open a region rich in pine, cedar and hardwood, of which the evidence is ocular and indisputable. Also it intersects and follows two well defined magnetic belts, where both the dipping needle and outcrops indicate a promising field for those who may be tempted to exploit for iron ore. At Carl Vaughn's homestead in section 31, 47-34, Michigan, the writer was shown specimens from an outcrop of specular hematite less than a mile from the line of the new track. The outcrop is not clean, but it is a good sign board and the prediction that ore will be found near is not without foundation. The ore belt is well defined and as soon as it can be at all conveniently reach[ed] with supplies no end of exploration will be undertaken. The fact that what ore may be found will more than likely be a Bessemer will be a more incentive [sic] to search.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 36
[Thursday, November 24, 1892], page 1, column 4
LOG AND LUMBER LACONICS.
----
The Quinnesec Company Received a New Baldwin Locomotive.
The logging industry of the Menominee
River will be represented at the Chicago World's Fair, by the Hubbard Saw and
Tool company, Marinette. They will, upon a miniature scale, still quite an
extensive one, represent the different stages of logging from the camps to the
log drive. It will be an exceedingly novel and attractive exhibit, and will give
many people an insight into the mysteries of logging that they have never
realized.
The new Baldwin locomotive, which the
Quinnesec company ordered some time ago, has arrived here, and will be taken out
on sleighs to the railroad. The tender was taken out last Friday. Mr. Brown
states that with this engine [he] hopes to be able to land 150,000 feet of logs
daily.
The Menominee River Boom company shut
down last Monday having sorted 565 million feet of logs this season. All the
mills on the river will close in a few days. The rear of the log drive froze up
in the river about ten miles from the mouth.
The K.C. [Kimberly-Clark] company are
reported to have cut a tree in one of their camps from which they made seven
logs that scaled 8,083 feet.
The Quinnesec company has three
hundred men in their main camp. This is undoubtedly the largest cam in the upper
peninsula.
The Sagola Lumber company's mill has
shut down for the season. This concern is operating two logging camps.
Edw. Parmenter is operating three
camps this winter and expects to bank about 6,000,000 feet.
A Canadian concern is getting out
square timber in the vicinity of Floodwood.
The Ra e-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 39
Thursday, December 15, 1892], page 8, column 6
PARMENTER'S MILL.
*********
Book Page 94
----
The Enterprising Proprietor Arranging for a Number of Improvements.
The winter season is not the most
favorable time to visit a saw mill, but one can see some things of interest
about Ed. L. Parmenter's mill at Sturgeon river, even when it is idle. He can at
least see a well appointed mill and can readily believe that in the summer
season it is a hive of industry that is pleasing to look upon. During the winter
Mr. Parmenter, besides working his lumber camps, will make some needed
improvements about his mill and dam preparatory to a big season's work next
year. Two large steel boilers will be added to supply power for the steam feed
and other appliances that are to be operated by this means. He will also build
fifteen or twenty dwelling houses for his employes, and next spring Sturgeon
will be quite a beautiful and prosperous looking village. The mill yard is well
stocked with the various grades and forms of lumber made in the mill, and
evidently Mr. P.'s numerous customers don't propose to let him keep it there to
rot, for it is being sent away to fill the demands made upon him. The product of
the mill, to our more or less critical judgment, is first class in quality, and
certainly finds ready sale. About 100 men are now employed by Mr. Parmenter in
his lumber camps and about the mill premises -- all but 12 or 15 being employed
in the woods. The real estate owned by Mr. Parmenter about the mill comprises
250 acres, which gives ample room for storing the product of the mill and for
the village that is to be erected across the railroad track.
The Trange-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 42
[Thursday, January 5, 1893], page 1, column 4
SCHLESINGER ROAD.
----
An Ishpeming Paper Says the Soo Road Will Operate the Same.
It is also said in connection with
the Soo railroad movement that the company will operate the Schlesinger
syndicate road in conjunction with its own and that, while it has been denied
that the Chicago & Northwestern has been asked by Mr. Schlesinger to
relinquish the road, it still remains a fact that such demand has been made and
that the Soo will soon be operating the line. According to the arrangement made
between the Schlesinger syndicate and the Northwestern, the former may se cure
the road upon certain conditions made plain in the provisions of the contract
between the two interests. If there is anything in the above, then the Soo line
is after the ore business of the district in a very substantial way. --Ishpeming
Iron Ore.
----
ONE MILLION TONS.
With the addition of the Aragon mine,
at Norway, the Schlesinger syndicate now controls in the neighborhood of one
million tons of Menominee range ores and it is whispered that they will not long
be a patron of the Chicago & Northwestern rail road but will transport their
ore to Escanaba over a road of their own. One thing is certain; that is, if they
start the building of a road they will continue to a finish. The rail rate of
seventy-five cents on 1,000,000 tons of ore would be a neat earning for a road,
if they did no other business. --Diamond Drill.
----
TRAINS TO ONTONAGON.
The new cut-off between Channing and
Sidnaw, on the Milwaukee & Northern rail road, was opened last Sunday for
freight and passenger traffic and trains will run as follows: Leave Channing at
8 a.m., daily, and 10 p.m. daily except Sunday, ar-
*********
Book Page 95
riving at Ontonagon at 4 p.m. and 7 a.m. Leaving the latter place at 9:50 a.m. and 6 p.m., they will arrive at Channing at 5:30 p.m. and 1:40 a.m., the latter except Sunday. Main line trains will make close connections with these.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 43
[Thursday, January 12, 1893], page 4, column 1
IRON MOUNTAIN & WESTERN.
At a meeting of the
stockholders of Escanaba, Iron Mountain & Western railroad company, held at
Iron Mountain, Jan. 11th, 1893, the following board of directors were [sic]
elected: Byron L. Smith, Albert Keep, M.M. Kirkman, J.B. Redfield, Charles E.
Simmons, Chicago. As four of the above are Chicago & Northwestern men it is
hardly likely that Mr. Schlesinger will operate the E.I.M. & W. this summer.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 44
[Thursday, January 19, 1893], page 1, column 2
FOUND IN THE SNOW.
The remains of an unknown man were
found in a snowbank along side of the Chicago & North—Western track, near
Quinnesec, last Wednesday. It is evident that he was walking on the track during
the blizzard which prevailed the fore part of last week and was struck by an
engine, probably being injured so badly that he was unable to continue his
journey and froze to death. Justice Moerbitz held an inquest.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 43
[Thursday, January 26, 1893], page 8, column 3
The Marinette Lumber company has purchased the Evans shingle mill at Floodwood, and will move it to the mouth of the river.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 44
[Thursday, February 2, 1893], page 1, column 2
BOUGHT A TOWN.
John Harrington, the enterprising
saloon man, familiarly known as Jack Harrington, has purchased the whole of
Floodwood, up the road, and will conduct the saloon business there as well as
the Franklin House in this city. The town, which is a new one, is built on a
forty acres, which belonged to one man who recently died. John purchased the
whole plat for $1,900, and now has the monopoly of the sale of all goods in his
line. The business is said to be worth a profit of $5,000 a year. -- Marquette
Times.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 44
[Thursday, February 2, 1893], page 8, column 6
THE SCHLESINGER ROAD.
----
The Syndicate is Determined to Have a Road to
Transport its Ore.
There seems to be no room for doubt
of the determination of the Schlesinger syndicate to build and operate a
railroad, thus enabling them to handle the product of their many mining
properties on the Menominee and Marquette ranges. A party of surveyors, presumed
to be in the employ of the syndicate, is now at work near Negau-
*********
Book Page 96
nee and those who pretend to know say that a road covering the mines of the syndicate on the two ranges will be built. The outlet is a matter of conjecture. The distance as the crow flies between Crystal Falls and Negaunee is forty-eight miles, while the distance to Iron Mountain is somewhat greater. The building of such a road would carry the significance that all of the Schlesinger mines in this district would be wrought, which includes the Armenia and Claire mines, the latter capable of an annual output of 500,000 tons. --Crystal Falls Drill.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 45
[Thursday, February 9, 1893], page 1, column 6
BADLY HURT.
An Austrian with an unspellable name
got in the way of the south bound passenger train as it was entering the Chicago
& North-Western depot last Thursday and was badly injured. He was taken to
St. George hospital for treatment and was in a precarious condition at last
accounts. He was intoxicated.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 46
[Thursday, February 16, 1893], page 8, column 4
A NEW CITY.
W.H. O'Brien Intends Building One on
the Banks of the Sturgeon.
Last Saturday, the plat of the new
town of Loretto, which W.H. O'Brien, of Chicago, president of the Appleton
Mining company, intends building up on the banks of the Sturgeon river, was
placed on file in the office of the register of deeds.
Loretto is located in the westerly
part of northwest fractional quarter of section eighteen, town thirty-nine,
range twenty-eight west. The plat is the work of Henry G. Rothwell, civil
engineer, of L'Anse, and the townsite consists of twelve blocks containing 256
lots.
It is the intention, we understand,
of Mr. O'Brien, to dispose of these lots for a small consideration to employes
of the mining company and also to erect a number of dwellings for rental.
The townsite is a very pretty one,
and should the recent discovery of high— grade ore in that vicinity pan out as
well as expected, we have no doubt that a town of several thousand inhabitants
will spring up there in the next few years.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 49
[Thursday, March 9, 1893], page 1, column 3
VERY EXPENSIVE.
A gentleman who is in a position to
know, estimates that the late storm cost the Milwaukee & Northern railroad
fully $15,000. Three engines were badly wrecked, and the flanger and spreader
damaged somewhat. The two engines that went off the track near Channing last
Tuesday were taken south to the repair shops last Thursday evening, together
with the flanger, spreader and several car loads of wreckage.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIV, Number 49
[Thursday, March 9, 1893], page 8, column 6
A PROSPEROUS TOWN.
One of the most prosperous little
towns in this upper peninsula is Sagola,
*********
Book Page 97
which owes its existence to the large mill owned by the Sagola Lumber company. The business of this enterprising company is managed by John 0'Callaghan, Patrick Flanagan and D. Wittenberg, and each gentlemen [sic] giving his entire attention to a particular line of duties, nothing escapes them that will contribute toward the flattering success that rewards their efforts. Sagola within the past three years has grown to be a village of considerable size, and some of the residences of its citizens would be a credit to towns of greater pretensions, while about the cottage of the humblest dweller is an air of comfort that bespeaks steady employment and good pay. The Sagola Lumber company's mill is situated in the center of a large tract of excellent pine timber, and some of the lumber produced has attracted the wonder and admiration of judges of lumber in the markets to which it is sent. Four inch planks, sixteen feet long and 36 inches wide, without a knot, mar or blemish of any kind are not uncommon. Some fine specimens of lumber from this mill will be exhibited at the World's Fair in Chicago, and it will take something phenominal to beat it. The ordinary output of the mill is as much above the average it [sic - in] the markets as these specimens are above the possibilities of ordinary mills. The Sagola Lumber company's mill has all the improvements of the latest inventions, runs a band saw, is operated day and night, summer and winter, and while speed is, of course, a factor always kept in mind, good lumber well sawed is the main consideration. The mill at present produces 70,000 feet of lumber, 50,000 shingles and 20,000 to 30,000 lath in 24 hours. In summer it does better, as the logs while frozen are more difficult to handle. They are hauling from the choppings about 120,000 feet of logs per day, and have 5,000,000 feet banked at the end of their railroad, ready to be hauled in by cars as soon as sleighing breaks up. Electricity furnishes light in and about the mill by night. Most of their output is sold to a few large consumers, and we observed that the greater part os [sic - of] the lumber piled in their extensive yards was marked sold. Travelers who have occasion to stop in Sagola are welcomed and graciously treated by the genial gentlemen about the company's office, and after working up an appetite seeing the sights about the mill, about the most satisfactory place to visit is McCormick's boarding house, where you get a square meal that is as clear of mars and blemishes as the handsomest stick of timber the company ever produced. McCormick was a former resident of this city and has lathed many an Iron Mountain house. He is a good lather, but he is a better cook.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 8
[Thursday, May 25, 1893], page 1, column 5
BRAKEMAN KILLED.
Alvin Barber, a Milwaukee & Northern brakeman, nearly had his head severed from the body in the Chapin yards last Saturday night. He was assisting in making up an ore train and no one appears to know how the accident happened. When found his head was on one side of the rail and his body one [sic - on] the other, the two being held together by some fragments of skin. He was twenty-three years of age and his parents resided at Plymouth, Wis., whither the remains were shipped Sunday evening.
----
OPERATORS STRIKE.
Last Tuesday morning about eighty
five per cent. of the Chicago & North—Western telegraph operators in the
upper peninsuza [sic] went out on a strike. L.E. Lehey, operator at the depot
here, was among the number. Passenger trains arrived and de parted on time, but
nearly all the freights were laid out. On the main line several serious
collisions resulted. Later developments would indicate that the strike was the
result of a misunderstanding and nearly all the men have returned to work.
*********
Book Page 98
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number
10[Thursday, June 8, 1893], page 1, column 2
PROMOTED.
Edward Lepper, who has held the
position of ticket agent at the Chicago & North-Western depot for some years
back, has been promoted to the position of cashier. Fred Northey, late assistant
clerk in Seibert's Central Pharmacy, succeeds him as ticket agent.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 10
[Thursday, June 8, 1893], page 1, column 4
RUN OVER.
N. Howard, bridge foreman of the
Milwaukee & Northern, was run over by a hand— car last Monday, the car
passing over his right arm and breast. Strange to say no bones were broken. The
arm was badly lacerated, however, and Howard will be con fined to his home for a
week or ten days.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 10
[Thursday, June 8, 1893], page 4, column 4
DIGGING INTO THE FOREST.
----
Three Logging Companies that are Extending Their Railroads.
The Girard Lumber company will
commence work next week on an extension to their logging road at Dunbar. The
rails will be laid five or six miles further into the company's pine. The tract
near the mill has all been cut and the company was forced to dig into the forest
further. A large force of men left Menominee this week to labor on the project.
The logging road is about eight miles now and this extension will give them
about fifteen miles.
The Sagola Lumber company, which
operates a logging road in Dickinson county, will soon commence tearing up the
rails on its present line. The road will be transferred about twenty miles
further north and connection made with the Milwaukee & Northern road to
bring the timber to Sagola.
The Holmes' logging railway near
Pembine is also to be extended. Civil Engineer Shaw, of Marinette, is now making
the survey for the new piece of road. It will be fifteen miles long and with the
present mileage will make a 27 mile run.
--Menominee Democrat.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 11
[Thursday, June 15, 1893], page 1, column 5
M. & N. EXPLORATIONS.
J. Parke Channing, who has charge of
the Milwaukee & Northern exploration, now has fifty men in his employ and
has three working in Iron county and one near Republic.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 11
[Thurs ay, June 15, 1893], page 1, column 6
FAST FREIGHT.
*********
Book Page 99
The Milwaukee & Northern company is now operating a fast freight train between Chicago and Milwaukee and Iron Mountain to the great satisfaction of the business men. Freight delivered in Chicago or Milwaukee up to six o'clock in the evening now arrives in Iron Mountain at three o'clock the next day. This is but a few hours slower than passenger trains.
----
STOLE COAL.
A number of small boys were being
investigated by County Agent Buell yesterday. They are charged with stealing
coal from [the] Chicago & North-Western road. Agent Stiles estimates that
his company loses between 500 and 1,000 tons or coal annually at this station.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 11
[Thursday, June 15, 1893], page 8, column 2
Russel Jones is now a resident of Iron Mountain, having accepted a position in
the Milwaukee & Northern offices.
...
John B. Baker is the new ticket agent
at the Chicago & North-Western depot. He was lately employed in the Northern
office.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 11
[Thursday, June 15, 1893], page 8, column 3
On and after July first the Milwaukee & Northern will be known as the Northern Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, and will cease to exist as an independent line.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 11
[Thursday, June 15, 1893], page 8, column 4
A new post-office has been established at Channing, this county. Thomas E. Timlin has been designated as postmaster.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 13
[Thursday, June 29, 1893], page 1, column 3
MILWAUKEE & NORTHERN.
----
After Saturday To Be Known as the Lake Superior Division of C., M. & St. P.
On and after Saturday next, July 1,
the Milwaukee & Northern railroad will cease to exist as a separate railway
corporation. The important step was taken at a meeting held in Milwaukee last
Monday. The property known as the Milwaukee & Northern railway was virtually
purchased by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul company about two years ago,
but has up to the present time been operated as an independent road with a full
compliment of officers. The following order has been is sued:
"Beginning July 1st, 1893, the
Milwaukee & Northern railroad will be operated as a part of the St. Paul
system, and will be known as the Lake Superior division of the same. H.M. Bell
will remain as superintendent, and J.J. Coleman will be appointed assistant
general freight agent of the St. Paul company; and will report directly to
headquarters, as he has heretofore done as general freight agent of the
*********
Book Page 100
Northern. This step is in pursuance of arrangements for the sale of the road and property to the St. Paul company, which action was taken by the Milwaukee & Northern directors at the meeting Monday. The sale, however, will not be consumated until ratified by the stockholders at the meeting of the two companies in the fall, but the operation will be assumed by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul company on July 1st, as before stated.["]
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 13
[Thursday, June 29, 1893], page 4, column 3
KILLED NEAR VULCAN.
