The Northern Pacific Railway Survey Journals, 1881 to 1883

Transcribed, and with a biographical sketch, by Barbara Hastings Honkala

Editorial Note by Randall H. Bennett, Director/Curator of Hastings Homestead Museum, Inc.:
Except in cases where minor changes in spelling have been made when the meaning might not be clear, the transcriptions of Daniel Straw Hastings’ journals by Barbara Hastings Honkala are as they appear in her original typescript. The journals themselves remain in the family archives at the old Homestead in Bethel, Maine. The Hastings Homestead Museum wishes to thank Mrs. Honkala’s family for permission to publish her meticulous transcriptions. This publication is planned as one of a series of studies that will focus on those who have resided at the Homestead (a National Historic Site), as well as the region in which they lived.

Introduction

The Northern Pacific Railway was an important transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved and chartered in 1864 by the 38th Congress of the United States during the last years of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and given nearly 40 million acres of adjacent land grants, which it used to raise additional money in Europe for construction funding.

Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Ocean, just south of the United States-Canada border when Ulysses S. Grant drove the final “golden spike” completing the line in western Montana Territory (future State of Montana in 1889) on September 8, 1883. The railroad had about 6,800 miles of track and served a large area, including extensive trackage in the western Federal territories and later states of Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. In addition, the Northern Pacific had an international branch running north to Winnipeg, capital of the province of Manitoba, in the newly organized country of Canada. The main activities were shipping wheat and other farm products, cattle, timber, and minerals; bringing in consumer goods, transporting passengers; and selling land.

The Northern Pacific was headquartered in Minnesota, first in Brainerd, then in the territorial / state capital of Saint Paul. It had a tumultuous financial history; in1970 it merged with other lines to form the modern Burlington Northern Railroad, which in turn merged with the famous Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to become the renamed BNSF Railway in 1996, operating in the western U.S.

Covering much of a three-year period in the early 1880s, Daniel Straw Hastings’ journals bring the often-harsh reality of surveying a rail line in the American west to the forefront. His detailed commentary is at once informative and striking, for he seldom minced words when it came to evaluating possible travel routes or members of his crew – both Native American and white. Nevertheless, his sense of adventure and kindly nature come through on the pages of these remarkable journals. How fortunate we are that they were carefully stored away by his descendants until Barbara Hastings Honkala (1927-2021), the family historian, took on the challenging task of transcribing them for others to enjoy.

Daniel Straw Hastings

by Barbara Hastings Honkala

Daniel Straw Hastings was the youngest son of John and Abigail Hastings. He was born Bethel, Maine, on May 5, 1840, and educated in the local school. He then took courses at Gould’s Academy, studying practical surveying and engineering with principal Nathaniel Tuckerman True. He left school with the view of making that his business occupation, with encouragement  from his older brother, David Robinson Hastings. While at Gould, he met Eugenia Roberts of Hanover, who took his fancy. Daniel’s sister, Agnes Straw Hastings, was married and living in Hanover, so Daniel made frequent trips there to socialize with the young people who often gathered at Agnes’s house for games and refreshments.

Daniel’s father had died in 1859, and it remained for Dan to take over the family home and farm, and care for his mother. Daniel, at age 28, and Eugenia at age 22, were married on September 29, 1868. Their daughter, Mabel, was born the next year. Notes from his 1871 journal give a view of some of the difficulties of working away from home and trying to run a family farm. His work kept him away from his family a great deal. He was head surveyor, working for the Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad. They were surveying the RR right-of-way and construction work for a new route from Portland, Maine, to Ogdensburg, New York, through Crawford Notch in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Dan was working out of North Conway in January 1871, but his mother was not well, so he had to go home for a couple of weeks. He then returned to Conway for three weeks, then back to home in Bethel. He spent May 17 to July 8 in Bethel, where he planted the garden, hoed potatoes, sheared sheep, settled a property line dispute, and helped his brother plow. He surveyed from July 8 to August 1. August to November involved the usual care of stock and crops; he also roofed the sugar house! Most all of November and December was spent in North Conway with railroad work. Much of the time, until Dan was given a pass on the railroad, modes of travel were “catch as catch can.” There was no direct stage from Bethel to Conway. The Paris (Maine) stage came through Lovell and went via Waterford Flat where it sometimes connected with the stage for Bethel. Dan often walked from Fryeburg to Lovell or vice versa – also from North Waterford to Bethel. Before he was given a pass on the railroad, Dan sometimes went home via the P & O RR to Portland and then the Grand Trunk to Bethel. Other ways were to borrow his brother, Rob’s, horse in Fryeburg to drive home with, and sometimes a family member drove his back to Fryeburg or Conway, with their horse and wagon. For six years he worked on the line of the Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad, keeping this kind of schedule.

In 1880, Daniel – then known in engineering circles as one of the most capable and efficient men of his profession in the east – was hired by the Northern Pacific Railroad Company to survey and establish a railroad line in Wisconsin from Ashland to Superior. For much of the year 1881 he employed his brother-in-law, Will Straw, as head chainman on this job. He also hired local Ojibwas for his brushing and supply crews. In the summer of 1883, his wife, Eugenia, joined him in Ashland, boarding at an inn in this lakeside town and recording many of the activities of this busy lumbering port on Lake Superior. Eugenia left their children, Mabel now 12, and Harold now 10, in the care of her family and several sisters in Maine.

