THE CALUMET AND HECLA MINE 79 



cannot work outdoors in such a gale as has been blow- 

 ing. Thermometer five below zero and regular hurricane 

 most of the time, and about fifteen inches of snow and 

 drifting badly. 



" The winter has come upon us in good earnest and 

 worse than any winter at Lake Superior ever commenced 

 at this season. I trust it is not a forerunner of what 

 one may expect for rest of winter ; if so, we shall be 

 fearfully behindhand with all new work, and I can 

 hardly say anything as to the time when we may expect 

 to commence operations on Hecla. We were getting on 

 finely when tripped up in this fearful style; and I was 

 calculating to have December at least to get some of the 

 loose ends connected, and not have the regular winter 

 snows and winds set in upon us before the new year, as 

 is usually the case." 



Two weeks later he writes : — 



"We had hard rain yesterday which has played mis- 

 chief with railroad and done more harm than two feet 

 of snow. It froze hard after it and now whole track 

 is covered with crust of about six inches of ice and we 

 have by working all day only succeeded in going about 

 one mile from mine. This was one thing that I had not 

 figured on till spring and have been caught and snow- 

 plow is not properly rigged for it. 



"I am getting so fearfully riled that I am afraid I 

 shall do something foolish yet, if I am too much pro- 

 voked. But I am bound to see this out and by next fall 

 everything should be in such shape that I can leave ; at 

 least I hope so, for another winter here would be more 

 than I bargained for and I hope by next October all 

 will be running satisfactorily enough to let me pack up 