On Tuesday, the passenger train which
passes this station at 9:02 a.m. ran down a man at the curve one mile east of
[the] East Vulcan mine. An attempt was made to stop the train after signalling
with the whistle but it was of no avail. The man was thrown from the track and
on being picked up was found to have been injured about the head and neck and
life was gone. The body was taken to Waucedah and Coroner Hay was wired to take
charge of it. A jury was impannelled and taken to the Waucedah station to view
the remains. At the time of viewing the body, the man's name or residence could
not be found but since it has been learned that the remains are those of Samuel
Nuvilice. He resided at Norway and leaves a wife and family in his native land,
Finland. --Current.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 13
[Thursday, June 29, 1893], page 5, column 1
The Chicago & North-Western pay car was here last Tuesday evening. The Milwaukee & Northern is building a large depot at Channing.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 15
[Thursday, July 13, 1893], page 1, column 2
AMPLE SLEEPING CAR ACCOMMODATIONS.
To accommodate a
constantly increasing travel, the North-Western line has recently made such
additions to its sleeping car service between northern Wisconsin and Michigan
points, and Milwaukee and Chicago, as to insure ample and desirable
accommodations to all who contemplate visiting the world's fair. The excellent
buffet sleeping car and free reclining chair car service is still maintained, as
well as the other features which have rendered the North-Western line
pre-eminently the popular line to the east, west and south. Sleeping car
accommodations can be reserved in advance upon application to agents [of the]
Chicago & North-Western railway. Visitors to the world's fair via this line
will find that excellent arrangements have been made for their prompt transfer
to the exposition grounds.
The Ranger-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 16
[Thursday, July 20, 1893], page 8, column 4
Channing is a thriving town. Better buy a lot there.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 17
[Thursday, July 27, 1893], page 8, column 4
While at Channing the other day we saw a plat of the new town laid out there by the C.M. & St. P. railroad company. A new and neat depot has just been completed by
*********
Book Page 101
*********
Book Page 102
the company and work will soon be begun on a new building to be used as an eating house. It being the intention of the railroad company to so arrange their time table as to bring Ontonagon trains there in time for breakfast and supper, instead of Iron Mountain. Lots are selling lively. --Ontonagon Herald.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 18
[Thursday, August 3, 1893], page 1, column 5
THE I. M. & M. RAILROAD.
----
Alleged Reason Why Its Construction Was Not Attempted This Year.
One of our u.p. [sic] exchanges
facetiously inquired recently concerning the status of the Iron Mountain &
Menominee railroad project. A Democrat reporter ran across Mr. Bagley, who was
the principal promoter of the scheme not long ago and is able to furnish the
desired information. According to him the construction of the road would be
under way by this time had it not been for the financial panic which has swept
the country. Investments everywhere have been withdrawn and capital is reluctant
to materialize any scheme. Just so with the men who were to build this line.
They have yielded to the stress of the times and locked their iron boxes. But
the railroad will be built as soon as business picks up. Mr. Bagley expects to
see the Iron Mountain and Menominee railroad a realization before another year
has passed. It was simply impossible to build this summer and there is no one
surprised at the fact. The C. & N.W.R.R. has antagonized the Schlesinger
syndicate to a very disagreeable extent. There is undoubtedly a good indication
that the new road is yet a very likely possibility. --Menominee Democrat.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 19
[Thursday, August 10, 1893], page 1, column 3
KILLED BY THE CARS.
----
Bernie Reynolds, a Fourteen-Year-Old Lad, Falls Under the Wheels.
Last Monday evening, Bernie, the
fourteen-year-old son of Joseph Reynolds, fell under the wheels of the work
train in the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul yards and received injuries from
which he died soon after.
Just when the young lad got on the
train or how the accident occurred is not known. He was over the river picking
berries and boarded the train at Siding No. 1 or the bridge. He was noticed in
the car used by the men after leaving the latter place. It is highly probably
[sic - probable] that he was endeavoring to pass from one car to another and
slipped and fell under the wheels, both legs being cut off close to the body.
He was picked up by the trainmen and
taken to St. George hospital, where every thing possible was done to alleviate
the pain and save his life, but the shock was too great for his system to
withstand and he died in about an hour after the accident occurred.
This makes the second accident of
this nature that has occurred within a year, but the small boy continues to
catch on trains regardless of consequences. It is simply impossible for the
trainmen to keep them out of the yards and off the trains without the hearty
co-operation of parents, and it is to be hoped that this will now be
forthcoming. Keep your boy at home.
----
AT CHANNING.
*********
Book Page 103
Agent Tamlin, of the St. Paul road, and a gentleman from Ontonagon have ar ranged to erect hotels at the above place. The round-house, which was destroyed by fire recently, is to be rebuilt at once.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 20
[Saturday, August 19, 1893], page 8, column 1
The Chicago & North-Western road has sent out circulars telling baggagemen that they must use more care in handling baggage -- that two-thirds of the damage to baggage is the result of careless handling.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 21
[Saturday, August 26, 1893], page 8, column 1
The railroad office at Antoine has been closed.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 21
[Saturday, August 26, 1893], page 8, column 4
The North-Western contemplates making some needed improvements to the depot here.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 22
[Saturday, September 2, 1893], page 1, column 1
THE WORK OF ARCH FIENDS
----
DASTARDLY ATTEMPT TO WRECK A PASSENGER TRAIN.
----
On the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Road Near Amberg Last Sunday -- The Engineer Mained for Life.
A particularly fiendish attempt was
made to wreck the southbound passenger train on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul road two miles this side of Amberg last Sunday evening, and that half a
hundred people were not killed is no fault of the scoundrels. As it is, Richard
Aainsworth, the engineer, is the only one that will be maimed for life.
The engine was rushing along forty or
fifty miles an hour, when it struck a large granite boulder, which had been
wedged in between two ties on the left hand side of the track. The engine jumped
the track on the right hand side, turned a complete somersault and slewed around
so that it was headed in an opposite direction from which it was going. The
boiler was stripped bare of cab, stack and every thing. The tender jumped the
track on the opposite side, and the baggage, mail and smoking cars passed
completely over it, the latter coming to a standstill in almost an upright
position, the passengers being piled in a heap at the lower end, but none were
injured beyond a few bruises. The mail and baggage cars were badly damaged,
while the front end of the smoker was crushed in. The other cars did not leave
the track.
Engineer Aainsworth was found between
the rails under the smoker with his right leg crushed below the knee and
otherwise bruised. He calmly quieted the fears of friends as to his injuries,
but expressed a desire to capture and properly punish the dastards who had
placed the obstruction upon the track. Upon the arrival of a physician it was
found necessary to amputate the limb below the knee. Henry Bald win, the
fireman, was thrown some fifty feet, but beyond a few bruises is uninjured. The
mail agent was stood on his head in the sand, but his beauty was not marred. The
contents of the car were badly disfigured, however.
*********
Book Page 104
The granite boulder, which caused the accident, weighed 76 pounds, and the bed from which it had been taken was over fifty feet from the track. It is the general opinion that it was placed on the track by tramps who had been refused a ride. Company detectives are now at work on the case and a determined effort will be made to locate the guilty parties.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number
22[Saturday, September 2, 1893], page 1, column 4
LOST A HORSE.
A horse belonging to Sam Daniels, the
drayman, was struck by an engine on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road
last Thursday morning and injured so badly that it had to be shot.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 22
[Saturday, September 2, 1893], page 1, column 5
RAILWAY RUMBLINGS.
...
A new time tadle [sic - table] went
into effect on the Chicago & North-Western last Sunday. Trains now arrive at
this station as follows: Going north, at 8 a.m. and 5:20 p.m.; going south, at
9:10 a.m. and 7:22 p.m. An accommodation train arrives from Powers at noon and
goes as far north as Florence each week day.
...
The stockholders of the Milwaukee
& Northern held a meeting at Milwaukee last Monday and ratified the sale of
the road to the St. Paul company.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 23
[Saturday, September 9, 1893], page 1, column 6
"JUST FOR FUN."
This was the reply of one of the
scoundrels arrested last week for placing a huge boulder on the track of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road when questioned as to his reason for the
commitment of the crime. The men were arrested in a cedar camp between Amberg
and Pembine, and gave their names as Victor Robson and John Morrow. They will
have their examination at Marinette next Wednesday, and are certain to be placed
where they can perpetrate no more such devilish jokes for a long term of years.
----
TO WRECK A NORTH-WESTERN TRAIN.
John Eden and Olaf Sojoden are in
jail at Menominee charged with attempting to wreck a Chicago & North-Western
train near Wallace. Eleven large pieces of iron, commonly called fish plates,
were placed on the track at different places. The iron, says the Menominee
Democrat, was so adjusted that a train from the south would surely have been
ditched had it struck them, but luckily a freight from the north brushed them
away before the early morning passenger went over the rails.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 24
Saturday, September 16, 1893], page 1, column 4
*********
Book Page 105
TRAIN ROBBERS AT CALUMET
----
THE CALUMET & HECLA LOSES ABOUT $70,000 DOLLARS.
----
Jack King, the Westler [sic - Wrestler], Accused of Being a Party to the Crime -- Hold-Up Takes Place in Broad Daylight -- Notes.
CALUMET, MICH., Sept. 15. -- A train on the Mineral Range Railroad was held up
between here and Hancock by four masked men this morning and robbed of $70,000
of the Calumet and Hecla mine money. The robbery was the most daring ever
committed in the west, the hold-up taking place at 9:30 this morning.
The train coming to Calumet was held
up by four highwaymen at the highway about half way between Calumet and Hancock.
The engineer and fireman were covered with revolvers by two of the robbers,
while the other two ordered the express messenger to put the contents of his
safe into a bag which one of the robbers carried. The messenger immediately
complied and handed out some $75,000 or $80,000 consigned to the Calumet and
Hecla mine and which was part of the money to be paid by the mine on its monthly
pay-roll.
After securing the booty the robbers
fired a shot and ordered the engineer to "go ahead d--d quick," which
he did. The whole affair was such a surprise that the passengers knew nothing of
the trouble till after the train had started. The Light Guards and the sheriffs
are out souring [sic - scouring] the country. It is thought that the robbers had
horses conveniently near and a boat ready at the lake, from which point they
would make for Northern Canada. The train was loaded with passengers, among whom
was Representative Edward Ryan.
The scene of the robbery, the Mineral
Range railroad, is a narrow gauge road running between Houghton and Calumet,
with branches extending to several smaller mines. The Calumet and Hecla mine
gives employment to about 2,000 men. The company pays its employes about the
15th of each month. The money taken to-day was sent from eastern banks by the
company. The men who committed the robbery were evidently acquainted with the
manner in which the company paid its employes and the day on which the money is
usually shipped.
Jack King, the wrestler, and Joe
Kehoe, a sport, who have been in this vicinity for some time, were arrested on
suspicion of being connected with the plot. Sheriff Dunnsoon called a posse and
with them he has gone on a special train in pursuit of the robbers. The whole
section is aroused and many have offered their services.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 25
[Saturday, September 23, 1893], page 1, column 4
WELL KNOWN HERE.
Richard King, Jack King and Jack
Chellew, three of the men arrested for being implicated in the robbing of the
train on the Mineral Range road, a full account of which appeared in these
columns last week, are comparatively well known here. Dick King was two years
ago proprietor of the meat market now owned by Hoose & Co., and until two
months ago was in the employ of Richard White. Jack King was in the employ of
Dick for a time and it was here he made his start as a professional wrestler.
Jack Chellew was at one time employed by the late Joseph Pascoe as a bar-tender
and was considered a hard citizen. He was here this spring and was implicated in
the holding up of James Dewese on West B street.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 25
Saturday, September 23, 1893], page 8, column 5
*********
Book Page 106
ALL THE MONEY FOUND.
----
William Pinkerton's Story of the Copper Range Train Robbery.
"We found that the whole job had been put up by Ed. Hogan, the messenger's
brother, who himself had been a messenger in the same service. He knew all about
the Calumet & Hecla's shipment of money. After his discharge from the
service he became dissolute and fell in with sporting characters. First he got
Butler in the job, then his friend Jack King and last of all LaLiberty, because
of his railroad knowledge. LaLiberty boarded the engine, the other two knocked
in the car and got the money. Hogan, the messenger, had the money ready. They
intended to ditch the engine to gain time, but were prevented by the passing of
ore trains.
Mr. Pinkerton said that the money,
the entire amount stolen, $70,000, was as safe as if it were in the deposit
vaults of a bank. The men who were the principals in the robbery were these:
Ed. Hogan, of Marquette, Mich., an
ex-express messenger, who has recently been living the life of a sport, and who
was the originator of the conspiracy.
Dominick Hogan, his brother, who was the express messenger on the train that was
robbed, and who had custody of the $70,000 that was taken.
Jack King, the famous champion of the
United States at the Cornish style wrestling.
Jack Butler, of Marquette, Mich., an
all around crook, up to all the games in vogue, who has done his term in state's
prison.
George LaLiberty, an ex-railroad
stoker, who was out of work and who was the only man in the party who was
capable of handling a railroad locomotive."
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 27
[Saturday, October 14, 1893], page 1, column 4
LOW RATES TO CONTINUE.
The Chicago & North-Western will sell tickets to Chicago and return for $7.00, commencing October 15th to the 31st inclusive. Tickets good to return until November 15th. Parties wishing sleeping accommodations should make it known two or three days in advance.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 27
[Saturday, October 14, 1893], page 8, column 2
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul company is building a new turntable just south of G street. The old one, near the depot, is to be taken up.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 27
[Saturday, October 14, 1893], page 8, column 3
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul has a crew of men and a steam shovel at work filling the long trestle south of the Menominee river. It will take months to complete the work.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 28
[Saturday, October 21, 1893], page 1, column 3
MENOMINEE & NORTHERN!
----
MENOMINEE CAPITALISTS HAVE ORGANIZED A COMPANY.
----
*********
Book Page 107
To Build a Railroad to Iron Mountain With a Capital Stock of $500,000 --
John Bagley has been in the city. Result, organization of the Menominee &
Northern Railway company. Home capital. Five hundred thousand dollars. The
business was fixed up in the law office of one of Menominee's best known legal
lights Monday.
At first nobody would talk. A Herald
reporter camped on the trail of the promoters, however, and found out that the
scheme to build a railroad from Iron Mountain and the Menominee iron range to
Menominee, which was projected several months, [sic] ago[,] had again come to
life, and this time it was a sure go. Also that preliminary surveys are now
being run between the iron range and Menominee, both in Michigan and Wisconsin,
for what will hereafter be known as the Menominee & Northern railroad.
Charters for both states have been forwarded to the respective secretaries for
filing, etc., and while it has not yet been decided, the chances are favorable
for the building of the road on the Wisconsin side of the river so as to take in
the pine timbered country, with a crossing some where in the vicinity of the
upper, or Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul bridge. Ore docks will be built at
some point on the bay shore this side of Popple Point, where it is also expected
that the necessary machine shops, round-house and yards will be located. In all
probability a portion of the Ingalls & White Rapids narrow gauge logging
railroad will be utilized for the new road, either by putting down a third rail,
or laying a new track so as to accommodate the standard guage [sic - gauge]
cars.
The company is composed of a number
of our well-known capitalists, and all the stock subscribed is as good as paid
in.
The new line will open up and be the
means of developing a rich belt of hard and soft wood country, besides tapping
the mineral range. --Menominee Herald.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 29
[Saturday, October 28, 1893], page 1, column 5
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Brakeman C.G. Hartley, on the C., M.
& St.P.R.R., fell off a flat car at the Menominee river bidge [sic -
bridge], last Sunday night, down to the rocks below. Fortunately he escaped with
a few slight bruises.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 31
November 11, 1893], page 1, column 4
A NEW TIME CARD.
A new time card is to go into effect
on the Chicago & North-Western next Sun day, and some material changes are
to be made in the running of trains on this division. Chicago express will
return to last winter's time, when it left the windy city at 10:30 p.m. and
arrived here at about 11:00 a.m. It is also reported that the local train
between Crystal Falls and Escanaba is to be withdrawn, and a fast Duluth train
put on.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 32
[Saturday, November 18, 1893], page 1, column 3
GETS A SHORT SENTENCE
----
BUTLER GETS ONLY FIVE YEARS FOR TRAIN ROBBING.
----
Pleaded Guilty on His Attorney's Advice -- The Latter Advanced the Plea that
*********
Book Page 108
Larceny Was His Only Guilt.