In 1884, further west in Montana, it was Daniel who surveyed that part of the state, about 250 miles between the towns of Billings and Fort Benton on the Missouri River for a Northern Pacific Railroad route. The crews traveled by foot and on horseback with an ox team for the supply wagon. Daniel’s journals give a good account of the weather and terrain, and the problems encountered in the “big sky country.”

While engaged in this engineering and railroad enterprise in the west, Dan became so deeply interested in ranching and stock raising that he decided to take advantage of the government’s give-away of land and start raising sheep. He confided his plan with his older brother, D. R. [David Robinson] Hastings, back in Maine and received this letter in answer:

Fryeburg, Me., May 1^st, 1884.

Dear Daniel,

I have received your schemy letter on Montana—sheep raising. It is going a good way from home to make money, and I doubt not, accompanied with a good deal of risk. I do not feel exactly satisfied with it: I had hoped that you would have worked along in railroading so as to get a permanent place as engineer on some of the location boards. It seems a pity to give up your proficiency in that line for a blating, rabit-shitting flock of sheep. Think this all carefully over and make no move hastily or without our consideration. If you conclude to go into the business, I will raise for you the money needed. In haste, yours truly  — D. R. Hastings

Well, we know that Daniel went ahead with his idea. Through the new government plan for land give-away for homesteaders in the west, Daniel eventually acquired thirty-two hundred acres of land in the Judith Basin of Montana. From 1884 to 1900, the stock on his ranch grew to 8,000 sheep, 150 horses, and 100 head of cattle. Daniel built a log house not too far from the Stage Stop and Post Office known as Ubet. And in 1885 Eugenia joined him, traveling by train with their third child, Edith, born in April 1884. Mabel was in school at Fryeburg Academy, living with her Uncle “Rob” in Fryeburg. Harold was then 11. Eli and Eileen Cushman (30 and 31) were employed to live at and care for their homestead in Bethel.

By 1904, Daniel and his family had returned to the ancestral Homestead in Bethel, though he continued to own the Montana ranch for years afterward. After an active life well lived, he passed away in 1921.

The Northern Pacific Railway Survey Journals

as transcribed by Barbara Hastings Honkala

1881

Started from home March 28 and arrived at Ashland, Wis., Apr. 2, 1881.    Went over to Odanah Apr. 3 which was Sunday with Cal Bowen    stopped Sunday night at Mr. Walkers, the farmer at the Indian agency    Monday Apr. 4 walked into camp which was on Sec 36 Town 47 Range 2 Indian Reservation    found the party had come to a stop and on looking the country over I concluded to pull back to Section 27 and run North easterly until we could get around the hill on the North side    Camped Tuesday night Apr. 5 in the old place and continued the line Wednesday.    Wednesday night Apr. 6 camped at one of the old camping grounds on Sec 27    continued the line around the hill Thursday and camped at night Apr. 7 on Sec 29.    Continued on Friday Apr. 8 and camped at night Sec 33    continued on Saturday Apr 9 and camped at night on Sec 34 where we spent the sabbath    continued Monday Apr. 10 at camped at night on Sec 2 T46 R1 W.    Tuesday night Apr. 11 camped on Sec 6 same town    Wednesday night Apr. 12 camped on Sec 8 T46 R1 E    Thursday Apr. 13 camped on Sec 9    Friday morning Apr. 14 it snowed a little but we started out and it soon cleared off we crossed the Banning River on Sec 35 T46 R1 E at 10:30 a.m. and struck the swamp about noon.

Found our swamp was small and surrounded by high hills so we were obliged to fall back to the west side of Banning River where we angled and take our straight corner    Camped Friday night Apr. 15 on Sec 3 T46 R1 E on the banks of Banning River    At 11 a.m. found a beaver dam a few hundred ft straight up our line where the family lived    wrote this standing on the dam probably within ten feet of the family below    this is on Sec 11 T46 R1 E at the South side of the swamp    as put down on the plan there are large yellow birches and maples here cut down by the beavers    Camped Saturday night Apr. 16 about the center of Sec 12 where we spent the sabbath    our Indians went out to hunt beaver but didn’t get any    Monday Apr. 18 we crossed the Old Indian trail from the mouth of Montreal River to Lake Flambeau about noon when we also crossed a small stream    camped at night near a small stream on Sec 7 T46 R2E    Tuesday Apr. 19 we crossed the Culver River about noon and camped at night on the east bank    Wednesday night Apr. 20 camped within about ½ mile of the Montreal River which we crossed into Michigan Thursday and finished our survey April 21.    Started back for Odanah Friday morning Apr. 22    followed on the line until we came to the old Indian trail from Lake Superior to Lake Flambeau    we took the trail for Lake Superior and camped on a hill near the trail Friday night    Saturday Apr. 23 we crossed the Montreal River on an ice jam, the ice going out and lodging again three times before all our party crossed and we finally had to build a raft for the last of the packers as the ice went entirely out.

