THE CALUMET AND HECLA MINE 77 



at an expense of seventy-five men and four teams, or 

 about $5000 per month, in addition to expenses of 

 merely laying, $5000 being for furnishing wood for 

 ties, handling iron and bringing up to tracklayers. It 

 will take six weeks to lay track and get it in running 

 order, I think (at least), from day we commence, under 

 existing weather ; this will make it November 15 before 

 we have done. Late, very late, but cannot get through 

 earlier. 



TO Q. A. SHAW 



Calumet, Nov. 5, 1867. 



I have just received an awful rap over the knuckles. 

 The locomotive and track are not of one gauge ; loco- 

 motive is one inch too narrow. This is perfectly infer- 

 nal. First comes snow ; and now, just as we had man- 

 aged by dint of sweeping to lay a temporary track 

 around the trestle of head of incline, to get locomotive 

 up and push road to mine, we are brought to a dead 

 standstill by this mistake and shall have to relay one 

 rail whole distance from Lake and alter the axles of all 

 our cars (which fit track admirably) to the new gauge. 

 This is no fool's job and will, I am afraid, delay us 

 greatly. I shall get, if possible, these changes made at 

 Franklin or Pewabic shop ; but I am afraid with all this 

 work that it will fall on our machine shop and delay 

 everything at least three weeks. 



The fine weather is coming on again (at least I hope 

 so as it has stopped snowing). Before we change the 

 track I shall get forward all that is necessary to finish 

 track as far as mine ; and then, while they are laying 

 that last 4500 feet, change the gauge of other part of 

 railroad and bring up locomotive. I don't see that 