Marquette dispatch to the Detroit
Tribune: "When the Mineral Range train robber, Jack Butler, changed his
plea of not guilty to guilty of larceny at Houghton last Monday and was given
sentence of five years, the attorneys for the state in reality admitted that
they were caught in a legal corner and that a straight conviction for highway
robbery was impossible. The man who drove the state's very able attorneys into
this legal corner was Myron J. Sherwood, counsel for Butler, and city attorney
of Marquette. Mr. Sherwood is a graduate from the newspaper ranks, and went from
the staff of the Daily Mining Journal into the practice of law only a little
over a year ago.
Under the laws of Michigan the
essence of the crime of highway robbery is the taking of money or goods by force
and arms. The prosecution having involved the messenger, Dominick Hogan, in the
successful plot to rob the express car, Mr. Sherwood at once asserted that Hogan
knew he was to be robbed, therefore Hogan was not put in fear by the robbers;
therefore there was no force, no assault on Hogan, and consequently no robbery,
but simply larceny. Hogan, having consented to be assaulted by Butler and King,
could not have been assaulted in any legal sense, and hence the crime committed
was not highway robbery, the essence of which is taking by violence.
The able counsel for the state
perceived the legal point, back of which there are hosts of decided cases, and
saw their only chance was to convict Butler of the lesser crime of larceny. This
was the best that Butler's counsel could expect, and he undoubtedly advised his
client to plead guilty to that charge and save further delay and trouble. The
lawyers on both sides are industriously saying nothing at present, but there is
no doubt that Butler's plea of guilty and sentence of five years was based on
some such understanding as here indicated.
There is little doubt that the other
cases will have about the same termination. ["]
----
WILL RUN ITS OWN CARS.
Last Tuesday night the St. Paul road
began running its own sleepers on Milwaukee & Northern line, which has
heretofore had Pullman service. The St. Paul company took advantage of the fact
that the Pullman company was running shabby cars on the road to order its own
substituted "while the Pullman cars are undergoing re pairs and until
further notice."
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 32
[Saturday, November 18, 1893], page 5, column 2
Those handsome new chair cars on the St. Paul road "fill a long felt want," and are destined to make that road more popular with the traveling public than ever.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 33
[Saturday, November 25, 1893], page 1, column 5
KING GETS FIVE YEARS.
Acting on the advice of his attorney,
Jack King withdrew his plea of not guilty and pleaded guilty last Saturday, and
was sentenced to five years at hard labor in the branch prison. He was taken to
Marquette Tuesday.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 33
*********
Book Page 109
[Saturday, November 25, 1893], page 5, column
1
The
noon accommodation train on the Chicago & North-Western road has been
discontinued.
...
A passenger coach is now attached to
the freight train which leaves here at 7 p.m. for Champion on the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul.
...
Conductor Donnelly, who was so badly
injured in a smash-up on the St. Paul road some months ago, is again able to be
on duty, coming up Tuesday afternoon on his first run.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 33
[Saturday, December 9, 1893], page 1, column 3
FIFTEEN MILE EXTENSION.
The Quinnesec Logging company has
decided to build a fifteen mile extension to their railroad, and the survey for
the same was completed last Saturday by Engineer McCallum. The extension will be
in [a] northwesterly direction through a heavy tract of pine. Work on the same
will commence as soon as possible in the spring.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 33
[Saturday, December 9, 1893], page 1, column 4
MENOMINEE & NORTHERN.
This looks like business. The
Menominee Leader announces that President Bagley, of the above railroad, has let
the contract for the ties, and they will be gotten out this winter.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 38
[Saturday, January 13, 1894], page 1, column 4
CUT TO PIECES.
----
John Bigelow, a Young Man, Falls Under the Cars at Sagola.
John Bigelow, a young man who had an
excellent standing with acquaintances, was run over and literally cut to pieces
by a freight train on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road at Sagola last
Tuesday afternoon. Bigelow had been employed in Fred Gage's camp until
operations suspended and had left Iron Mountain the morning of the accident for
Ewen, where he expected to secure another situation. He was nineteen years of
age and a resident of Mill Centre, Brown county, Wisconsin. The remains were
brought to this city and his parents notified of the accident.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 38
[Saturday, January 13, 1893], page 8, column 4
THE SCHLESINGER ROAD.
----
The I. Stephenson Company Bring a Suit to Eject It.
Escanaba dispatch to the Detroit
Evening News: The I[.] Stephenson Co. has
*********
Book Page 110
commenced
suit in circuit court to eject the Escanaba, Iron Mountain & Western Rail
road company, better known as the "Schlesinger road," from the land
occupied by that company for railway yards and dock purposes. When the road was
completed it was transferred to the Chicago & North—Western Railway
company, and has been operated by the latter ever since, but only during the
seasons of navigation. The I. Stephen son company, who donated the land and
water front to the Schlesinger syndicate, did so with the strict understanding
that the line would be operated continuously, and they sold several hundred
lots, mostly to poor people, who thought they saw an opportunity for a good
investment.
It was generally believed that the
new road meant a great boom for Escanaba, as it would give this place [a]
competing line of railway. Nobody dreamed that Schlesinger would ever be
anything else than the "iron king" of America, but almost unexpectedly
the Chicago & North-Western company secured control of the new line, and the
result was that those who bought real estate at the terminus suffered a great
financial loss.
The I. Stephenson company will do its
best to see that the Chicago & North Western company will use the
Schlesinger line for something more than a mere sham. There are hundreds of
thousands of dollars invested in improvements on the disputed land, such as
railway yards, a mammoth ore dock, and an extensive lumber dock, etc.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 42
[Saturday, February 10, 1894], page 1, column 5
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN R'Y.
----
Seventy Miles of Steel Rails Purchased -- Bridges Contracted For.
Marinette Daily Eagle: John Bagley,
president and principal projector of the Wisconsin & Michigan Railway
company, has recently contracted for the purchase of enough steel rails to build
seventy miles of road.-- enough for the main line and all spurs and side-tracks.
The line will extend from the Soo road in Michigan south about five miles to the
old Ingalls, White Rapids & Northern Logging railway, which will become a
part of the route. From the south end of the logging road it will run south to
the Menominee river, crossing and continuing south on the Wisconsin side to the
mouth of the river at Marinette. It is supposed that construction will begin at
the north end and at the river as soon next spring as the weather is
sufficiently settled to admit of profitable work.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 43
[Saturday, February 17, 1894], page 5, column 2
A Swedish woman, name unknown, jumped from the St. Paul passenger train, near the Hamilton shaft, on Thursday evening, and escaped without injury.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 45
[Saturday, March 3, 1894], page 5, column 1
Henry Mascotte had a hand crushed while coupling cars in the St. Paul yard last Saturday evening.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 46
[Saturday, March 10, 1894], page 8, column 3
FELL TO HIS DEATH.
----
Lewis Curry, a Woodsman, Falls Ninety Feet and is Instantly Killed.
*********
Book Page 111
Last Monday evening Lewis Curry, a woodsman who has
been in the employ of Wright Bros. as foreman for a number of years, either fell
or jumped from the southbound passenger train on the Chicago, Milwaukee &
St. Paul road, as it was crossing the Menominee river bridge, and was dashed to
death on the ice ninety feet below.
Curry, who has had charge of a cedar
camp at the Summit during the winter, had been in town all day Monday, and had
imbibed quite freely of intoxicating liquors. In the evening he took the train
for camp, and it is presumed that when the train slowed up at the bridge he
thought his destination had been reached and jumped off. Either this or he
slipped while passing from one coach to another and fell off.
The body was discovered the following
morning by the section crew, directly under the bridge, with his hat three feet
away. The remains were lying in a perfectly natural position, and this fact
coupled with the additional one that there were no marks or bruises on the body,
created a believe [sic - belief] in the minds of many that Curry was the victim
of foul play. At the time these rumors were in circulation it was thought that
Curry had drawn a large sum of money that day and had started to walk to camp.
At the inquest, however, it was shown that the deceased had borrowed twenty-five
cents to pay for his ride to camp and that he was a passenger on the train in
question.
The deceased was a young man about
thirty years of age, and stood high in the estimation of his employers. He
leaves a wife and child residing at Goodman's Siding.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XV, Number 47
[Saturday, March 17, 1894], page 5, column 2
The Wisconsin & Michigan Logging railway has hauled about 40,000,000 feet of logs for the different Menominee and Marinette mill companies since last fall, and there are yet upwards of 30,000,000 feet on the landing. The railway logging company operates three camps besides hauling the logs gotten out by twelve jobbers.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVI, Number 9
[Saturday, June 23, 1894], page 1, column 2
THE WORK OF A MONSTER!
----
FIENDISH ATTEMPT TO WRECK A C. & N-W. EXPRESS TRAIN.
----
A Log Containing Five Sticks of Dynamite
Placed on the Track Between Iron Mountain and Quinnesec.
Last Saturday evening a particularly
fiendish attempt was made to wreck the southbound passenger train on the Chicago
& North-Western railroad, but so care fully was the secret guarded that the
facts did not leak out until some days later.
Some person, or persons, placed a
large log, charged with six large sticks of dynamite, across the track on down
grade a mile south of the city.
A gentleman discovered the log and
succeeded in rolling it clear of the track a few moments before the train
thundered south. Had the engine struck the log the whole train would undoubtedly
have been ditched, and a score or more of passengers would have been hurled into
eternity, the dynamite finishing those that survived the shock.
A number of detectives are now at
work on the case, and it is to be sincerely hoped that they may succeed in
locating the fiends.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVI, Number 18
**********
Book Page 112
[Saturday, August 25, 1894], page 1, column 4
A BAD WRECK.
----
A Twenty Thousand Dollar Smash Near Floodwood Station.
A most disastrous wreck occurred on
the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road last Saturday evening near Floodwood,
followed by still another early Sunday morning, and, while no lives were lost,
more than $20,000 worth of rolling stock was destroyed, including two
locomotives, six box cars and the wrecker.
The night was dark and foggy, and the
way freight, manned by Conductor Mc Donald and Engineer Gibson, ran into a herd
of horses lying on the track near Floodwood. The first one scruck [sic - struck]
was knocked clear of the track, but the other three were caught by and rolled
under the engine, ditching it and five cars. Engineer Gibson and his fireman
jumped and escaped with but a few bruises. Brakemen [sic — Brakeman] Launday
had his nose broken.
The wrecking train, manned by
Conductor McConnell and Engineer Snyder, arrived up from Green Bay at an early
hour Sunday morning and went to work. One of the box cars was pulled on the
track and hauled to a siding. In returning Engineer Snyder let his mind stray
from the business in hand, and ran at full speed into the wreck, ditching his
own engine, the wrecker and two more cars.
This made it necessary to send to
Milwaukee for assistance, which delayed matters to such an extent that wreckage
was not cleaned up until Tuesday, when the damaged engines and cars passed down
to the shops.
To enable trains to run it was necessary to build a track around the wreck,
which railroad men pronounce the worse [sic - worst] that ever occurred on this
division of the road.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVI, Number 20
Saturday , September 8, 1894], page 1, column 4
VILLAINOUS WORK.
----
Attempt to Wreck a Passenger Train Near Waucedah.
Last Monday evening as the southbound
passenger train on the Chicago & North Western railroad was approaching
Waucedah it struck a large rock weighing over two hundred pounds, which some
miserable scoundrel had placed between the rails for the purpose of throwing the
train from the track. Luckily the engineer saw it and re versed his engine,
stopping the train in time to avoid any damage more serious than breaking the
pilot and all the brake beams on the coaches. This is the second at tempt at
train wrecking on this division within a few months, and it is to be hoped that
the detectives now at work on the case will succeed in locating the guilty
person or persons.
The Ranger-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVI, Number 20
[Saturday, September 8, 1894], page 1, column 5
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
----
A Train Ditched and Engineer Fred. Olmquist is Killed.
Last Saturday, at noon, freight train
No. 65, on the Ontonagon division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road,
was ditched by a warped rail near Greenland and Engineer Fred. Olmquist was
killed and Stanley Orton, a brakesman, had a leg broken.
The train was running about twenty
miles an hour at the time, and when the dam-
*********
Book Page 113
aged
rail was struck the engine plunged down a ten-foot embankment. Four cars loaded
with logs piled up on top of the engine, wrecking it beyond repair. A number of
the cars also took fire and were totally destroyed, together with the contents.
The trains [sic] consisted of four
log cars, one empty flat, four box cars and the caboose. In the latter were
Conductor Hansell, Mrs. Proctor, a passenger, Brakeman Bert Cane and Fireman
Frank Hart.
When the engine left the warped rails
one could not see a rod ahead. Conductor Hansell at once carried Mrs. Proctor,
who had fainted away, to a place of safety, and then rushed heroically through
the fire to the head of the train.
A passenger train was due in one hour
and it was necessary to flag it or many lives might be lost. Brakeman Cane
started ahead with the flag, but was twice driven back by the smoke and flames,
his face burned and hair scorched. The third at tempt he succeeded, and was soon
out of sight.
Brakeman Orton was found crawling on
the ground towards the caboose, with a broken leg, and carried out of range of
the fire.
Olmquist's body was found under the
apron of the engine, and his death was undoubtedly caused by suffocation. There
were a number of slight burns on the neck, but no other bruises or wounds.
Fearing that Cane might have perished
in his attempt to flag the approaching passenger, Hansell, after rescuing
Olmquist's body from under the burning logs and cars, started on the same
errand. The two men arrived nearly together, just in time to save the crowded
train from the fate which befell the freight.
Cane had gone three miles through the
wood to make half a mile, expecting every moment the flames would catch his
clothes and give him a terrible death.
The passenger picked up the dead and wounded and returned to Ontonagon without a
mishap.
At the time of the accident Frank
Hart, the fireman, was in the caboose get ting a drink of water, and Stanley
Orton had taken his place on the engine.
The wreckage was brought down on
Wednesday evening.
Olmquist was a resident of Ontonagon
and his associates speak highly of him. This was the third accident that befell
his train within a year.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVI, Number 21
[Saturday, September 15, 18941, page 1, column 3
RIOTOUS RAILROAD LABORERS.
The Italians working on the Wisconsin
& Michigan railway near Ingalls struck for more than the 60 cents a day they
were getting. This was refused them and after loading up with whisky they
proceeded to enforce their demand with the aid of some pickaxes that were left
handy for them. With these in hand they made an onslaught on the foremen,
chasing them into the woods, after which they repaired to town and loaded up
some more. Two of the rioters drowned while crossing on logs from a tent saloon
on an island.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVI, Number 44
[Saturday., February 23., 1895]., page 1., column 6
BOUGHT A RAILROAD.
----
Wisconsin & Michigan Purchase the Peshtigo Lumber Line.
Marinette, Wis., Feb. 17. -- One of
the largest and most important deals made in this region was consummated
yesterday. The Peshtigo Lumber company sold its rail road running from the
village to Peshtigo Harbor, a distance of seven miles, to the
*********
Book Page 114
Wisconsin & Michigan railway, the consideration being $50,000. The parties who made the deal were the Hon. Isaac Stephenson for the Peshtigo company, and Secretary J.M. Faithorn of the Wisconsin & Michigan. The transfer includes the rolling stock and dock privileges at the harbor. The Wisconsin & Michigan company intends to establish ore docks there. Its line will be extended from Faithorn Junction to the Menominee iron range, twelve miles. Next year a new and direct route will be opened up. It is also expected that the Ann Arbor road will put in transfer docks at the harbor. Peshtigo is wild with excitement over the deal, and a town which was thought to be dead promises to become a flourishing city.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County, Michigan., Volume XVII., Number 9
[Saturday, June 22, 1895], page 1., column 5
LOST A FOOT.
John Udd, who resides [at] Thistle
Ave., was run over by a loaded car at the Chapin mine last Tuesday afternoon and
had his foot smashed so badly that it had to be amputated.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County, Michigan., Volume XVII., Number 10
[Saturday, June 29., 1895]., page 1., column 6
STEALING FROM CARS.
----
Three Young Men Arrested Charged With That Offense.
John Vivian, Benjamin French and
----- McCarthy, three well-known young men, were rounded up by the police last
Saturday night, charged with feloniously entering and stealing goods from the
cars of the Chicago & North-Western company. McCarthy, it is alleged in the
complaint, stole from a car a box of groceries, which a Green Bay house was
shipping to a Crystal Falls customer, and a portion of the consignment was found
in his possession. He .had his examination before Justice Miller last Monday and
in default of bonds was sent to Menominee jail to await trial at the next term
of the circuit court. Vivian and French are alleged to have exhibited a
preference for oranges. Justice Miller considered the evidence sufficient to
send the case to Judge Stone's court for trial, and Vivian and French gave bonds
in the sum of $500 each for their appearance.
The Range-Tribune., Iron Mountain, Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII, Number 13
[Saturday, July 20., 1895], page 1, column 2
CIRCUIT COURT DOINGS.
----
The Car Thieves Sentences to One Year at Hard Labor.
The Dickinson county circuit court
convened at the usual hour last Monday morning with Judge Stone on the bench,
and there was a steady grind until Wednesday, when an adjournment was taken.
...