We camped on the shore of Lake Superior Saturday night Apr. 23 near the mouth of Montreal River    had a nice camping ground and a splendid view  Started Sunday Apr. 24 to go around the mouth of Montreal River on the ice as we were afraid it would be too soft if we staid longer    camped at a deserted Indian farm and went to the mouth of Bad River Monday Apr. 25 when we camped, and come up to Odanah Tuesday Apr. 26 in boats    camped on the West side of the village and awaited orders.

Received orders to find a higher crossing of Bad and White Rivers which we did about a mile East of Odanah    then ran a line to Ashland from both crossings    stopped in Ashland a few days when I S P Weeks come with orders for us to continue our line west toward Superior to connect with Holbrook’s line via Whittlesy Creek    ran across Fish Creek and up Whittlesy Creek to the head but found the elevation too much to rise in the distance, then came back to the west side of Fish Creek to try a line up the north side of the stream and now May 26, 1881 we are camped on Moose Lake road in Town 47 North Range 5 west of the 4^th meridian Sec 5 Wisconsin and it rains like great guns.

Message:         Saturday May 7, 1881

To I. S. P. Weeks Div. Engr. Duluth Minnesota

We shall be in Ashland Monday night May 9^th

                                          D. S. Hastings

                                          Chief of Survey Party

At Sta 1524 we staked through a low pass in the mountains which come down abruptly on either side of our line leaving a narrow belt of flat land between, some 200 ft wide which seems to have been formed by natives for a railroad to cross from Culver River to the Montreal and seems to have been a favorite route for the Indians as we found a well spotted trail leading through the pass.

Go go Ku Jo Kan = pronounced Goo goo kar jo karn.  Culver’s translation = Muddy stream or dangerous crossing, a log under water which you are obliged to cross on.

Where the Indian trail from Montreal River crosses our line there is a hill to the left on which I found specimens of ore    About two miles out on the trail it went past a corner marked T46N S1 WILLIAM MORIN JOSEPH NIVAUX.    At B109 + 50 cross the quarter Section Line, quarter comes 516 ft – Lt. Sta 89 + 50 B.Line = 4482.Weeks    Offset Lt from B.Line to Weeks + 39 ft    469 + 20 B.Line = 4203 + 50 Weeks Line.

Chipperway words

Magu jut = Bears arse = Cook’s name

Shewangum a sigum = molasses

Oh = yes    carwun = no

barge jiggu = lightning

Gog = hedgehog

Won was kush = deer

Aqua za dika zibe = Poplar River

wa da pin = Cungema, a root like horseradish

ma na pin = Snake root

Wednesday, October 19, 1881 Rainy this morning but cleared about noon and as my party are all here, we go into camp preparatory to starting for the Montreal River in the Northern Pacific Location and expect to follow pretty nearly the preliminary line which I ran last spring.

My party consists of 21 men to wit:

            D. S. Hastings             Locating Engr.           

            J. S. Larkin                  Topographer

            F. M. Carr                   Transitman     

            D. R. Weeks                Leveler

            P.G. Cook                   Rodman

            John Default

            John Neveux   Chainmen       

                                                            Chippewa Indians

John Curren

John Smart      Axmen

Wm. Knight

Horace Greely

George Messenger

Adam Scot

Peter Cloud                 Packers            Chippewa Indians

Sam’l Stoddard         

Louis Mayotte

Thos. Scot

Joe Scot          

Moses White               Back Flagman

Thos. Kendicken         Cook

I start out with three wall tents 9‘ x 12’ with an oval sheet iron stove and four lengths of pipe for each tent    there is no bottom to the stove and the pipe is of the same length so that in packing the pipe is carried inside the stove which has four rings on each end to hitch the pack straps to    the stove is two feet high 18 inches long and one foot wide with a door and slide for ventilation in front, and the pipe comes out the top near the back end.

I have one wall tent which the Rodman occupies with me    the Topographer, Transitman and Leveler occupy another.    The Cook Chainmen and some of the Axmen the other    the rest of the men occupy a shed tent with a fire in front    the Packers carry their loads by a strap over the top of their heads and is in this form:

Pack Strap of Harness Leather

Supplies for 12 days – Everything put up in sacks.     

200 lb. Ham    300 Flour    100 Granulated Sugar     50 Brown sugar    25 butter    100 Bacon

50 Pork    100 Beef    10 Tea    60 Beans    25 Rice    50 Oatmeal    50 Corn Meal    25 Dr. Prunes

25 Raisins    10 Currents    12 Baking Powder    15 Coffee    10 Salt    1 Cinnamon   2 Pepper    1 Ginger

6 Bars of Soap    50 cts worth Matches

We have a small A tent to shelter the provisions and fly tents to use when necessary.

Thursday, October 20, 1881 Fine weather    we ran preliminary line today to get a good crossing of Bay Citty Creek

Friday, Oct. 21, 1881 Ran another preliminary line and started the Location    ran to near the Creek but did not move camp.

Saturday, Oct. 22, 1881 Ran about two miles and camped on a small creek    the night being clear I took an observation to find the true North    found the indication of the magnetic needs to be 7° 23” E    the time at which Polaris was on A line was 10:50 p.m.    when a plumb line would cut Gamma Polaris & Alioth 17 minutes afterwards it is over the true North.    This was the first night for two weeks that the sky has been clear

Sunday, October 23, 1881 This has been a fine day and most of our party have gone to Ashland or Odanah, but I preferred to stay in camp.

