74 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



Although a definite plan of action had at length been 

 decided on, yet the work to be done exacted more 

 ceaseless effort than ever. This included the supervision 

 of both mines themselves, the perfecting of the Calumet 

 Rock House, the changes in the Calumet Mill, the 

 building of the Hecla Rock House, the erection of a 

 mill at Torch Lake, and the construction, through a 

 dense forest, of four and three-fifths miles of railroad 

 with its connections to the various parts of the mines. 

 It was, besides, necessary to do everything with the 

 most rigid economy, while at the same time attempting 

 to get a little product somehow to help construction 

 expenses. All this was to be accomplished in a wilder- 

 ness, utterly inaccessible to the outside world, so far as 

 supplies were concerned, for at least half the year. In 

 addition, Agassiz had no assistants on whom he placed 

 any reliance, and was obliged to contend against the op- 

 position of an entire community who regarded him as an 

 interloper and outsider. His letters are full of these last 

 difficulties. 



" Keep up courage and never give up : we shall be all 

 right yet. I get perfectly frantic with the men here : 

 nobody who seems to take any interest in what is doing, 

 all simply here to live on you, and when any attempt is 

 made to prevent chances of slighting work, seem deter- 

 mined to put all possible obstacles in your way, and 

 instead of attempting to help you, seem bound to see if 

 they cannot compel you to yield and do as they want." 



" The thing I drive and look after is the only thing 

 that goes ; and just as fast as I pass from one thing to 

 another, just so fast do things move. I ought to have 