John Vivian, Daniel French and George
McCarthy also pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing goods from the cars of
the Chicago & North-Western, and Judge Stone, after giving them some
fatherly advice, sentenced them to one year at hard labor in Marquette prison.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
15 Saturday., August 3., 1895]., page 8., column 5
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Book Page 115
FATAL RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Joseph Duke and Eugene Webster,
employes of the Chicago & North-Western, were instantly killed in a railroad
accident at Hermansville last Saturday evening. The locomotive was struck by a
flat-car coming down grade, and was thrown into the ditch crushing the two men
to death.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
18 [Saturday., August 24., 1895]., page 1., column 5
THANK YOU.
The Chicago & North-Western
railroad company now maintains flagmen at the Chapin, Brown, Ludington, Hughitt
and B street crossings. This is what the people have been contending for, for
some time, and the concession is thankfully received.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan., Volume XVII, Number 19
[Saturday., August 31, 1895]., page 1., column 2
CONDEMNED THE WELL.
Health Officer Crowell has condemned the well at the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul depot and pronounced the water poisonous. Several cases of typhoid fever are attributed to use of water from this well, and, as it has been quite generally used by employes of the company and the people of the neighborhood, we may expect to hear of others. Repeated analyses by experts have established the fact the water sup plied by the Water company is absolutely pure, and there can be no excuse for the continued use of well water, which is certain to contain the germs of some disease. The moral is obvious.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVII, Number 23
[Saturday, September 28, 1895], page 1., column 2
INTO THE RIVER.
----
A Landslide Causes Another Wreck on the North-Western Road.
Between seven and eight o'clock last
Saturday night, a westbound freight train on the Chicago & North-Western,
was wrecked by a landslide at Jumbo Siding, eight miles west of Stager Junction.
The engine and four freight cars went over the embankment and landed in the
Brule river, a distance of one hundred feet from the track. Engineer Hall and
Firemen [sic - Fireman] Morgan went down with the engine, but miraculously
escaped with out [sic] a scratch, and are none the worse for their involuntary
bath. Several other cars were derailed and the track badly torn up, but the
demage [sic - damage] was soon repaired by the wrecking crew, which reached the
scene the same night. The engine and cars were fished out of the river several
days later in a badly demoralised [sic] condition. The landslide was caused by
the heavy rains. Had it occurred half an hour sooner the evening passenger train
would have gone down the embankment and many lives would have been lost.
The same evening a tail-end collision
occurred near Sturgeon. The caboose was smashed to splinters and an engine and
several ore cars thrown into the ditch. No one hurt.
----
In this connection it is interesting to relate that an inmate of one of the hospitals here is of the firm opinion that the four or five wrecks, which have co-
*********
Book Page 116
curred on this division of the Chicago & North-Western within the past ten days, are the direct result of his prayers. He was injured on the road recently, and, the claim agent refusing to award him any damages, he has employed his time in praying that the company might meet with all sorts of haps and mishaps. Supt. Fitch should endeavor to effect a compromise with the fellow before his division is wiped out of existence.
The Range-Tribune., Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan, Volume XVII., Number
24 [Saturday., October 5, 1895]., page 1, column 3
RAILROAD NEWSITES.
----
The St. Paul Company Will Build to the Lower Quinnesec Falls.
The management of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad have [sic] decided to build a branch to the
big paper mill plant at the Lower Quinnesec Falls, and construction work will
commence as soon as the necessary surveys are made. The branch will be less than
ten miles in length, but it will cost quite a large sum, owing to the heavy
grades encountered. It will leave the main track at a point near the Summit. It
is evident that the company does not intend to forever remain at the mercy of
the Chicago & North-Western road.
----
The wrecking crew returned here last Tuesday morning and has been employed nearly all the week in picking up the demolished locomotives and cars at River Siding. One locomotive is beyond repair.
----
The express cars on this division of the Chicago & North-Western have been equipped with new burglar-proof safes.
----
Peter Arnold, engineer on one of the locomotives that were demolished near Antoine recently, is as cool as a cucumber, no matter what the circumstances surrounding him are. On this occasion, when he looked ahead and saw the headlight of John Cassidy's locomotive approaching his iron horse from around a curve, both going at the rate of twenty miles an hour, his first thought was for his fireman, who was on the tender breaking coal. He deliberately walked to the fireman's side, and taking him by the arm led him to the cab and pointed to the light ahead, not a word being spoken by either. After his fireman had jumped Mr. Arnold followed him, and none too soon either, for the heavy-laden ore cars commenced chasing them off the right of way as soon as they struck terra firma. --Escanaba Iron Port.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
26 [Saturday, October 19., 1895]., page 1., column 6
GREAT NERVE.
----
Sneak Thieves Raid a St. Paul Train Thursday Night.
Thursday evening, while the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul southbound passenger train was standing at the depot
here, two nervy sneak thieves entered tho [sic - the] first-class coach and
stole there from two grips and an overcoat, the property
*********
Book Page 117
of
Ira Whitney, the well-known traveling man. The act was witnessed by a number
of passengers, who state that the men raised the
window and passed the grips and coat out, and the coolness shown by them lead to
the belief that Mr. Whitney had sent some one from the hotel after them. The
straps of one of the grips were found near the depot. There is no clue to the
thieves, and they have probably made their escape.
The city seems to be in possession of
thieves and thugs, and the people should take measures to relieve the community
of their presence.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII, Number 27
[Saturday, October 26., 1895]., page 1., column 4
WEAR GUNS.
The American Express company
messengers on this division of the Chicago & North-Western now look like
cowboys. An order was recently issued compelling them to carry huge revolvers
belted to their waists while on their runs.
The Range-Tribune. , Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
27 [Saturday., October 26., 1895]., page 1, column 6
CUT TO PIECES.
----
Charles Dahl, a Lumberman, Horribly Mangled by a Train.
The remains of Charles Dahl, a
lumberman, were brought to Iron Mountain last Thursday morning in a cracker box
by the section crew of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. He had
been literally cut to pieces, and the head was smashed to a pulp. Dahl was
employed in Nelson LaPlant's lumber camp at the Summit. He had spent Monday and
Tuesday in town and left here on Wednesday for the camp in an intoxicated
condition. Arriving at the camp, he had some trouble with the fore man and was
discharged. At two o'clock in the afternoon he left, the camp to walk to Iron
Mountain. He was intoxicated at that time and had a supply of liquor on his
person. It is the general opinion that, by the time he reached this side of the
river, he had become too intoxicated to navigate and went to sleep on the track,
when he was run over by the south-bound passenger train. The remains were
discovered by a couple of hunters. Dahl came here a short time ago from
Marinette. Coroner Cudlip held an inquest yesterday and a verdict was rendered
in accordance with the above facts.
The Range-Tribune., Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII, Number
28 [Saturday., November 2., 1895]., page 1., column 4
C.F. DUTTON, who built the Milwaukee & Northern railroad into Iron Mountain, is now conducting a large farm near Wausaukee, and is proving a most successful granger. He is pleased with the life, and probably will never return to railroading.
The Range-Tribune., Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII, Number
28 [Saturday., November 2., 1895]., page 1., column 5
The Chicago & North-Western have established a station at Loretto.
The Range-Tribune., Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
30 [Saturday., November 16., 1895]., page 1., column 5
*********
Book Page 118
Alonzo
Harding, the Chicago and North-Western brakeman who was injured in [a] wreck
near Crystal Falls recently, died on Tuesday. He was injured internally.
...
The extension of the Chicago and
North-Western road from the Pewabic to the Millie and Walpole mines, has been
fully decided upon, and the survey was completed this week. This will give the
company a loop line around the eastern part of the city.
...
Charles Hatch, the Chicago, Milwaukee
& St. Paul baggageman, telegraphed to Justice Bergeron that he was guilty of
the charge of accepting deer for shipment without coupons attached, and he was
assessed ten dollars and costs. J.M. Clifford paid the assessment.
The Range-Tribune. , Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII, Number
30 [Saturday., November 16., 1895]., page 1., column 6
Deputy Game Warden Avery was assulted [sic - assaulted] by the express messenger and baggageman on the Chicago & North-Western southbound train last Saturday evening while in the performance of his duty. He came out of the scrimmage with flying colors and a bruised knee. Avery says he is going to have his assail ants arrested, but he hasn't caught them yet. On the other hand the railroad men say they have orders to shot [sic - shoot] the first man that attempts to enter the express and baggage car between stations, and claim they were justified in giving the warden a warm reception.
The Range-Tribune. , Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
31 [Saturday., November 23., 1895]., page 1., column 2
COMING NORTH.
----
Wis. and Mich. May Extend Next Year -- Four More Car Ferries.
The Wisconsin & Michigan railway system will surely be extended to the iron region next year, said an official of that road this morning to an Eagle reporter. The promises of business from that region for the new line will necessitate the construction of four or six new car ferries also. It will be the shortest and most available route to the manufacturing plants of Chicago. The business on the line this summer since the car ferries started have [sic] been more than the company could handle and many cars have been refused. Wheat is now standing on the sidetrack at Bagley Junction awaiting shipment to Chicago. That the projectors of the new road knew what they were doing seems more evident every day.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVII, Number 33
[Saturday, December 7, 1895]., page 1, column 5
THE BLOCK SYSTEM.
----
Now Being Installed on This Division of the St. Paul Railroad.
W.J. Soule, chief of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul telegraph system, is now engaged with a crew of men in
putting in the block system of signals on this division. The signal station was
put in here on Monday and Tuesday last, and the men are now working north toward
Champion and Ontonagon. The block system will permit of [sic] the handling of
trains with a much greater degree of safety in the future and tail-end
collisions will become things of the past. For instance, if there were two
southbound trains at this station, No. 1 would have to reach
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Book Page 119
Summit before No. 2 would be released and permitted to go on its way. Thus the trains would be kept one station apart until their destination was reached. The system will necessitate the establishment of telegraph stations at Summit [and] at Traders Junction, with night and day operators, and the employment of night men at only way stations.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVII, Number 36
[Saturday, December 28, 1895], page 1, column 2
WHISKY'S WAGES.
----
One Man Killed and Two Others Badly Injured Near Balsam.
Three Polanders -- Joseph Denkensky, John Powlak and Frank Wachowsky -- all
under the influence of liquor, laid down on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul track near Balsam last Sunday morning to sleep off their jag. In
consequence of their indiscretion, Denkensky is dead, Powlak is so badly injured
that his recovery is not expected, and Wachowsky will require medical attendance
for some weeks.
The men were employed in one of the
lumber camps in that neighborhood. They had spent the night in drinking, and
were on their way to Amasa for another sup ply of liquor. They were struck by a
special northbound freight train, which left here last Saturday night in charge
of Conductor Beech.
The accident occurred at about 7:30
o'clock in the morning, one mile from Balsam. The timber is very heavy at this
point, and the weather being very foggy, made it impossible for Engineer Elliott
[to] see any great distance in advance of his engine. When the men were
discovered asleep on the track it was too late to bring the train to a
standstill, though running at a low rate of speed. Denkensky was the first man
struck, and he was lying directly across the track. He was cut to pieces. Powlak
was only partly on the track and he had both legs ground to a pulp. Wachowsky
was lying near Powlak and when the cowcatcher struck Powlak he was thrown to one
side and in this way escaped with but few bruises. The body of Denkensky and the
injured men were taken to Amasa, where they were cared for at the expense of the
railroad company. Denkensky and Powlak came from Stiles Junction and Wachowsky
from Pulaski, Wisconsin.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII, Number 38
[Saturday., January 11., 1896]., page 1, column 3
AFTER THE RAILROADS.
----
They Must Maintain Flagmen at the Principal Street Crossings.
At the Monday evening meeting of the common council Alderman Karkeet introduced
an ordinance making it compulsory for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and
Chicago & North-Western railroads to maintain flagmen at the Fleshiem,
Brown, Ludington, Hughitt, A and B street crossings forthwith, and at any other
crossing which the council may designate after ten days notice has been given.
The ordinance also provides that it shall be unlawful to permit any locomotive,
train or car to stop and remain standing, nor to switch back and forth so as to
cause obstruction to the passage of vehicles and persons for a longer period
than five minutes.
Also, that the council may direct the
companies to maintain lights at the several crossings, the same to be kept
burning the entire night.
For violation of the section in
relation to flagmen a fine of $50 is provided for. For violation of the other
provisions a fine of $5 per day is the limit named.
The ordinance was adopted by a vote
of six to one, and takes effect on the
*********
Book
Page 120
first
of February.
The ordinance is a good one and we
hope it will be rigidly enforced.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVII, Number 38
[Saturday, January 11, 1896], page 5, column 3
The work of equipping this division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road with the block system has been completed, and as soon as the rules have been pre pared it will be placed in operation. This will necessitate the employment of a dozen or more telegraph operators.
The Range-Tribune., Iron Mountain, Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
39 [Saturday., January 18., 1896]., page 1., column 6
LARGE LOCOMOTIVES.
The new passenger locomotives being
put on the various divisions of the Chicago & North-Western, [sic] road are
said to cost the company $15,000 each delivered. They stand fifteen feet high
and weigh ninety tons each. Several of these monsters are now in use on the
peninsula division.
The Range-Tribune. , Iron Mountain., Dickinson County, Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
40 [Saturday., January 25., 1896]., page 1., column 3
FOR SAVING LIVES.
----
Appliances Being Put on the St. Paul Road's Rolling Stock.
The shops of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul are now engaged in equipping the rolling stock with the safety appliances called for by the inter-state commerce act. The law requires that all cars shall be fitted up with automatic couplers, and that all trains be controlled by air brakes by January 1st, 1898, its object being to do away with the necessity of employes going between cars to make couplings or riding on the top of moving trains. The St. Paul road has equipped 35 per cent. of its cars with air brakes and 40 per cent. with automatic couplers up to the present time. When the law was passed there was no suitable coupler on the market and the work has not been hurried until recently. A new coupler, the Hien, has been adopted and is being applied to 250 cars a month. The system of signaling will go into use next Monday, it is now expected.
The Range-Tribune. , Iron Mountain., Dickinson County, Michigan., Volume XVII, Number
41 [Saturday., February 1., 1896], page 1., column 2
THE DEPOT WRECKED.
----
Result of a Collision at Pembine Last Wednesday Morning.
Last Wednesday morning, a bad wreck occurred at Pembine Junction, delaying the morning passenger train several hours. A log train on the St. Paul road ran through a Soo Line special freight, which was standing on the crossing. The engine and a number of cars were derailed and badly smashed. One of the cars jumped onto the platform and plunged into the depot. The night operator, thinking the world had come to an end, dove through a rear window, taking the sash with him, and was badly cut around the neck. The telegraph connections were all broken and confusion reign ed supreme. The engineer and fireman on the St. Paul train jumped in time to avoid injury. The track was cleared sufficiently for trains to pass at ten o'clock. Car-
********
Book Page 121
penters are now at work repairing the depot. The accident is chargeable to the carelessness of both train crews.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVII., Number 41
[Saturday, February 1, 1896], page 1, column .3
COLLISIONS IMPOSSIBLE.
----
The Block System Now in Operation on the St. Paul Railroad.
Last Monday afternoon at exactly one o'clock, the Lake Superior division of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, 238 miles in length, was for the
first time operated under the block system. The placing of the necessary
apparatus was completed some weeks ago, but it was deemed best not to put the
system in operation until the operators had been thoroughly drilled, which
required some little time.
The blocks are on an average about
six miles apart, which requires the maintenance of night and day telegraph
operators at the end of each block. Only one train can occupy the line between
two blocks at one time. While the train occupies this stretch of track the
blocks at each end are locked so that trains following cannot pass until the
other train has passed the next block and six miles of track are unobstructed.
Thus a train between blocks has the exclusive right of way, and is in no danger
of plunging into another on some sharp curve. Should a train be derailed, or any
other accident happen, it is not possible for any train to pass the blocks until
the track is clear.
The form of signal used is the
double-arm semaphore, which consists of a mast with two arms near the top, one
on each side. A horizontal position of the arm signifies danger and is a signal
to stop, while a vertical position of the arm indicates that the track is clear
and that the train may proceed safely. In the night lights are displayed, a red
light indicating danger while a white light indicates a clear track.
The normal position of these signals
is at "danger," where they always remain unless held at
"clear" by the operator. When a train approaches one of these signals
if the track is clear to the next station the signal is changed to
"clear." When the train passes it resumes its position of
"danger" and is held there until the train which is on that block
passes out of it. Only in certain cases and upon the issuance of a written
permit can more than one train at a time occupy one of these blocks.
The placing of the system in
operation, and the employment of some thirty or forty additional operators, has
cost the company a large sum of money, but the change is one that will be
thoroughly appreciated by the traveling public, as it removes all danger of
collisions of all kinds.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County, Michigan., Volume XVII., Number 43
[Saturday, February 15, 1896]., page 1, column 3
CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.
----
Brakeman Max Jaeger Loses an Arm and is Hurt Internally.