Monday, October 24, 1881 We have made a good run today making about a mile and a half of Location and camped near a small stream on the Road to Odanah

Tuesday, October 25, 1881 Made about a mile and a fourth    camped on the road to Odanah about one half mile west of Bear Trap Creek.

Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1881 Made a good run today and camped on Odanah Road near where our A & B Line intersects it.

Thursday, Oct 27, 1881 Went over to White River to run a preliminary back to intersect with our Location but did not quite finish.

Friday, October 28, 1881 Ran the two lines to an intersection and found we had only to change our line O”.15’ S+ from Beartrap Creek to strike the best crossing on White River, but it being rainy we did not go back.    I went to Odanah to see about the supplies    found them stored in Walkers Shop    found them short 1 Bbl beef, 5 pails Lard and a bag of Beans    have written to S S Vaughn to that effect.

Saturday, October 29, 1881 Rainy again today so that we are obliged to stay in our huts    my tent is a good thick one and does not leak but the one occupied by the three assistants leaks badly    shall have to send in for a fly to spread over it.    Wrote a letter home and sent that one and the one to Vaughn by Ed Haskins.

Sunday, Oct 30, 1881 Walked two miles through the mud this morning to attend church at Odanah at the Indian Mission   The pastor is a half breed Chippewa whose name was Blatchford and as the discourse was in Chippewa I didn’t understand much only an occasional word that I had learned such as gaget = surely   carween = no  mequitch munedoo = thank God, etc.    but when they passed the contribution box, I could understand that if it was in Chippewa    however I enjoyed the meeting as I went principally to see their manner of worship and found it did not differ from that of the Whites especially the latter part.    It is still cloudy and growing cold    looks like snow.

Monday, Oct 31, 1881 Started back to Beartrap Creek this morning to change the line    we had a fine day and put in about a mile and one half    found at night that we were deflecting more than we should be for 0°.15’ but concluded to push it through to White River.    The departure showed an angle of 0”.17’5    Tonight I gave the men their time checks.

Tuesday, November 1, 1881 Another fine day    continued the line to our camp being about 1.5 miles.    John Default left today so Jo Belam took the head of the chain and did very well.    The Indians all went to Odanah tonight to eat a beaver which was cooked, and John Neveux got the head.    Having a good time celebrating All Hallow Eve.

Wednesday, November 2, 1881 Cloudy this morning but we started out to work and stayed until the storm drove us in which was about 9 A.M.    It has been snowing and raining together tonight    the ground is white with snow, the first of the season.

Thursday, Nov. 3. 1881 It snowed nearly all day    came in squalls but didn’t measure very fast    We ran our line across White River which is at Sat 447. a little more than 8 miles from Ashland.    Our packers found two canoes in White River so we had no trouble getting across and I afterward took the Topographer and went up and down the river to sketch the different lands and courses    8 P.M. Still Snowing.

Friday, Nov. 4, 1881 Snow about two inches deep on the ground    We ran our line across and connected with the preliminary across Bad River and measured off the tangents preparatory to putting in the course.    I went down to Odanah in a boat with the packers and then up Bad River to our line eating dinner with the packers on the way    saw a young squaw pass by us who was quite good looking    the men said it was Joe Betanis sister.

Saturday, Nov. 5, 1881 We put in the canoe and ran across Bad River (which is at Sta 507 & 508, it is about 165’ ft wide and 10’ deep) and about 3000 ft east of Bad River intersected A line from Odanah.

Sunday, Nov. 6, 1881 Most of the men have gone to Odanah    Joe Scot & Cook went to Ashland yesterday.    Joe brought the mail back last night    I got three letters from home and one from Brother Mose

Monday, Nov. 7, 1881 Put in a canoe and followed the A Line    ran about one mile and camped on the trail from Odanah to the sugar bush.

Tuesday, Nov. 8, 1881 Stormed last night    it was rain and carried off our snow    we didn’t get out to work very early as it rained a little this morning, but we put in nearly a mile of line. Wednesday, Nov. 9, 1881 Windy and cold all day with an occasional spit of snow    the woods were thick and the chippers Lazy  so we did not get in more than one mile though it was straight Line    I struck the trail at night and on my way to camp met the Indian who said the camp was in the opposite direction but it proved that I was right and they were following a back track and this is not the first time I have seen them at fault.    We all got into camp about dark but had a good appetite for supper which was boiled potatoes, fried pork, boiled onions, boiled rice, hot biscuits with syrup made from brown sugar which went very well.   

Thursday, Nov. 10, 1881 We have had a grand day and made nearly a mile and a half    I took a small ax and helped the choppers this afternoon and they seemed to work much better    we camped on the old trail again tonight which was about 2000 feet South West of our line

Friday, Nov 11, 1881 Cloudy this morning    Mr. Carr went in the Odanah early this morning and Mr. Larken ran the transit for him.    He has not come back tonight and we fear he may have got lost in the woods as Tom Kendicken got turned around when he came to bring out our dinners and found himself  back on the trail when he should have been on the line.    We camped on the trail about one half mile South East from the end of our line.    It is 8 p.m. and beginning to snow. Saturday, Nov. 12, 1881 Found the ground covered with snow this morning and every tree and bush loaded down.    Mr. Carr came into camp about half past nine this morning    did not start from Odanah yesterday but waited for the mail    I got three letters from home and one from Mr. Holbrook with instructions from the Chief Engr. Gen A. Anderson to take my party and go to Sec 15 T 47 North Range 13 West of the 4^th Meridien near Superior Wisconsin to make a final Location from the end of work on N.P. near Superior to the beginning of my location west of the River Brule    I have sent in a man to Ashland this morning with telegram to Mr. Holbrook to know whether I should take my party to Superior by boat or rail and shall beak camp here Monday.

