THE CALUMET AND HECLA MINE 69 



her to run any risks and be up here if any serious stop- 

 pages are meditated ; rather not see them till Xmas than 

 run any such chances. I do not see how I can manage 

 to get off even to go after them, and somebody must 

 manage to send them up. I dare say father would like 

 the trip and it might do him good. I can assure you it 

 is fearfully lonely up here — not a soul to talk over and 

 discuss matters with. I hate to saddle all on my back for 

 fear of making any mistakes, and it takes such a time 

 to write, and as time is too valuable to waste, we must 

 jump faster than I like to do." 



TO Q-. A. SHAW 



April 30, 1867. 

 It is frightful to have to spend so much money to get 

 in order again. It would not have cost one-half the 

 amount to have commenced properly ; and had I not 

 come when I did, Davis's orders from E. J. would have 

 soon swelled cost sheets to 100,000 per month. March 

 has been the capping of E. J.'s folly ; all has seemed to 

 accumulate in it, and I don't know what would have 

 become of us had he gone on a couple of months longer. 

 As it is, in Calumet we shall feel effects of it all sum- 

 mer, in [the] way of additional cost of timbering, filling 

 excavation, and general inconvenience of working. It is 

 enough to make anybody discouraged to see such waste, 

 and as it is I don't see what we can do to save ourselves. 

 We must assess again and both $5, or else we are gone. 

 You will be out of funds after meeting April payments 

 for March Cost Sheets, and it cannot be expected that 

 Calumet mills can produce enough to meet all our liabil- 

 ities which fortunately come due only in end of May, 

 June, and July, but yet it will not give mills a sufficiently 