Last Monday morning, while engaged in coupling cars near D shaft, Max Jaeger, a Chicago & North-Western brakeman, met with an accident which resulted in the amputating of his right arm near the shoulder. The cars he was attempting to couple were loaded with ties and when they were shunted together the end stakes broke, permitting a number of the ties to topple over on to Jaeger, crushing him to the track, with his right arm over the rail. He was taken to St. George's hospital,
*********
Book Page 122
where the operation was performed. Dr. Crowell says that Mr. Jaeger is very poorly, and he fears that the man is badly injured internally. He is about twenty-seven years of age, a resident of the second ward, and has a wife and two small children.
----
A NEW PASSENGER DEPOT.
Supt. Minturn, of the St. Paul road,
has promised Agent Clifford a fine brick and stone passenger depot in the
spring. It may be located in the vicinity of Ludington stree[t].
The Range-Tribune. , Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
43 [Saturday., February 15., 1896]., page 1., column 5
FLAGMEN AT THE CROSSINGS.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
now maintains flagmen at Brown, Fleshiem, Ludington, Hughitt and B streets. An
electric bell, which will ring vigorously upon the approach of trains, will be
placed at the A street crossing. It is probable that the North-Western will
maintain much the same service.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
44 [Saturday., February 22., 1896]., page 1., column 3
AN IRON-CLAD ORDER.
----
The C. & N.-W. Will Discharge Men for Using Intoxicating Liquors.
The Chicago & North-Western railway officials have issued an iron-clad order to the effect that in the future an employe indulging in intoxicating liquor, on or off duty, will be promptly discharged. The idea is that a man who will indulge in the drink habit while off duty, will be very likely to do so slyly while on duty, hence the iron-clad order which contemplates the protection of life and property both of the public and company. The traveling public will endorse the order -- and so will a majority of the employes.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
46 [Saturday, March 7., 1896]., page 1., column 2
HEADLIGHT FLASHES.
----
Chicago & North-Western architects are now preparing plans for a handsome eating-house and hotel to be erected at once mid-way between Spaulding [sic] and Powers. When the new eating-house is ready for business the one at Marinette will be closed.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
48 [Saturday., March 21., 1896]., page 1, column 6
A SAD ACCIDENT.
----
J.P. Devaney Falls from a Car and Fractures His Skull.
*********
Book page 123
Yesterday morning, J.P. Devaney, a switchman employed in the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul yards, met with an accident that may terminate fatally. While assisting in doing some switching he fell from the top of a box-car, striking squarely on his head, fracturing his skull. The injured man was conveyed to the St. George hospital, where an operation was performed to relieve the pressure on the brain. He was still alive last night, but very low, and Drs. Cameron and Crowell are not very hopeful of his recovery. Devaney is a very large man, weighing over 220 pounds, and it is a great wonder he was not instantly killed. He is a newly married man and a recent arrival here.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
52 [Saturday., April 18., 1896]., page 1, column 2
HEADLIGHT FLASHES.
----
No Extensions, No New Depot, Says Superintendent Minturn.
Division Superintendent Minturn, of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road, was in the city last Wednesday morning. In conversation with The Range-Tribune Mr. Minturn expressed the belief that his company, owing to the tightness of the money market, would build neither the Marquette range or the copper country extensions this year. For the same reason the fine passenger depot which had been promised Iron Mountain would not be erected until 1897. The St. Paul company has a large surplus in its treasury, but it is policy for the executive committee to expend none in building extensions.
----
The Chicago & North-Western company has just promulgated one of the strictest orders ever given on account of liquor and employment by the company, says the Escanaba Mirror. The company has several times reinstated men who have been laid off for drunkenness, and so often has it found the leniency useless that the following notice has finally been issued: "No member of any brotherhood or employe of the railroad, engineer, fireman, conductor or brakeman will hereafter be rein stated and no grievance or grievance committee will be listened to on behalf of any person who has been dropped on account of such action. Being seen entering or coming out of a saloon, or even smelling whisky upon the breath of an employe, will be considered sufficient cause for discharge."
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain., Dickinson County., Michigan., Volume XVII., Number
52 [Saturday., April 18., 1896]., page 1., column 4
THEY'LL BE GOOD.
----
Daniel French and John Vivian Are Released from Prison.
On Saturday last, Governor Rich caused joy in two Iron Mountain households by signing an order releasing from the branch state prison at Marquette Daniel French and John Vivian. French and Vivian were tried and convicted of the crime of breaking into a Chicago & North-Western freight car and taking there from a miscellaneous assortment of merchandise, and Judge Stone sentenced them, in July last, to one year at hard labor in the above named prison. The young men are released under the provisions of "an act to authorize and regulate the paroling of convicts." Under this law French and Vivian will remain in the legal custody and under the control of the governor, and shall be subject at any time to be returned to prison for any
*********
Book Page 124
reason that shall be satisfactory to the governor, and at his discretion.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 10
[Saturday, June 27, 1896], page 2, column 4
A CHILD MUTILATED.
As the accommodation train was
backing up to the station at Metropolitan Thurs day noon, of last week, a little
daughter of Angus McKinnon and wife, who had come to the station to meet her
parents, returning from a trip to this city, stepped upon the track barely six
feet from the advancing train. Nobody was near enough to rescue the little one
(she is only three years old,) nor could the train be stopped and the little
child was knocked down and run over by the caboose, one of her legs were [sic]
cut off above the knee and the toes of the other foot crushed. She did not lose
consciousness and when her mother reached her said[,] "Mamma, I was coming
to meet you."
The many friends of Mr. and Mrs.
McKinnon in this city sympathize deeply with them in their terrible affliction.
--Port.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 10
[Saturday, June 27, 1896], page 8, column 1
Health Officer Crowell has ordered the destruction of all surface closets [out houses] in the rare [sic - rear] of buildings on Stephenson avenue. It ought not be necessary in this enlightened age to coerce people to keep their premises wholesome when the facilities are at hand to do so, [sic] We hope the health officer did not forget to include the Northwestern depot in his order. No public place needs a sewer connection more.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 10
June 27, 1896], page 8, column 2
Last Friday night, between 9 and 10 o'clock, a tramp who was lying asleep on the railroad track between East Vulcan and Sturgeon River, was run over by an ore train and his body so mangled that recognition was impossible. The remains were gathered and taken to Norway. He was five feet eight or nine inches high and of dark complexion. A whetstone, comb and an empty tobacco bag was [sic] found in his pockets.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 16
[Saturday, August 8, 1896], page 1, column 5
WRECK AT THE CHAPIN.
----
Two Trains Attempt to Pass on the Same Track With Usual Results.
Wednesday, just before six o'clock, a
train of ten loaded ore cars was being let down from the C shaft of the Chapin
mine, and at the same time a train of empties was being pushed up from the main
track. It was during the hardest part of the rain, which probably accounts for
the train men not seeing each other in sea son to prevent the collision. The
trains met just back of the Chapin mine office, and a bad smashup occurred. One
of the locomotives was rolled down the embankment and lay bottom up, while
several cars were smashed up and scattered about on both sides of the track. The
other locomotive was also considerably damaged. Fortunately the train men jumped
in time to save themselves and no one was hurt. The wrecking train was put to
work early next morning gathering up the pieces, and
*********
Book Page 125
the track is now clear.
----
KILLED BY LIGHTNING.
One of the section men working on the
C. M. & St. P. at Channing, named John Poronto, was killed by lightning
Tuesday afternoon while engaged in lighting the switch lamps near the station.
When found he was lying beside the track, his hair was singed and marks of the
fatal stroke were upon his body.
From Coroner Cudlip we learn the
following particulars about the death of John Poronto, the unfortunate section
hand who was killed by lightning at Channing Tues day afternoon. He was about 53
years of age and wore a G.A.R. [Grand Army of the Republic -- Civil War veteran]
badge. Was probably a member of some Wisconsin post. He was lighting the switch
lamps in the station yard and was just about to light the last one when the
fatal bolt struck him. It hit him fair on the top of the head; tore out the
crown of the felt hat he wore, and made a slight mark on his scalp. His hair was
burned, and his left shoulder crushed. Evidently the man was instantly killed.
He leaves two families of children -- four grown up sons and a young wife and
two small children. His remains were taken down on the C. M. & St.
P. Wednesday evening to Coleman for interment.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 16
[Saturday, August 8, 1896], page 1, column 6
BADLY BRUISED.
Terrance O'Brien, a fireman on the C.
& N.W., was squeezed between a box car and the platform at the depot
Thursday and badly bruised about the chest and hips, but no bones were broken.
He was taken to St. George['s] hospital, where he is receiving the best of
attention, and will be ready for duty again before very long.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 17
[Saturday, August 15, 1896], page 2, column 2
Terrance O'Brien, who was so seriously injured in the North Western yards last Thursday, has recovered sufficiently to be out of the hospital. Mr. O'Brien will leave today for his home in Escanaba, where he will remain until he has fully re covered from the accident which came so near ending the young man's life.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 47
[Saturday, March 20, 1897], page 1, column 4
WM. MACK WILL DIE
----
Well Known and Popular St. Paul Brakeman Met with a Fatal Injury Last Night.
----
HEAD SQUEEZED BY CARS.
----
Taken to St. George's Hospital where He Lies Unconscious.
Relatives Arrived from Antigo. Real Name is MacNamara.
Was Known as Billy Mack. Head Brakeman for Conductor Havey.
----
[From Wednesday's Daily Tribune.]
Win. MacNamara, a St. Paul brakeman,
known here as "Billy Mack," lies unconscious on a cot in the St.
George hospital suffering from a serious accident met
*********
Book Page 126
with
while coupling cars at Channing, a small station on the St. Paul branch near
Ontonagon.
The accident occurred shortly after
seven o'clock last night. MacNamara stepped between the engine and a flat car
containing a load of logs. Two of the immense heavy logs projected and when the
car and tender came together the victim's head was caught between the two,
mashing it almost to a jelly. He was held there only for one instant when
rescued by another brakeman. An engine was hurriedly attached to a caboose and
the lad was brought to this city and taken to the St. George hospital. His
wounds were dressed and the victim made as comfortable as possible. During the
operation at the hospital he never once regained conscious ness, and at noon
today, when his relatives, who come from Antigo, called at the hospital they
found their son sinking rapidly. Win. MacNamara is about 21 years of age, and at
the time of the accident was employed as head brakeman on conductor John Havey's
train running between Channing and Ontonagon. He was well known in this city,
where he went by the name of Mack, although his right name was Mac Namara.
A SECOND ACCIDENT.
Shortly after twelve o'clock last
night Win. Erskine, a lumber jack, was run over by a train of cars switching in
the St. Paul yards of this city. How he managed to get on the track or what
induced him to loiter there at that time of night is a mystery that the St. Paul
officials are unable to solve.
When pulled from beneath the cars it
was found that the man's arm was horribly lacerated, every bone being broken.
The victim was taken to St. George hospital where he will be obliged to suffer
an amputation today. Erskine has been employed during the winter at one of Gov.
Scofield's logging camps, and came her yesterday to draw his winter's savings.
When taken to the hospital he had but two cents on his person.
The Range Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 45
April 3, 1897], page 8, column 4
William McNamara, the brakeman whose skull was fractured by being struck by a car at Channing recently, is still alive at the St. George hospital and may possibly recover. His skull was trepanned and after the pressure of the fractured bone upon the brain was removed he regained consciousness. While his condition is still very critical his friends have some hope of his recovery
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 46
[Saturday, April 10, 18971, page 1, column 5
OFF FOR THE DRIVE.
----
"Lumber Jacks" are Leaving the City Now to Commence Driving.
----
The St. Paul depot platform was crowded Wednesday with "lumber jacks"
ready to go on the spring drive. Attached to the north bound passenger train was
one extra coach filled with men engaged by the Fence River Logging Co. They were
joined here by fully one hundred men.
Word has been received that the
streams are opening up and the ice has so far disappeared that there are
favorable indications that the work will be started immediately.
The Kirky [sic - Kirby] Carpenter Co.
will employ over a hundred men driving the Paint river and they expect to send
up some crews in a week or so. Several hundred men will be employed on the drive
and these men will be going up steadily
**********
Book Page 127
from now on.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 46
[Saturday,, April 10, 189?], page 2, column 5
TAKEN TO QUINNESEC
----
Dwelling House Loaded on Flat Cars Moved With Much Difficulty
----
The Northwestern Railroad company Thursday moved one of its dwellings from the vicinity of the Emergency Hospital to Quinnesec, where it will be utilized as a dwelling for one of the company's employes. The structure was loaded on two flat cars and considerable difficulty was experienced in running the train with its unique load of freight. The line men were obliged to cut a number of wires to allow the train to pass beneath the overhanging strands stretching across the tracks.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 51
[Saturday, April 17, 1897], page 1, column 4
STRUCK BY A TIE
----
St. Paul Railroad Employe Seriously Injured at Wausaukee.
----
BROUGHT HERE ON A SPECIAL
----
Taken
to the St. George Hospital for Treatment.
Leg was Broken and Several Ugly Bruises Found on His Body.
The Victim Lives at Styles, Wis.
----
John Dericks, a middle aged man employed by the St. Paul railroad at Wausaukee, was brought to this city Thursday on a special train and taken to the St. George hospital suffering from a broken leg and several severe and ugly bruises. Derrick's [sic] home is at Styles [sic], Wis., but he was employed with the tie gang at Wausaukee. Shortly after 10 o'clock Thursday forenoon, while in the act of "snagging" a heavy log that lay across the road, the victim was struck by one of the ties with a force sufficient to break his leg. He was knocked to the ground and dragged for some distance before his companions could get to him. After Derick was extricated from his perilous position it was discovered that the man was seriously injured. The foreman telegraphed to Agent Clifford for instructions and he wired a return message ordering the injured man to be brought on a special train. The hospital physicians set the fractured member and dressed the wounds on the body caused by being dragged through the bush. Dericks is now resting easy, and although he will recover from his injuries, it will be many weeks before he can resume his former position on the road.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XVIII, Number 51
[Saturday, April 17, 1897], page 2, column 1
William McNamara, the St. Pau[l] brakeman, who was recently injured at Channing, is rapidly recovering at the St. George Hospital. He is now able to walk around and is slowly recovering his eyesight.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number I
Saturday, May 2, 189?], page 1, column 4
*********
Book Page 128
HOBOS GALORE.
----
A Well Organized Gang are Keeping Tavern at Lawndale.
----
HAVE A CITY DIRECTORY
Which Describes the Streets with Reference marks on the Margin of the Maps.
They know Which of the the [sic] Houses are easy to Work
and where Dogs are Kept.
----
No town in the upper peninsula is bothered more with hobos than Iron Mountain,
and a well organized gang are [sic] making their headquarters in a little shanty
at Lawndale. Almost every house in the city is visited by these people, who
solicit "hand outs" from door to door, and when one of the
missionaries gets all the "chuck" he can comfortably carry, he struts
off to the headquarters and turns it into [sic] the commissionary department of
his "lodge." In this way and what they can steal from people living in
the vicinity a goodly supply is kept in store.
The police are active in their
endeavor to break up the gang, but no sooner do they succeed in running a
portion of them out of town than another gang take [sic] their place. From one
of the police officers who visited the camp at Lawndale, the reporter learns
that one of the old-timers is at work on a combination map, text book and
directory of Iron Mountain, such as is used in other towns.
The officer says he saw a copy of an
original drawing of the city of Iron Mountain, which gives the streets with
reference marks on the margin of the map, which correspond with marks in certain
localities which are designated as "easy to work," others where money
is obtained, and also where there are dogs, so that when there is a want to be
filled, the "Brigadier General" knows exactly where to send for it.
The police intend to rid the city of this gang of hobos, and no efforts will be
spared to bring about the desired result.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 6
[Saturday, June 5, 1897], page 1, column 6
UNDER THE CARS.
----
Thirteen Year Old Boy Falls Beneath a Moving Ore Train on the Northwestern Road.
----
WHEELS PASS OVER HIS ARM
----
Severed That Member From the Body.
The Nervy Lad Walked Unaided to Seek the Assistance of a Physician.
Today he Laughs and Jokes With Visitors.
----
Alexander Langlois, the thirteen year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Langlois, 708 West
Flesheim [sic] street, met with a serious accident shortly before eight o' clock
Monday morning, which resulted in the loss of his left arm.
The young lad with several companions
left his home about 7:30 for a day's fishing at Bass Lake, two miles north of
this city. The story as related today by the boy, is to the effect that he and
his companions were walking north on the Northwestern tracks and when near the
coal sheds attempted to pass between two strings of cars. The victim of the
accident was walking ahead of the party when one of the boys in the rear called
to him. He stopped and turned around when instantly the train forged ahead, a
projecting bolt catching his clothing and throwing him to the ground. His arm
was thrown directly under the moving wheels of the
*********
Book Page 129
ore
train, which passed over that member almost severing it from the body. That the
little fellow is a nervy youngster was made apparent when he crawled to his feet
and started for the residence of Dr. Cameron near by [sic]. He did not realize
the extent of his injury as the arm was held in the coat sleeve by a shred of
flesh that clung to the shoulder. Before reaching the Doctor's residence young
Langlois was met by an acquaintance in a buggy who assisted the lad in the rig
and hurriedly drove him to the St. George Hospital.