Sunday, Nov. 13, 1881 Cleared off last night but is cloudy again this morning    Most of the men went into Odanah last night and about 11 P.M. I heard something that sounded like a man hallooing twice    I went out of the tent and answered it but found I got no return so concluded it must have been some wild animal probably a bear.    I have stayed in camp all day mending my boot and looking over a pile of letters which I could not carry and so burned although some of them which came from home looked almost too good to destroy but I had no alternative so cremated them

Monday, Nov. 14, 1881 Cold and squally this morning    We broke camp about 8 A.M. and took dinner on Jumping Sturgeon Creek then came down to Odanah and deposited what provisions we didn’t need to take in to Ashland in Mr. Walkers shop.    We camped about ¾ of a mile west of Odanah near the Road    The Indian Agent came last night to distribute his goods among the Indians

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 1881 Had some talk with the Captain of the tug that brought the Indian Agent about carrying us to Ashland but he asked $20 so concluded to walk.   the packers hired a team rather than carry the camp equipage    I gave them a dollar toward it    got into Ashland about three o’clock P.M.

Wednesday, Nov. 16, 1881 We are camped near the depot grounds on our old camping ground    I have been busy all day getting matters fixed up for a start    sent Will Straw $30.00 for his time check and blankets    Fixed up an account with Vaughn    had plan and profiles fixed up ready for a start and packed the notebooks together and sent them with the plans and profiles of this line East from Ashland to be deposited at the Express Office as we did other things by Mr Weeks orders.    Have not yet heard from telegram I sent Monday morning to H.W.D. Holbrook, but shall start when the Manistee comes and we look for her any time now.

Thursday, Nov. 17, 1881 Went down to the store this morning and bought ham and beef steak for dinner    paid More & Hart 50 cts for ½ bushel of potatoes but didn’t get them    then went to the Colby House to get some things out of  my trunk    Found that and my valice stored in the attic    While I was there Mrs. Davis came and told me that the Manistee was coming so I hurried back to camp and got things ready and went on board, but they didn’t start until afternoon    got our dinner on board but the steward was cross because there were so many to get dinner for    I saw him afterwards and told him he looked more pleasant    he said he felt cross for he had just heard that the Clark House at Duluth was burned and his wife was stopping there and they had $300 or $400 in the fire.  We are now stopping at Bayfield, 10 P.M.

Friday, Nov. 18, 1881 We started from Bayfield at 2 A.M. and at daylight we were opposite the mouth of Brule River    found that Weeks slept on a lounge rather than sleep with Larkin, he was so drunk    it is very cold and the ice is making on the lake fast    got to Duluth about 10A.M.    found the tug Nelly Cotton had just left    had to wait until 2 P.M. for her to start again and while we were waiting three of my Indians went into the engine room    they had been drinking and the engineer drove them out getting up quite a skirmish    we landed in Superior about 3 P.M. and put up our tents about ½  mile out of the village near Left Hand River (Neagie)    I went in and saw Mr. Holbrook who got plans and profiles ready for me to take in the morning then went with him and saw Vincent Roy where we are to get our supplies.

Saturday, Nov. 19, 1881 Went down to Mr. Holbrook’s office and got the plans and profiles then went down to Mr. Roy’s    found him busy putting up our supplies but found we couldn’t get away until after noon so went back to camp and got dinner then as we were breaking up camp Mr. G. H. Case came to see me.    he has a Division on the Chicago Portage & Superior and is getting $125 per month    as our way was both in the same direction we went together to Bluff Creek    then I went down the creek on the ice with my party and camped on the bank near the junction of the Northern Pacific and the Omaha about Sta 1525 M. line

Sunday, Nov. 20, 1881 Staying in camp most of the time.    Mr. Halstein came in to see me    did not give a very glowing account of the way this part of the line was located.

Monday, Nov. 21, 1881 Took my dinner in my pocket and started on ahead to look the line over for work tomorrow    found the country very even and easy to locate on.    Stuck up a piece of bark where I wanted them to camp and got back to their camp about sunset.    Found everything fixed up in good shape.

