80 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



my duds and simply make frequent visits, — but no use 

 to look so far ahead. This is going to be a fearful 

 -winter for snow ; there seems no end of it and no pros- 

 pect of any alleviation till end of June. I get feeling 

 pretty blue some days and should like to turn out whole 

 lot of officers from beginning to end for their infernal 

 shiftlessness and want of interest in anything except 

 their own comfort. I hope to-morrow to manage and get 

 through to incline with locomotive and finish bringing 

 up freight which has accumulated there. 



" It is impossible for me to keep on the way I have 

 done. It is fortunate I am tough, for were I not I should 

 have broken down ; but I begin to feel the effect of this 

 infernal work and drive ; I get fearfully tired, a thing 

 I have never known before, and I have had one or two 

 pulls which warn me to be very careful. Neither you nor 

 I anticipated what we have had to pass through when I 

 left, but if we want to get any good out of it, the proper 

 men to be trained by me now while I am here ought to 

 be on the spot and the rough corners smoothed between 

 different bosses and whole thing left in smooth running 

 order by next fall. As far as I can see up here, I can 

 only find two men, Buzzo and Hardie: the first, if he 

 finds a thing equipped and a definite plan laid out, will 

 work it out cheaply and implicitly follow instructions; 

 Hardie has judgment and experience enough to make 

 new work and carry it out and would be better man for 

 Calumet and might act as adviser to Buzzo on Hecla." 



Work on the Hecla Mill was progressing rapidly, and 

 on February 7, 1868, he writes to Mr. Shaw : — 



" Mill is now ready except connecting one head and 

 belts of washing machines ; and were drum at head of 