Drs. Crowell and Cameron were called
in and amputated the arm near the shoulder. Today the lad is feeling remarkably
well considering the terrible ordeal he was required to pass through, and with
his sisters, who are with him at his bed side, he laughs and jokes as though his
terrible misfortune was a trifling matter.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 7
[Saturday, June 12, 1897], page 1, column I
KEEP TAB ON TICKERS
----
St. Paul Railroad Men's Watches to be Closely Inspected for Accuracy.
----
Ed. Neubauer, who was recently appointed local inspector of the watches of employes of the St. Paul railway, has already begun his work. Under an ordinance which took effect June 1, every employe in the traffic department or anyway [sic] concerned in the handling of trains must before July 1 provide himself with a watch of a specified grade. All watches now in use are to be inspected and all those which do not come up to the standard of not more than 30 seconds variation a week must be replaced by new ones. Beginning June 15 all watches must be inspected once a week, and a careful record will be kept of all inspections. This inspection sys tem will be enforced all along the road, its object being to insure improved efficiency in train service and to provide additional safeguards against accident.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 11
[Saturday, July 10, 1897], page 8, column 3
There is a new official in the service of the Northwestern railway who is the inspector of uniforms and coaches. It is his duty to bob up any where [sic] on the company's lines and make an inspection of the uniforms work by the employes and to note the condition of the coaches. It is a good thing and will result in better appearance all around. It will also be effectual in keeping the coaches of the road in far better condition than heretofore.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 13
[Saturday, July 24, 1897], page 1, columns 2—3
'TWAS A MIRACLE.
----
The Escape from Death Wednesday of R. Lindberg, a Switchman on the Northwestern.
----
PINIONED 'NEATH THE CARS.
----
Ten Ore Cars Piled in a Heap in the Yard in this City.
Switchman Buried Beneath Them.
Held there by a Rod Across His Neck for Thirty long Minutes.
Three Hundred People Watch the work of rescuers.
----
*********
Book Page 130
What was apparently the direct agency of the Almighty power, was the miraculous
escape from a shocking death of Robert Lindberg Wednesday as he lay pinioned
beneath a wreck in the Northwestern yards, groaning with pain and pleading and
praying to his rescuers to hasten the heroic efforts being made to save the
young man's life.
Shortly after 11 o'clock Wednesday
forenoon the ore train from the Pewabic mine, containing thirty loaded cars,
came rumbling down the spur leading into the city. The string was being pushed
by engine No. 724, and when a short distance this side of the Stephenson avenue
crossing, the rails of the track spread and the cars left the track. The first
and second cars became embedded in the sand and stopped the progress of the
train. Instantly the loaded cars at the end of the string began to pile up into
a heap, and before the engineer could be signaled ten of them were off the
track, twisted, broken, upturned, and lying in the ditch along side the track.
At the time the accident occurred
Switchman Robert Lindberg, whose miraculous escape from death has been noted,
was standing on the first car facing the engine in the rear. He felt the jolt
caused by the car striking the ties. Lindberg started back running the full
length of three cars, when he either jumped or was knock ed off the train,
falling between and under the wreck, where he was tightly pinion ed by a heavy
bar across his neck, while tons of ore covered his chest and arms.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
In this position the man was found by
his companions a moment later, and as soon after as possible a gang of
Northwestern employes were on the ground with picks and shovels, and the work of
rescue was begun.
In the meantime the news of the
wreck, and the report that a man was killed, spread like wild fire over the
city. Dr. Crowell, the company's physician, was notified and he drove to the
scene of the accident.
In less than ten minutes from the
time of the wreck occurred the tracks and streets adjoining were black with
people. Fully 300 were there jamming and crowding, climbing upon the the [sic]
wreck, asking questions and offering suggestions, while bicycles, express wagons
and carriages, with their occupants, came tearing down the road, everyone eager
to hear just how the shocking affair occurred.
The rescuing party worked heroically
while the victim of the accident lay groaning beneath the debris. Picks,
shovels, jack-screws and crowbars were employed to assist the men in the work.
For fully thirty minutes the heroic work of rescue was continued. Lindberg's
chest and arms were buried beneath the ore, while his head rested on the ground.
An iron bar lay directly across the man 's neck and it was this that required so
much time and work to remove. Finally the rescuers succeeded in extricating
Lindberg and the fellow, with apparent little pain or effort, sat up and drank a
cup of water. After he had emerged from the debris, and while being assisted to
a carriage in waiting, a mighty cheer went up from the 300 people who had been
watching with breathless interest, the work of rescue
INJURIES WERE SLIGHT.
Lindberg was taken to the St. George hospital where Dr. Crowell made an
examination of his wounds. With the exception of a slight bruise on the temple
and a scratch on the wrist and back of the right ear, the man was not injured in
any way [sic]. An hour after being taken to the hospital the patient walked to
his home on East C street.
It is reported that the wreck
Wednesday was caused by two boys who were meddling with the switch. They partly
opened it and were unable to close it again and ran off and left it when they
heard the train approaching. Switches are sup posed to be locked at all times
but as this switch is on a side track and constantly in use the caution of
locking it seems to have been sometimes omitted. It is
*********
Book Page 131
fortunate no loss of life attended the accident.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 36
` [Saturday, November 20, 189?], page 5, column 4
MORE THAN A COACH LOAD.
----
St. Paul Dumped That Many Woodsmen Off at Goodman's Spur Thursday.
----
Fred Carney, Jr., brought 75 men from Marinette Thursday morning and dumped the load at Goodman's Spur, seven miles south of here on the C. M. & St. Paul road. They will build a new camp nearGoodman's [sic - near Goodman's] Spur, a mile or so from Summit. The Fence River Logging company have [sic] a number of Camps [sic] in the vicinity of Iron Mountain and several hundred men are employed by this firm.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 31
Saturday, November 27, 1897], page 1, column 5
STRUCK BY A TRAIN
----
Amelia Dahl Hurled Thro the Air and Lands in a Ditch at Spread Eagle.
----
GIRL'S LEG BROKEN AT THE ANKLE.
----
Besides That She Received Several Scratches and a General Shaking Up.
Tried to Flag the Northwestern Passenger Train.
----
Miss Amelia Dahl,
sister-in-law of Fred Freman [sic], section boss for the Northwestern road at
Spread Eagle, was struck by the west bound passenger train Sunday morning while
flagging the train near the curve at that station.
Miss Dahl lives with her sister, Mrs.
Freman, at the section house a mile this side of the station. Sunday morning she
arranged for a visit with friends in Florence, and was taken to the little
station at Spread Eagle on a hand car. Be fore reaching the station the west
bound passenger train was heard coming, and the hand car was stopped and lifted
from the rails. The girl hurried on ahead, hoping to reach the station before
the arrival of the train. Just after rounding the curve she turned about, and
stepping to the side of the track, stood flagging the approaching engine and
coaches. She stayed too near the track, however, and when the engine passed her
the girl was struck by a projecting bar and hurled several feet in the air
alighting in a heap of brush and rocks at the bottom of the embankment several
feet away. Her left leg was broken at the ankle and she received several bruises
and a general shaking up.
The train was stopped and the girl
picked up. She was carried into the passenger coach and taken to Florence where
she was given surgical attendance.
The young lady was about 20 years of age and has spent much of her time in Florence and Commonwealth. She was once employed as a domestic in the home of Prof. Eakin at Florence and also lived with Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins at Commonwealth.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 31
[Saturday, November 27, 1897], page 5, column 5
TIES ON THE TRACK.
----
An Effort to Wreck a Northwestern Train Near Powers.
----
DETECTIVES WORKING ON THE CASE.
*********
Book Page 132
----
Ties Were Chained to the Rails on the Bridge Just Above that Station.
Terrible Disaster Averted -- Occurred Last Week.
----
The fact has just been made known that an attempt was made one night last week to wreck a C. & N.W. passenger train near Powers, and but for the appearance of some people who happened along, and noticing the trap hurried back to flag the train, a terrible disaster would have been the result.
TIES WERE CHAINED.
The would-be train wreckers had chained ties to the rails on the bridge just
above Powers and a little further along several were found chained to a culvert.
Had the train been allowed to thunder along over the bridge it would have been
derailed and the entire train would probably have been precipitated into the
river below.
The Marinette North Star says that
detectives have been put to work on the case and just punishment will be meted
out to the guilty parties if caught.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 37
[Saturday, January 8, 1898], page 7, column 1
KILLED BY THE CARS
----
Runaway Horse with a Cutter Struck by a St. Paul Passenger Train
----
HURLED FIFTY FEET IN THE AIR.
----
Consternation Caused by the Failure to Find the Driver
-- Animal Mangled and Cutter Demolished --
Loss Estimated at $150.
----
The regular south bound passenger train on the C.M. & St. Paul road Sunday night pulled into Iron Mountain fifteen minutes behind schedule time. The delay was caused by an accident that occurred seven miles north of this city near Merriman, in which a valuable driving horse was killed outright and a handsome cutter completely demolished. The horse and cutter was [sic] the property of Captain "Jack" Crego, of the Chapin Location.
HORSE RAN AWAY.
About 7 o'clock Mr. Crego ordered his rig from the stable for the purpose of enjoying a sleigh ride with some member of his family. The horse has been driven but little of late, and was "feeling his oats." The rig was standing in front of Mr. Crego's residence for a moment and suddenly broke away dashing down the avenue in the direction of the railroad tracks. The horse took the Florence road and was soon out of sight of his pursuers.
TOOK THE RAILROAD TRACK.
After reaching a point a few miles north of the Location, the runaway horse took the main track on the St. Paul road and continued his mad run in the direction of Merriman. When a short distance this side of that station the rig was stuck [sic - struck] by the incoming passenger train. A bend in the road at that point prevented the engineer from seeing the dark object in front of him until too late to reverse the engine. The train was making up lost time and when the clash occurred was pounding along the rails at full speed. So was the horse.
*********
Book Page 133
The
animal, with the cutter attached, was hurled fifty feet in the air and was found
about forty feet from the track. The train was brought to a stop and the
trainmen hurried back to the scene of the accident. The horse was found mangled
and dead and the cutter completely demolished. No trace could be found of an
occupant of the rig and some time was spent in searching for the driver, but in
vain.
When the train reached this city the
facts were reported to Agent Clifford, who ordered an investigation[.] The
report of the accident spread rapidly over the city, and the belief that a man
had been killed caused considerable consternation. Mr. Crego valued the dead
animal at $100 and the cutter at $55. He will not be able to recover from the
company.
Iron Mountain Press, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume 2, Number 34
[Thursday, January 13, 1898], page 1, column 4
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN
The Marinette papers are again engaged in the pleasing pastime of extending the Wisconsin & Michigan railroad to Iron Mountain. The report always appears in print at this time of the year. The Eagle states that the extension will surely be built this spring and quotes an authorative [sic - authoritative] source for its information. We hope the rumor may prove true -- this time. If built, the extension will be thirty miles long and will touch Vulcan, Norway and Quinnesec. The cost is estimated at $500,000.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 38
[Saturday, January 15, 1898], page 2, column 2
HERE IS GOOD NEWS.
----
New Railroad for Iron Mountain in the Early Spring.
----
WILL TOUCH OTHER RANGE TOWNS.
----
Wisconsin and Michigan Railway will Build Thirty Miles of New Road
and Iron Mountain will be its Terminus. -- The Object.
----
The hustling young local editor of the Marinette Daily Eagle has scopped us all
on an important railroad item, which will be read with much interest by the
people of Iron Mountain and other towns in Dickinson County.
The Eagle states that the annual
meeting of the Wisconsin & Michigan railway will be held in Marinette next
Tuesday, and they learn from an authoritative source that the company will
decide at this meeting to make an extension of the line to Iron Mountain and
other Menominee Range towns.
Work on the extension will begin in
the spring and the estimated cost of the new road is put at about $50,000 [sic].
The extension will touch Norway, Quinnesec. Vulcan and several of the mining
properties in that vicinity.
The object of the extension is to
secure part at [sic - of] the big ore traffic from the Menominee range to South
Chicago. The Illinois Steel company recently made a big find of ore at Quinnesec
and the Wis. & Mich. may capture the contract for carrying their ore. Ore
docks will have to be constructed at Peshtigo Harbor and the ore shipped by car
ferry.
The new line will be a great thing
for this section. Iron Mountain will be the terminus of the road and that in
itself will be an inducement for many new enterprises and business firms to
establish themselves in this city.
*********
Book Page 134
The extension will cost considerable money as it will be put through a rough and hilly country from Faithhorn [sic] Junction.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 38
[Saturday, January 15, 1898], page 5, column 2
NORTHWESTERN MUST PAY
----
Judgment Rendered Thursday in Justice Miller's Court for Dead Cows.
----
In Justice Miller's court Thursday a judgment was rendered against the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad company in the sum of $130. The case case [sic] on trirl [sic - trial] was brought by Emil Sjogren, Alben Sofhalin and Peter Anderson. The complainants sought to recover for three head of cattle killed by a Northwestern train on a crossing in this city last September.
Iron Mountain Press , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume 2, Number 35
[Thursday, January 20, 1898], page 1, column 5
TRYING TO FLOAT BONDS
An official of the Wisconsin &
Michigan railroad is authority for the statement that the company is now
negotiating a sale of bonds for the extension of the road to Iron Mountain.
Iron Mountain Press, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume 2, Number 36
[Thursday, January 27, 1898], page 1, column 5
WILL COST A TIDY SUM
It is estimated that the proposed and
much discussed extension of the Wisconsin & Michigan railroad from its
present terminus to Iron Mountain will cost the tidy sum of $575,000. The
officials are now endeavoring to float the bonds and will no doubt succeed in
doing so. It is hinted that the Illinois Steel company is encouraging the
enterprise, and it looks very much as if the extension was a certainty.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 40
[Saturday, February 5, 1898], page 1, column 3
UNDER THE WHEELS
----
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Brakeman Loses an Arm.
----
FELL BETWEE[N] TWO MOVING CARS.
----
Dragged a Short Distance -- Foot May Have to be Amputated
--
Victim Has a Wife in Colorado -- Miraculous Escape from a Most Shocking Death.
----
Lying in a cot in the main ward of the St. George Hospital with the stump of his right arm bandaged in yards of white cloth, his right foot done up in the same manner and suffering from many cuts and bruises, quite painful but less dangerous, is Theodore Gardner, a brakeman for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, who was brought to the hospital at 3 o'clock Friday morning more dead than alive. On a slab in the hospital morgue, wrapped securely in a piece of linen, is the right arm and hand of the suffering patient, the skin torn off the full length of the
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Book Page 135
arm
from the wrist up. These pieces of flesh are awaiting interment.
The accident, of which the above
description is the result, occurred at Pori, a small station this side of
Ontonagon, shortly after nine o'clock Thursday night.
Theodore Gardner was employed as
brakeman on a freight train running from Ontonagon south through Iron Mountain.
While the train was pulling into Pori, Gardner ran along the tops of the cars
toward the head end of the train. In the dark ness he missed his footing and
fell between the cars on the tracks below. He was caught by the moving wheels
and dragged and juggled for a considerable distance. First his right foot was
caught by the revolving wheels and in trying to extricate himself from this
entanglement he threw his right arm across the rails, the wheels passed over it
severing the member close to the shoulder and allowing it to roll in the center
of the road bed, where it was picked up by the train crew.
As soon as the injured brakeman was
carried to the caboose an engine was coupled on and the special steamed back to
Ontonagon to secure the services of a surgeon. Dr. Gardner was summoned, who
dressed the wounds and immediately ordered the man brought to this city, where
competent hospital service could be had.
The special reached here about 3
o'clock and the injured man was taken to the St. George. Drs. Crowell and
Cameron were sent for to assist in the second dressing of the stump and to be
consulted as to the possibility as to the saving of the injured foot. An effort
in this direction will be made, but it's one chance in a thousand that the foot
can be saved.
Theodore Gardner is 25 years of age
and has a wife living in Colorado. He has no relatives in this section of the
country. He has been employed on this branch only about a week.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 41
[Saturday, February 12, 1898], page 1, columns 1—2
TRAINS COLLIDE.
----
HORRIBLE DISASTER ON THE C., MIL. & ST. PAUL ROAD.
----
ENGINE, CABOOSE AND THIRTEEN FLAT CARS CRUSHED TO PIECES IN THE WRECK.
----
Conductor and Brakeman Hurled Into Eternity and Their Bodies Crushed and Burned.
----
Blame Laid to Night Operator at Arbutus, who is Placed Under Arrest
by the Authorities.
----
Remains of the Conductor and Brakeman Found Shortly Before Noon,
Mangled, Crushed and Shockingly Burned.