Tuesday, Nov. 22, 1881 Started on the M Line at 1529+ 48.9    crossed a small creek and named it Picush Creek after our Head Packer    put in 50 stations and camped on the creek where I ate dinner yesterday

Wednesday, Nov. 23, 1881 Cold and windy    we got a good start this morning and have put in about1 ¼ miles    we had hard work to keep warm on the line as this part of the country has been burned over and the dead trees are no shelter from the wind.    We have about two inches of snow and the ground is frozen a few inches deep    A number of the party are complaining of the cold tonight    Myself with the rest    I have got my stove as red as a cherry but it does not seem to warm up much

Thursday, Nov. 24, 1881 This is Thanksgiving day and a cold dreary day it is and not much like the many pleasant thanksgiving days I have spent in Maine    it almost makes me homesick to think of it but it will not do to think of home too much but I hope to go for a visit in a few weeks    I have been out to the American River today and find it a dirty looking stream    looks more like strong coffee than water and certainly does not look fit to drink    My party have put in a little more than a mile though we have had but three choppers    Antoine Ahoun was sick as well as Horace Greely & John Neveux all with bad colds but all have taken four table spoonfuls of salts each and I guess they will be cleaned out by tomorrow     tonight    Bill Night complains of the same sickness but I think it is only a cold    we had our thanksgiving dinner on the line    it was canned cornbeef, bacon, bread and butter and boiled rice all cooked and served up by an Indian    I don’t think I relished it as well as some Thanksgiving dinners my Mother used to cook when I was a boy    not quite

Friday, Nov. 25, 1881 I set my party to running preliminary lines today and I started over toward Middle River some five miles East to look the country over    It snowed a little in the forenoon and stopped just before I came to Middle River    I found the tracks of three big grey wolves on the ice    they had just gone along as there was no snow in their tracks    was in hopes to get a shot at them but they kept out of sight    when I came back I found that a number of deer had crossed my tracks and a sable had picked up the crumbs where I ate dinner.    The country looked as though the line ought to go farther north as the ground sloped that way and the grades would be easier    found my party had just got in.

Saturday, Nov. 26, 1881 Finished the location up to within about 200 ft of the Aminicon River and camped in the same place as last night.

Sunday, Nov. 27, 1881nSpent Sunday writing and looking over the plans & profiles with the exception of about one hour which I spent making two sable traps    One of our packers Peter Roundwind, an old Indian hunter, made two more    I told him I should catch all the game but he laughed at me.

Monday, Nov. 28, 1881 Located across the Aminicon River and got in about 1 ½ miles of line found that neither the Indians or myself caught anything in our traps so that neither of us could brag.    We camped at little more than a mile east of the Aminicon    I have a bad cold    think it is the same that has made nearly all the Indians sick though I shall not use the same remedy.    One of them steeped up a kettle of fir bark and drank the whole in the course of a day    It ought to kill or cure but he is much the same today.

Tuesday, Nov. 29, 1881 We put in about a mile and one half of line today and camped on a small creek which runs into Middle River    Tom Kendicken brought our dinner out on the line and while we were eating he set a martin trap baited with a piece of bacon    we have found a good line so far.

Wednesday, Nov. 30, 1881 I have had business enough to make out my monthly returns    I worked in my tent nearly all day and sent the party on to the Middle River    the packers came back for my tent about three o’clock P.M. so I packed up and went over the line they had run    found the straight line went down to a low bank on Middle River in that it made a bad crossing    when I got to the camp ground found my tent already up and stove ready for a fire.

Thursday, Dec. 1, 1881 I sent my party to work this morning to try a crossing while I went up the River and looked the ground over for a better one    found one that looked pretty fair and came back in time for dinner    the first crossing did not prove to be a good one so tried the one I found which turned out well    We ran about 1000 feet on each side and then came back to camp.

Friday, Dec. 2, 1881 Continued our yesterday line east to an intersection with Holbrooks V line which was a little more than a mile from the river then came back and intersected on the west side of the river    found we had shortened the line 2000 feet and got a better surface.

Saturday, Dec. 3, 1881 This morning we started on the west side of Middle River and ran on preliminary back to intersect with the tangent    ran across the Middle River    stopped at our old camping ground to eat dinner and while there Tom Kendicken went back to one of his martin traps and came back to us bringing a nice large martin which he found in his trap    I fixed up a trap with my knife and baited it with a piece of ham    our preliminary came out first rate intersecting our line just where I had calculated    After supper my Indians fixed up for a good time    they had first a medicine dance then a war dance and afterwards a pipe dance which was very laughable    they had a tin can with a handle and some beans in it to rattle and it seemed every man was obliged to dance when this can was given to him and each man in his turn would take the can and dance until he was out of breath then throw the rattle to another who would go through the same performance shouting in a strange Indian fashion once in a while and all the while two were drumming on a shovel or tin dish and chanting in a way that I have never heard anyone but an Indian do    One man jumped out from behind a tent fixed up to represent the Devil with a paper mask and a long tail    he jumped on the fire and danced until the sparks almost hid him from view and after him another who is a chief in the tribe came out in a queer rig with a breech clout and something to represent a big belly which shook when he danced about which was quite laughable    I think they made a night of it for I woke up in the night and heard them still at it

Sunday, Dec. 4, 1881 Didn’t get breakfast very early on account of the dance last night.    I have spent the day writing home and washing up my dirty clothes and other work to keep along    One of the Indians borrowed my pistol to shoot a deer but didn’t get him.

Monday, Dec. 5, 1881 Commenced locating on our preliminary    put in a curve and something more than one mile of line, ran two thousand feet or more after crossing Middle River.

Tuesday, Dec. 6, 1881 Our packers moved camp to Poplar River today    We all ate dinner together on the line    crossed Holbrooks V line before noon and ran our tangent through to Poplar River but did not strike a good crossing    went up stream about 800 ft and found a good crossing on the head of the falls.

