76 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



be out of the woods at Calumet and start the new year 

 with a clean sheet. What a blessing it will be all round! 



Railroad in Hecla is not progressing as well as it 

 should. Emerson has rather let it slip and I have had to 

 drum him up. We have had a most magnificent week 

 thus far and nothing has been done except a little tin- 

 kering, while they ought to have been laying track 

 these two days, and days now are precious. It is almost 

 impossible to keep my eyes on all things. Railroad has 

 not done as well since I paid attention to the stamp 

 mill, but I trust now to give it a good start after fault- 

 finding all round. At last the mill is moving at Lake. 

 The first car of timbers for the foundation of the heads 

 is in to-day and I trust to keep at it steady and get it 

 done in about three weeks ready for the machinery. 

 But then we shall have an interruption by raining, when 

 nothing can be done till the stamp house frame is up 

 and covered in. Indications up this way seem to point 

 to an early winter. It looks now like November at home, 

 and things still to be done before snow are appalling. 



I shall do all I can, but one man is not enough. I 

 ,ought to be at mill, on railroad, and at mine, and it is 

 utterly out of the question to drive things together at 

 same speed. Work at mine has progressed much better 

 than anything else, with the exception of machine 

 shop which has been waiting for shafting since Sep- 

 tember 1; and although it has been on way since 5th of 

 September has not yet turned up. I expected to have 

 doneagood deal of work for stamp mill and rock house 

 on it, and if it does not turn up, shall get some tempo- 

 rary shafting at end of week. If man who has contract 

 for laying track does not come up to mark, I shall take 

 things out of his hands. While laying track we shall be 