----
Two men were killed, in a rear end collision on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul road one mile south of Arbutus and nine miles from this city shortly after
midnight Thursday night.
The killed are: Conductor Charlie
Anderson, 30 years of age, residing with his wife and two children on South
Carpenter avenue in this city, and Brakeman John Tews, 28 years of age, a
resident of West Green Bay.
HOW THE COLLISION OCCURRED.
An extra log train in charge of Conductor Anderson left this city at 10:50 Thursday night for Green Bay. At Arbutus the train was ordered to pick up afew [sic - a few] cars at Carney's Spur, 1 mile south. At 11:45 a second extra left here in charge of Conductor Babcock for Green Bay and should have, it is said, been held at Arbutus until Anderson's train reported safe at Pembine.
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Book Page 136
OPERATOR WAS SLEEPING.
It is alleged that Henry Hadash, the night operator at Arbutus, was asleep when the second extra pulled into the station. He gave Conductor Babcock the block clear and the second extra pulled out for Pembine. There was a heavy fog and the engineer was unable to see more than twenty feet ahead. The first extra had picked up its cars on the spur and was about to pull out. Conductor Anderson and Brakeman Tews were in the caboose on the main track and little realized the horrible fate that awaited them, nor did they hear the rumbling of the oncoming train on the same track behind.
JUMPED FOR THEIR LIVES.
Extra No. 2, in charge of Conductor Babcock with Engineer John Kern and Fireman Joe Bush coaling, came thundering along the rails. When within twenty feet of the caboose in which Anderson and Tews were sitting, Kern and Bush saw the danger for the first time. Levers were instantly reversed and the engineer and fireman jumped to save their lives. They escaped none too soon, for, in another instant, the snorting engine crashed into the caboose ahead. The impact was terrific. The caboose and thirteen logging cars were completely demolished and piled in a tangled heap on the bank and across the track. The engine of the second extra plowed through the debris for a distance of ten cars length, when it left the rails, broken and demolished.
TWO INSTANTLY KILLED.
The fate of Conductor Chas. Anderson and Brakeman John Tews was a most shocking one. They were sitting in the caboose when the crash came. Their car was crushed to pieces and the two men were buried beneath the wreck. To add to the horror of the disaster the debris caught fire and the flames licked up the dry pieces of splinters from the cars and was gradually eating its way to where lay the crushed and mangled bodies of the two men.
WORK OF RESCUE.
The news of the accident flashed across the wires from here to Green Bay. One wrecking crew was sent from here and another started from Green Bay. The first work of the crew was to subdue the flames and this required about an hour's valuable time. As soon as the fire was put out the men were ordered to search for the bodies of the men killed. The wrecking crew from Green Bay reached the scene of the accident at an early hour, and with those already on the ground the work of rescue was systematically and vigorously prosecuted. Shortly before seven o'clock yesterday, and the hour at which the north bound passenger train is due to pass the spur, the tracks were still heaped with logs and pieces of demolished cars. It was nearly 10 o'clock, nine hours after the accident, before the main track was cleared and the passenger train allowed to proceed on its run north.
SEARCHING FOR THE BODIES.
Immediately after the passenger train passed the scene of the disaster every man of the rescuing party bent his efforts to locate the bodies of the conductor and brakeman. The logs, timbers, car wheels, iron castings and other portions of the wrecked train were piled in a heap fifty feet high and covering a space of ground not more than thirty feet square.
FIRST BODY RECOVERED.
The men labored heroically and at 11 o'clock their efforts were rewarded by the finding of the body of Brakeman John Tews. He was lying on his face, a mangled mass of humanity. Arms and legs were torn to shreds, and one side of his face was crushed by a broken piece of timber. The body wa[s] picked up and placed in a box.
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Book Page 137
About an hour later the men at work came across the body of Conductor Anderson, lying face upward.
FIND ANDERSON'S REMAINS.
The remains of Anderson were, in addition to being mangled, shockingly burned about the head and legs. His right hand was burned to a crisp, while one leg was burned completely away from the body, leaving only the charred bones of that member.
BODIES BROUGHT HERE.
Agent Clifford was present at the
scene of the work of rescue. He directed that the bodies be brought to this
city. A special train consisting of an engine and a caboose brought the remains
of the two victims to Iron Mountain, reaching here at 1 o'clock. They were
placed in charge of Undertaker Robbins and conveyed to the morgue to be prepared
for interment.
FAULT OF THE OPERATOR.
The blame is laid to the operator at
Arbutus, Henry Hadish, a young man about 24 years of age. It is said that he was
sleeping at his post when the second extra pulled into the station. A blast from
the whistle and the noise made by the on coming train wakened him with a start,
and he gave the engineer the block clear when he should have held the train
until the operator at Pembine had reported Anderson's train safely out of the
station. Hardish [sic] was immediately released and the night operator at this
point was sent to take his place.
OPERATOR PLACED UNDER ARREST.
The coroner from Pembine held an
inquest over the remains at noon. No verdict was rendered, but that official
considered the evidence against Henry Hardish [sic] of a nature sufficiently
criminal to warrant his arrest. The young man was taken into custody and
accompanied the officers to Pembine. He admits having been asleep at the time
and offers no excuse for his negligence. He is a bright young man and is popular
with all the employes on the road. He feels his disgrace keenly and has spent
the time since the accident crying like an infant.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 41
[Saturday, February 12, 1898], page 1, column 5
BROKE HIS SKULL.
----
Brakeman on the Narrow Gauge Falls Between Logging Cars.
----
DIED IN AGONY TWO HOURS LATER.
----
One of the Best Employes of the Quinnesec Logging Company --
Has a Wife and Two Children Living on West D Street in this City.
----
Geo. Landricks was brought to this city at an early hour Tuesday suffering from
wounds received in an accident on the narrow gauge road at the Quinnesec Logging
Co's. camp five miles from this city on the Menominee River. While the rig was
being driven through the streets of the city the man breathed his last. The
driver hurried to a physician's office, but when informed that the man was dead
he turned around and drove to Robbin's [sic] undertaking establishment where the
re mains were turned over to the undertaker to be prepared for burial.
The accident that resulted in the
death of Geo. Landricks occurred shortly before six o'clock Tuesday. He was
employed as brakeman by the Quinnesec Logging
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Book Page 138
Co.
The crew left the camp with a train of logs and when the train reached a down
grade in the road Landricks went ahead to set brakes, leaving his lantern on the
load. While in the act of setting the brakes the poor fellow slipped and fell
between the cars. He either struck his head on the rail or a wheel of one of the
cars ran into him. His skull was split open leaving a hole fully four inches
long. He was not missed by the train crew until they reached a water station,
and as he did not make his appearance, as was his custom, the engineer sent his
men back to search for the missing man.
Before the men reached the spot where
Landricks had fallen off, another crew had picked him up. It is said he was
sitting up on the rails holding his head in his hands and groaning with agony. A
rig was ordered from the camp and the suffering victim was brought here for
medical and surgical attendance. Even had the man lived until after being
operated on there is little doubt but death would have ensued, as his wound was
a dangerous one.
Supt. Early stated that Landricks was
one of the most careful and trustworthy man [sic - men] in his employ. He has
worked for the Quinnesec Logging Co. for the past four years and could always be
relied upon to do his work.
The deceased leaves a wife and two
children living on West 0 street in the vicinity of Crystal Lake.
VICTIM WAS INSURED.
Geo. Landricks' life was insured in
the sum of $1,000. Only recently Mr. Lendricks [sic] took out a policy in that
sum, in the Northern Accident and Sick Benefit Association, of Menominee.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 41
[Saturday, February 12, 1898], page 1, column 6
WILL MOVE THE TRACKS.
----
The Big Chapin Pump Will Also Soon Have to be Pulled Down.
----
It has long been apparent to the most casual observer that the time is not
distant when the tracks of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad, which cross
the Chapin mine, will have to be moved to more stable ground, and speculation
has been indulged in as to where the roadbed will be located. The big Chapin
pump, which has been one of the admirations of visitors, will also have to be
removed, and a new highway to connect the north and south part of the city will
have to be constructed. Probably the present season will see all these things
accomplished. The following from The Marine Review indicates that steps in this
direction are alreads [sic — already] being taken:
The Chapin Mining Co. is about to
begin caving in a part of the mine that is being crossed by the main line of the
Chicago & Northwestern Ry. Arrangements are being made with the railway
company to move its tracks. Not long ago, when the Mesabi first came into
prominence, the big Chapin mine was not regarded as a highly valuable property,
but it was soon found that the discovery of the Mesabi was of special advantage
to the Chapin, the ore making the best kind of mixture with the Mesabi ores.
Chapin ore never sold as readily as it did during the past year.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 42
[Saturday, February 19, 1898], page 1, column 4
A QUEER VERDICT
----
Anderson and Tews Met Death Through Their Own Negligence, Say the Jury.
----
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Book Page 139
Frank Hadish, the young operator at Arbutus, held at
Pembine for alleged criminal negligence for Friday morning's wreck on the
Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul road, in which Chas. Anderson and John Tews were
killed, arrived in the city Sun day morning having been acquitted by the
coroner's jury late Saturday evening.
The jury brought in a verdict that
the men met their death through their own negligence by not protecting their
train with a flagman. This is considered by many railroad employes as being a
mighty queer verdict.
The funeral of the late Chas.
Anderson took place Sunday afternoon from the Swedish Mission Church. The church
was crowded with relatives and friends of the deceased. Many railroad employes
came up from Green Bay and other points along the road to pay their last
respects to the departed friend and associate. Many beautiful floral tributes
were sent to the late residence of the deceased and the remains were literally
buried in flowers.
The body of Tews was forwarded Sunday
to the home of his father at Whitefish Bay, where the funeral was [to] be held
Monday.
A railroad man said Sunday night this
wreck would cost the railroad company about $20,000.
The Range-Tribune , Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 44 [Saturday, March 5, 1898], page 5, column 1
BOTH LEGS CUT OFF.
----
Chas. Sorenson Run Over by a St. Paul Freight Train at Amberg.
----
WILL CLARK SAW THE ACCIDENT.
----
Sorenson Implored the Railroad Men to Telegraph His Mother That He Would Die --
Taken to the Marinette Hospital -- He may Die.
----
Will Clark, of the United States Express company, witnesses a shocking accident
last Friday afternoon at Amberg on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul road.
Chas[.] Sorenson, a woodsman 22 years
of age, unmarried, was caught. under the trucks of a freight train and both legs
cut off below the knees.
The passenger train, due here at 3:10
p.m., had pulled into Amberg. Clark was in the express car watching a freight
train switching on the side track close by. A crossing was blocked and Sorenson,
anxious to catch the passenger train, crawled beneath the cars. He was just
emerging from beneath the cars when the train started up. Both legs were caught
by the wheels which passed over them, cutting them both off below the knees.
Trainmen picked the injured man up
and he was taken to the Menominee River Hospital at Marinette. While the men
were carrying him to the train the poor fellow implored them to telegraph his
mother that he would die, and he apparently showed but little nerve.
The doctors had to amputate both of
his limbs just above the ankles. His feet hung by the skin only, his legs being
ground off by the heavy car wheels.
It was wholly impossible to save
either of them.
He retained consciousness until about
nine o'clock when his pulse became very weak. His life fluttered for existence
until about twelve o'clock, when he passed away.
HIS ONLY ANXIETY.
Under a rough and unvarnished exterior is sometimes hidden the tenderest and noblest of personalities. Such was the character of Hans Sorenson. Not once while he was conscious and suffering with the terrible pain of his mangled limbs did he
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Book Page 140
manifest
the slightest concern for himself, says the Marinette Eagle. He bore the anguish
without a whimper and all his thoughts were turned towards his mother for whom
he was the only prop to lean on. "Oh! what will my poor mother do now. She
will starve," and[,] "doctor don't cut off both of my legs, I want to
take care of my mother. She will starve if I don't support her," were the
only exclamations of the fatally injured lad. This tender solicitude for the
woman who bore and brought him up in the world continued until he was unable to
speak.
It was heart touching and moved all
to pity. His camp comrades all speak of him in the highest terms and say that
his sole reason for hurrying when he started for the train was to reach his
mother sooner and bring to her the money which he had earned in the woods.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE NORTHWESTERN.
Albert Coveau was killed Friday by
jumping off a Chicago & Northwestern train at Negaunee. He landed in a snow
bank, lost his balance, and rolled under t[h]e wheels. His head was severed and
his left leg cut off below the knee. He was 21 years old and a resident of
Ishpeming.
The Range-Tribune, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 48
[Saturday, April 2, 1898], page 7, column 2
INSPECTION IS EXTENDED.
----
Nearly all Employes of the
Northwestern Comes [sic] Under the New Order.
----
Taking effect April 1, the Chicago & Northwestern Railway company will
inaugurate a system of watch inspection which will be conducted by local
Inspector Ed. Newbauer [sic] acting under the supervision of A.M. Church and
Company, Chicago, who have been appointed general inspectors.
The instructions sent out state that
the standard of excellence adopted for watches is of a grade equal to what is
known as seventeen jewel, patent regulator, fully adjusted, the variation of
which must not exceed thirty seconds per week.
These instructions apply to
trainmasters, train dispatchers, conductors, train baggagemen, brakemen, train
flagmen, yardmasters, foremen of switchengines [sic], engineers, firemen, engine
dispatchers and roundhouse foremen.
The above employes are required to
submit their watches for examination, and to receive a certificate showing them
to be of the required standard, on or before April 1. In addition to filing a
certificate, they are also required to submit their watches once each week to
the local inspector for comparison and a rating record.
Copies of the circular containing the
order have been received by the em- [sic] employes concerned.
The information found on the preceeding pages is quite comprehensive, including almost every article pertaining to the railroads in the Dickinson County for the time period covered. However, material from other area newspapers, such as Norway's The Current, should be reviewed and appropriate articles added to complete the history. The material which follows is not inclusive, and future research will be necessary to complete the record. A quick glimpse of the other two railroads extended into Dickinson County -- the Escanaba & Lake Superior in the north and the Wisconsin & Michigan in the south -- is included to show what happened shortly
*********
Book Page 141
after the turn of the century along the tracks in this area.
Iron Mountain Press, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume 5, Number 7
[Thursday, July 5, 1900], page 1, column 3
WORK PROGRESSING RAPIDLY.
----
Escanaba & Lake Superior Road Extension Being Pushed From Channing Eastward.
The right of way for the extension of the Escanaba & Lake Superior road from
Wells to Channing, has been cut. The road will penetrate a dense forest.
Sol Fraser, of Menominee, has
completed his contract, having cut seven miles of the right of way from Channing
eastward. The remainder of the right of way was cut by contracting agents.
Nearly twenty-one miles of road bed
has been graded, and the work is progressing surprisingly well. Nearly four
hundred men are employed.
The extension will be twenty-nine
miles long. The work of laying the steel rails commenced last Monday. Over 2,500
tons of steel has been purchased. The company will be running trains over the
new road in two months.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 2 [Saturday,
February 14, 1903], page 1, column 3
STURGEON BRIDGE.
The foundation work of the W. &
M. bridge, over the Sturgeon river, including the driving of the wing piles, has
been completed; seventy-five piles being used. The superstructure will consist
of a 125 foot Howe truss of modern design, and the timber used will be
Washington fir. The bridge is designed to carry a 150-ton locomotive followed by
a train, weighing 5,000 pounds per lineal foot.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 10 [Saturday, April
11, 1903], page 1, column 2
GRADING RESUMED.
Grading on the W. & M. has been resumed and contractor Marsch has nearly 100 men at work along the line. It is expected that the track laying crew will commence work in about three weeks. The Sturgeon bridge will be ready very shortly and the promise of the officials that there will be trains running into the city by the first of July will undoubtedly be made good.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 11 [Saturday, April
18, 1903], page 1, column 2
W. & M.
The W. & M. will not commence the
erection of a depot at this place or any other, for some time, reports to the
contrary notwithstanding. The one contemplated for this place will be built just
north of the Nelson School Building and will not be commenced until after the
track is laid, so that the necessary material can be hauled. At Faithorn, the W.
& M. will have to build an overhead crossing where it crosses the Soo line
and it is feared that at this point there will be consider able delay.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 18 [Saturday,
*********
Book Page 142
June 6, 1903], page 1, column 2
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN.
Rail on the W. & M. has been laid
for a distance of fifteen hundred feet north of the C. & N.W. undercrossing.
It is expected that trains will be running into the city by July 1st, as was
anticipated. Work on the depot will commence as soon as the material can be
hauled. Contractor Marsch is rushing matters on the Hanbury line which will
enter the city on the South side.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 20 [Saturday, June
20, 1903], page 1, column 3
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN.
Tuesday the construction train on the
extension of the W. & N. Ry., into this city reached a point near the
residence of Hon. John Perkins in the first ward, and the time is not far
distant when Norway will have another railway outlet.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 24 [Saturday, July
18, 1903], page 1, column 5
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN RY.