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 1881 Went up to the falls and started a preliminary across the river and about one mile east from the river found the crossing good and surface all right east of the river    Horace Greely and Peter Cloud went in to Superior to day to carry in papers and get the mail.

Thursday, Dec. 8, 1881 Started West from Poplar River to try the surface    intended to intersect my other line about ½ mile East of Middle River    I met Horace and Peter coming back from Superior when we were crossing the Bayfield Road    Got the mail of them and among other papers from Holbrook found a copy of letter from A. Anderson, Engineer in Chief, asking about my operations and calling for a report, and a line from Mr Holbrook asking me to send in a report immediately    I also got two letters from home.  While I was reading letters Joe Betain came out and told me that Antoine Ahoun had cut his foot and gone to camp, so I left the party to go on, and I went back to camp to take care of the wounded    I found the Indian had washed it and tied on a piece of pork    I took off the pork and drew the wound together with surgeons plaster which made him cringe some though he was an Indian and used to hard knocks    The party didn’t quite intersect tonight but I found that the surface was all right.

Friday, Dec. 9, 1881 I sent the party down to finish their line and locate back, in a 1° course on the angle which they did and got nearly back to Poplar River    I spent the day writing my report and it took me nearly all day to write out a report of the nine months operations and I felt tired enough when it was done

Saturday, Dec. 10, 1881 Sent George Messinger in to Superior with my report and some letters also for a pair of rubbers and 25 lbs rice    Crossed Poplar River with the location and went nearly one mile east    came back tonight to our old camp on Poplar River    found my patient doing well.

Sunday, Dec. 11, 1881 Took a walk down over the line this morning to look at the surface as I thought by the looks of the profile that my leveler had made a mistake    found he had and shall send him back tomorrow to rectify it    It snowed a little last night and there were lots of fresh deer tracks across the line this morning but the old snow made too much noise underfoot to still hunt.    Then came back to camp and finished making a tracing of Holbrooks V line    while I was at work Horace came in with the mail and my rubbers    I had a letter from home saying they were all well and one from Holbrook saying my report was received and was very satisfactory and also that my topographer had been in Duluth probably drunk as someone had picked up his notebook on the ice.    He has not been with us since we came to Superior but has been sketching on Holbrooks work west of Superior    There is only about three inches of snow and the weather is quite mild.

Monday, Dec 12, 1881 Started our line where we left it Saturday and ran some more than a mile but found tonight that the profile showed too much rise so shall have to fall back nearly to where we started this morning and make an angle to the left to get lower down the hill    While the party was at work  I went up on the hill to our right and followed along three miles hoping to find a lower summit than this one that Holbrooks line crosses but did not succeed    got into camp about dark

Tuesday, Dec. 13, 1881 Started back on our yesterdays line and put in a 1° corner to avoid the hill intersected with the V line 90 ft to the left of where we expected to but found a good surface and started a preliminary line to intersect the V line higher up which didn’t turn out well, crossing too low ground    camped where we did last night.

Wednesday, Dec 14, 1881 Sent Tom Scot in to Superior for more supplies    Started our location where we intersected the V line and pushed it on straight until we crossed a second time then ran a preliminary near the V line putting in angles a little different so as to improve the surface and get lighter grades    moved camp about 1 ½ miles between the lines and Bayfield Road.

Thursday, Dec. 15, 1881 Located over the yesterdays preliminary    made quite an improvement over the V line    Tom Scot didn’t come back tonight    we are getting short of grub

Friday, Dec. 16, 1881 Continued our Location throwing it to the left of the V line to lighten the grades.    We came in to camp and found Tom Scot had not made his appearance and we had nothing for supper    A pretty hard look but in the course of an hour we heard a faint hoot in the distance upon which every Indian jumped up and answered it with a yell and started off through the woods at a run    When they reached the Bayfield Road the team had just arrived and the sight of so many Indians scared the poor Swede who was driving the team almost out of his wits to see them jump onto his cart and throw off his load and before he had hardly stopped some of them were carrying the provisions off through the woods    he expected his scalp to go next but finding he was not hurt he concluded it was all right so took his horses off the cart and followed the Indians into camp and after supper I had the Indians go out and bring in the horses for fear the wolves would kill them in the night.    The teamster felt a little afraid to have his horses so near the Indians tent but I assured him they would be all right.    I put him in the tent with Weeks and Carr which made him feel quite happy for he still felt a little shy of the Indians

Saturday, Dec. 17, 1881 The teamster started back for Superior this morning with his team and scalp all right    We  packed our location up across Bayfield Road between 20^th & 21^st Mileposts from Superior.    Keeping still to the left of the V line came back to the same camp tonight

Sunday, Dec. 18, 1881 We are having fine mild wether    the air feels like spring and the little snow we have is fast going off    the Indians are making them some dobons or sleds with only one runner which is about one foot wide and six long with the forward end turned up    it is the same that they use for a dog team    I have spent the day getting my accounts in order.

Monday, December 19, 1881 We moved camp today up near the summit of Bayfield Road and continued our line over the summit with a preliminary but did not cross where I wanted to so had to try a second time with better success.    Two logging teams came by my tent about 10 P.M. and wanted to know how far it was to the Brule    I told them as well as I could and they concluded to stop over night with our packers.