We were informed this week by Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas McKenna, of Quinnesec, that they had sold to the Wisconsin &
Michigan Ry., the right-of-way through their land near Quinnesec, for a
consideration of $2,500. This would seem to insure the en trance into Quinnesec
of the railway at no distant date.
Iron Mountain Press, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume 8, Number 7
[Thursday, August 6, 1903], page 5, column 1
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN.
----
Schedule Calls for Operation of Trains Commencing Aug. 16th.
Trains on the new branch of the
Wisconsin & Michigan road will commence running from Norway to Peshtigo
harbor August 16th, the schedule having been arranged so that there will be two
passenger trains each way daily.
Supt. S.N. Harison [sic] was in
Chicago this week conferring with officials of the road in regard to the new
time card and arranging for the trains. There will be a train leave Peshtigo
each morning and evening for Menominee range points and two trains will come
from there morning and evening. The passenger trains will be elegantly fitted
up. The cars have been rebuilt at the shops in Peshtigo and new engines have
been sent up from the Chicago Terminal road to be used in this service.
Besides the two passenger trains each
day there will be one or more freights. The company has arranged for train crews
and the new stations at several points north of Faithorn Junction will be opened
August 15th. Ore service will begin as soon as the train service is installed.
The company has contracted for the deli very of thousands of tons of ore from
Menominee.
The Wisconsin & Michigan road has
rebuilt and fitted up several of the passenger coaches to be used in the new
train service on the Norway branch after August 16th, when the new schedule will
go into effect. To haul two passenger trains daily two engines have been leased
from the Chicago Terminal road, and one of them was delivered here last week.
Work on the new road bed is nearly
completed so that the trains can be running by that time.
*********
Book Page 143
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 27 [Saturday,
August 8, 1903], page 1, column 2
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN.
The W. & M. depot in this city is
about completed and it is a very neat and convenient structure. The Company will
begin running regular passenger trains about the 15th inst. Chief engineer
McGowan was in the city, yesterday, and he says: [sic] that while they have over
300 men at work between Norway and Peshtigo, they could and would employ 600 if
the men were to be had.
Iron Mountain Press, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume 8, Number 8
[Thursday, August 13, 1903], page 5, column 4
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN.
----
Wants to Employ Six Hundred Additional Men.
The Wisconsin & Michigan railway
while it is now employing about 300 men on various works of extension, is
comparatively speaking short of help and would employ 600 if they could be
secured. That is the statement that Chief Engineer McGowan of the road made to
the Menominee Herald the other day.
The Wisconsin and Michigan road now
has a crew working on the overhead crossing over the Soo line at Faithorn
Junction, one grading the track just north of Faithorn Junction and one laying
steel between Norway and Quinnesec, this crew having nearly completed the work
of laying the rails to Quinnesec. A crew is also at work extending the Twin
Creek branch of the road, in toward Lake Noquebay.
If the men could be secured then all
these crews would be increased. However the construction is going along in a
very satisfactory manner, and in a week active traffic over the line from Norway
south will be commenced.
According to the plans of the Norway
committee on a Labor Day celebration, an excursion will run from this city and
Marinette to Norway thus taking as many people from these two cities and towns
along the line to Norway as possible.
This is directly in opposition to the
plans of the local committee which wants all the excursions possible to come
here, for the celebration in this city will be a big one. The inducements
offered to come to Menominee are greater, for the pro gram will eclipse anything
in this vicinity.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 28 [Saturday,
August 15, 1903], page 1, column 5
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN.
Beginning tomorrow, Aug. 16, this
road will run two daily passenger trains each way between Norway and Peshtigo.
The trains will leave Norway at 6:40 A.M. and 3:25 P.M. and will arrive at
Norway at 11:20 A.M. For tomorrow excursion rates will [be] given each way, the
price of round-trip tickets being $1.50 and for this date only the A.M. train
will leave at 7 o'clock. As will be seen by posted time table, J.F. Jackson has
been appointed general agent and any required information will be cheerfully
furnished by him.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 29 [Saturday,
August 22, 1903], page 1, column 2
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN.
*********
Book Page 144
The running of regular trains on the W. & M.
Ry., twixt Norway and Peshtigo, began Sunday last, the first train out of here
being run as excursion trains [sic] at a special rate of fare. A large number of
our people went on the morning train and had practically a day at down road
points, while a number went at 3:55 in the afternoon and returned at about
midnight.
The train from [the] south brought a
large number of people, some of whom had never visited an iron range before.
The early train from here had
attached to it the official car of the road with Supt. Harrison and his
assistants of the several departments therein and a few of our people were
invited to accept their hospitality on the car.
The ride was a very pleasant one and
the roadbed in very fine condition except at one or two places where the steam
shovel is at work changing the grade.
The under grade crossing at Sturgeon
is a costly and solid piece of work while the over grade crossing at Faithorn
where the road crosses the Soo is not yet complete, the filling of approaches
not yet being all done. The total amount of sand used in this work will exceed
150,000 yards.
Among the visitors on the train which
arrived about noon from the south were many prominent citizens of Menominee and
Marinette and a delegation of newspaper men who came up to exchange the sawdust
in their shoes for a little iron ore dust.
It need only a ride over the road to
satisfy one that the W. & M. people have had many difficulties to contend
with in serving our city and that the undertaking has been an expensive one in
almost every way. That they will eventually be repaid for their persistence goes
without saying.
Among the visitors to Norway from
down-road points were, Cashier Blesh, of the First Nat. Bank; Dr. Hicks, Joseph
Soults, of The Leader, and A.B. BeDell of Menominee; W.J. Hubbard of the Eagle
Star of Marinette; W.H. Lindslay, of Chicago, E. Fitzgerald, of Marquette.
Messrs. Harrison, Fitzgerald, Forsman
and Jackson of the railway officers were most excellent entertainers and the
trip both ways was very pleasant.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 38 [Saturday,
October 24, 1903], page 1, column 2
WISCONSIN & MICHIGAN.
The line of the W. & M. will
reach Quinnesec in a few days and the depot at that place is nearly completed.
A.F. McGillis is building a bridge across the Sturgeon on what is called the
Aragon branch of the road and it is expected that the rails will be laid before
winter.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XIX, Number 39 [Saturday,
October 31, 1903], page 1, column 4
TRAIN TO QUINNESEC.
The W. & M. will run its first
passenger train to Quinnesec tomorrow, leaving Norway at 11:20. The depot at
that place has been completed and operator Hansen, who has been stationed at
Loretto, will be in charge. A number of the officials of the road will make the
initial trip. Rail has been laid west of Quinnesec for the distance of one mile.
Iron Mountain Press, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume 8, Number 28
[Thursday, December 3, 1903], page 1, column 6
NEW TERMINAL STATION.
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Book Page 145
The Wisconsin & Michigan Railroad company is building a terminal station one mile west of Quinnesec for the purpose of handling the passenger and freight traffic for Iron Mountain. The building is 16x40 and is being built by Contractor Axel Newman, of Norway, who expects to have it completed in about two weeks. When ready for traffic the proposed stage line will be put into commission and an effort will be made to secure some of the Iron Mountain business. Contractor Newman also has the job of building a round-house at Quinnesec which will be located just west of the Cundy mine and a water tank just east of Quinnesec, where the track crosses the creek on the McKenna farm. The road is to be extended to Iron Mountain in the spring, as soon as the frost is out of the ground.
Two newspaper accounts of Dickinson County's most disastrous train accident will conclude this brief history of area railroads. In the early morning of October 31, 1906, five men were killed at Quinnesec Junction when a Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Paul freight train and a train carrying miners from the Traders Mine collided head on in a dense fog.
Iron Mountain Press, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume 11, Number 24
[Thursday, November 1, 1906], page 1, columns 3-4
FIVE MEET DEATH
----
IN A COLLISION ON THE ST. PAUL ROAD YESTERDAY MORNING.
----
Nine Others Are Badly Crippled and Bruised --
Collision Between a Freight and a Passenger.
KILLED.
Joseph Trepanier, son of Mr. and Mrs. Come Trepanier, aged twenty-four years,
unmarried, employed at the mine shaft as car-spotter, head crushed and neck
broken. Was a member of the Order of Eagles.
Charles Morell, head and face
crushed, right leg burned, left leg broken, aged thirty-five years, widower,
leaves two daughters aged eight and six years, employed at the mine as pumpman.
Leonardo Galli, head crushed, aged
twenty-two years, sole support of an aged father and a brother in Italy, both
crippled, brother of Mrs. Antonio Tomasoni, who resides on Third street. Was an
electrical engineer, but owing to the fact that he could not speak English was
employed as a miner. Was a member of the Colombo-Fratellanza society. Funeral on
Sunday.
John Pleckinger, brakeman employed on
the switch engine was caught under the engine, both legs badly scalded, was
alive when rescued, but died at St. George's Hospital at 1:30 p.m.; was
twenty-two years of age and single; parents reside at Wausaukee, where remains
were taken for burial; had been in the employ of the rail way company four
months.
----
Thomas Cowling, both legs and abdomen badly burned, was caught under red hot stove in forward coach; cannot live; is twenty-four years of age; was married about six months ago and resided at 317 West Fleshiem street; was employed as fire man at the mine. Later -- Died last evening.
----
SERIOUSLY INJURED.
********
Book Page 146
Urban Dessureau, right leg badly burned and back
injured; believed to be injured internally; thought he will recover; employed as
blacksmith at the mine; taken to his home at 600 West Ludington street; has wife
and several children.
John Burt, Jr., left leg badly
burned; is at the hospital; employed at the mine as blacksmith's helper;
unmarried.
Humberto Mainly, both legs broken;
employed as a miner; at the hospital.
Edward Merrifield, badly contused right leg and back; now at hospital; employed
as a miner.
Joseph Cavitione, compound fracture
of the left leg; employed as a miner; now at the hospital.
----
SLIGHTLY INJURED.
Tony Folenti, cage-tender; general contusions; sent home.
Orso Schenk, miner's helper; general
contusions; sent home.
Alex Poirier, engineer at the mine;
general contusions; sent home.
Fred Tonne, engineer on the switch
engine; abrased face and nose; sent home.
Luigi Pellegrinni, miner; general
contusions; sent home.
----
The most disasterous [sic] wreck in the history of the Lake Superior division of
the St. Paul road occurred at Quinnesec Junction, about two and a half miles
from the city depot, at 6:30 o'clock yesterday morning.
Three men were killed outright, one
died from his injuries a few hours after the accident, the death of a fourth
[sic] is momentarily expected, and half a dozen others were injured more or less
seriously.
The accident was caused by a
northbound extra freight train and the train employed in conveying men to and
from the Traders mine colliding in a dense fog.
The freight train was composed of
eight loaded cars and seven empties and the passenger train of two coaches.
Conductor Wallace and Engineer Gunoley were in charge of the freight train and
Conductor Harper and Engineer Tonne of the passenger.
The blame for the accident -- if any
one is at fault -- is hard to fix at this writing. It seems that each crew had
orders to look out for the other. Evidently it was anticipated that the freight
train would clear the Junction before the passenger entered the main track from
the branch to the mine. No night operator is employed at the Junction at this
season of the year, the day man working from 7:00 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. At the
point where the trains smashed together there is a sag in the track. According
to the engineers on both trains there was a dense fog and they could not see
three car lengths ahead. The engineers [sic] of the freight says that, at the
time of the accident, he was not running to exceed fifteen miles an hour. The
passenger train must have been running much faster.
When the two engines collided
head—on the impact was so terrific that the tender of the passenger engine was
driven back half way through the forward coach.
Nearly all the mine employes, some
forty in number, were in the forward coach and were crowded around the stove.
As soon as possible after the
accident medical aid was summoned and the killed and injured received every
attention.
The impact of the two engines was so
great that both are smashed almost beyond repair. The forward wheels were
interlocked so closely that the the [sic] smoke stacks were within a few feet of
each other. The track was not cleared of the wreck age until 11:30, the north
and southbound passenger train being detained until after the noon hour.
The Current, Norway, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume XXII, Number 40 [Saturday,
November 3, 1906], page 1, column 3
*********
Book Page 147
FATAL COLLISION.
Three Men Instantly Killed and Many
Seriously Hurt at Iron Mountain.
Wednesday morning just before seven
o'clock, a train made up of a locomotive and two coaches carrying the night crew
from the Traders mine to Iron Mountain on the C.M. & St. P. track, met a
heavy freight train and a terrible head-end collision ensued. The tender of the
passenger train was driven through the first coach killing three men outright
and crushing and burning several others who may die. The dead were removed to
the city morgues and the injured to St. George's hospital where every thing is
being done to alleviate their sufferings. The responsibility for the calamity
has not been fully ascertained. The names of the dead and injured so far as can
be learned are as follows:
KILLED.
Joseph Trepanier, Leonardo Galli, Chas. Morreli.
INJURED.
Orso Schenk, general contusions, Tony
Folenti, general contusions; Alex Poirier, general contusions; Fred Tonney, face
scratched and slightly burned; John Burt, left leg burned; Humberdo Manelli,
both legs broken; Thomas Cowling, badly burned; Ed. Merryfield, contused leg;
Charles Dessureau, burned leg; Joseph Cafetione, leg broken.
DIED FROM INJURIES.
John Pleckinger a brakeman employed
on the passenger was caught between the tender and cab in attempting to jump. He
was alive when rescued but was badly scalded and injured internally. He
succumbed to his injuries at 1:30 p.m. the same day.
Thos. Cowling a fireman at the mine
was caught under a red hot stove in for ward coach and was so badly burned about
legs and abdomen, that he died Wednesday evening.
Iron Mountain Press, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume Ii, Number 26
[Thursday, November 15, 1906], page 1, column 2
GROSS NEGLIGENCE.
"We find that the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway company committed a gross negligence in
allowing a freight train in the same block when the Traders passenger was
running on its schedule time." The foregoing is the verdict of the
coroner's jury in the case of men who were recently killed in the collision at
Quinnesec Junction.
The Wisconsin & Michigan Railway Company opened a line connecting the Cundy Mine in Quinnesec with Iron Mountain on June 30, 1909, forming the northern terminus of this railroad. This railroad company was abandoned January 13, 1938, although the last train south from Iron Mountain left July 1 of that year.
On the following page a time card for the Wisconsin & Michigan Railway dated as effective Sunday, May 2, 1909, is reproduced, showing the route from Peshtigo to Iron Mountain and the train schedule.
*********
Book Page 148
*********
Book Page 149
Map of the Chicago & North-Western System -- 1908
[Enlarged Detail]
A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North-Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways, Chicago, Illinois: 1908
*********
Book Page 150
The Official Guide of the Railways, September, 1954, page 1058
[From the Collection of Roy Paananen, Marquette, Michigan]
*********
Book Page 151
ALONG THE TRACKS IN DICKINSON COUNTY, MICHIGAN
The four railways which served
Dickinson County over the years are listed below, complete with their various
branch lines. The mileage given is the distance from the initial station on that
line -- most often the place at which original construction began.
In Michigan construction usually progressed from east to west or south to north.
Mileages without decimals indicate approximate locations.
Material in this section was adapted
from information presented in Along the Tracks: A Directory of Named
Places on Michigan Railroads by Graydon M. Meints: Clarke Historical
Library, Central Michigan University, 1987.
*********
Book Page 152
*********
Book Page 153
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DICKINSON COUNTY FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS TOUR BOOKLETS
1979 - THREE HISTORIC HOME WALKING PATHS IN IRON MOUNTAIN
1980 - A HISTORIC PATH THROUGH DOWNTOWN IRON MOUNTAIN
1981 - A MINING TRAIL ON THE EASTERN MENOMINEE RANGE
1982 - A TOUR PAST SOME HISTORIC HOMES OF NORWAY
1983 - FORD COMES TO IRON MOUNTAIN: THE BIRTH OF KINGSFORD
1984 - THE EVOLUTION OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN MICHIGAN'S DICKINSON COUNTY
1985 - THE HOUSE ATOP THE HILL: AN HISTORIC HOME THAT BECAME THE CHIPPEWA CLUB
1986 - THE QUINNESEC FIRE OF 1906
1987 - A FOND RECOLLECTION OF IRON MOUNTAIN'S OLDEST, LARGEST AND FINEST HOTEL 1887-1987 [DICKINSON INN]
1988 - THE DICKINSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND JAIL: THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT AND JUSTICE FOR MICHIGAN'S NEWEST COUNTY
1988 - THE NORWAY FIRE OF 188.3 AND THE REBUILDING OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICT IN OLD TOWN
1989 - WAUCEDAH: SITE OF THE FIRST MINE TO SHIP ORE FROM THE MENOMINEE IRON RANGE AND THE FIRST STOP ON THE MENOMINEE RIVER RAILWAY
1990
- ALL ABOARD! ALONG THE TRACKS IN DICKINSON COUNTY, MICHIGAN
PUBLISHED BY
THE MID-PENINSULA LIBRARY COOPERATIVE
424 STEPHENSON AVENUE
IRON MOUNTAIN, MICHIGAN '49801
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