Tuesday, Dec. 20, 1881 Tried a 2° curve this forenoon in our angle near the summit but found it didn’t fit the surface so tried two 4° curves with 1000 ft tangent between them    found it made better work.

Wednesday, Dec. 21, 1881 Continued the Line over the Summit but found it did not connect with Holbrooks line well beyond.   Came back to camp to dinner and concluded to put in the afternoon on the plot and profile

Thursday, Dec. 22, 1881 Tried a preliminary over the summit and connected with the line beyond in good shape.

Friday, Dec. 23, 1881 Continued the location over the summit in the forenoon and worked on the plan and profile in the afternoon.    Three of the packers started for home in Odanah this morning George Messinger, Peter Cloud and Louis Mayotte    I gave them provisions and four days time to go in on.

Saturday, Dec. 24, 1881 Continued the location down the small stream running into the Brule    came very near connecting with my located line to Ashland but night coming on we didn’t quite finish.

Sunday, Dec. 25, 1881 Christmas day and a fine pleasant day it is    the air feels like spring and the snow is thawing a little    I have worked most of the day sketching topography on the map but this afternoon I took a short walk and when I was coming back I thought as I came in sight of our tents that they would make quite a picture with the Indians standing around in groups and their dobons or dog trains stood up against the trees and the cook being at work around his fire.    The camp is situated on the summit between Poplar River and the Brule in a nice open growth of Rock Maples & Basswoods with a small stream running down past the cooks tent    It is quite a pleasant spot to spend Christmas but I think I could enjoy it better at home with my family.

We find the variation of the magnetic needle in Sec 28 Town 48 North from the Base Line running through Range 12 west of the 4^th Meridian to be 9” 35’ East.

Monday, Dec. 26, 1881 Today we have finished the Location connecting with my Location from Town 47 North Range 10 West Sec. 6 to Ashland, Wis.

Tuesday, Dec. 27, 1881 This morning the balance of my Indians started across the country for Ashland leaving only four of us white men here in camp    they all felt badly to leave me    They had been working for me so long and I felt lonesome enough to say bo sho to them and to see them file off through the woods.    Weeks goes up to the deserted camp once in a while and drums on the old kettle singing hi yah to imitate their song and sometimes it does sound as though my Chippeways were back again.

Wednesday, Dec. 28, 1881 We have all worked busily on the plans and profiles    the weather is warm, more like spring than winter

Thursday, Dec. 29, 1881 Another busy day on plans and profiles and they are finished at last    It has snowed a little today but only in squalls    Our teams came tonight to take us back to Superior, two two-horse teams    We shall have strength enough to take us back in good shape

Friday, Dec. 30, 1881 About 7 inches of light snow came last night so it is well that we have a strong team to go in with    We started at 8 A.M.    the road was very rough for about two miles but gradually got better    we stopped at the Aminicon to get our dinner, fed the horses, built a fire and made coffee then started on and about 8 miles out of Superior the snow almost entirely disappeared and the wagon ran well    Could not find Mr. Holbrook so came to stop overnight at Kings Hotel

Saturday, Dec. 31, 1881 Cold and clear    I have spent the day settling up with Mr. Holbrook and other work before leaving this Division.  I have given Holbrook an order on the treasurer for the amount of my October voucher = $88.90 and paid him $1.10 cash taking up the receipt five Weeks for $90.

January 1, 1882 I am writing this standing on the bluff to the northwest of Duluth, Minnesota and looking down on the town and bay.    Lake Superior is not frozen over except the small bay made of Minnesota Point which sticks off of a giant scythe with its edge toward the lake and its point near Superior City    the town looks nice from this bluff with the railroad elevators, and other public improvements near the lake and broad Lake Superior stretching out into the unseen distance    it is cold but clear and no wind to make it unpleasant.

Jan. 2, 1882 I took the train from Duluth to Brainard at 5 P. M. last night and arrived Brainard at 1 A.M.    got a bed at the hotel which I shared with Mr. Carr    I went to the Chief Engr Office this morning    Saw Mr. Mason the principal assistant – Mr. Anderson being in New York    I asked for a leave of absence to go home    Mr. Mason telegraphed to New York and I am here at the hotel at 4 P. M. awaiting an answer    I have been down to the Mississippi River this afternoon and walked across it on the Railroad bridge    the river here is about the width of the Androscoggin at Bethel but looks much deeper.

Tuesday, Jan. 3, 1882 I have been here in Brainard all day waiting for an answer to my telegram to New York but none has come.    I have travelled all over the place    looked into the Machine Shops and Round House and other places of interest.

Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1882 Mr. Mason came into the Hotel this morning and told me that Gen Anderson had answered my telegram as follows: “I cannot spare Mr. Hastings    shall have orders for him soon.”    I then asked Mr. Mason if there was any objection to my going to St. Paul while I was waiting.    He said there was one so gave me passes and I started on the 1 o’clock train    when we got to Anoka the engine broke both of her connecting rods and had to be pushed in to St. Paul by a freight engine which came behind    I concluded to stop over night to see West Hammons who lives there    put up at the Merchant Hotel and after supper called at his house but was told by the hired girl that he was in Minneapolis but would be back at 10 P. M. so I told her I would call again and went back to the Hotel and stopped until after breakfast when I called again but found he had started for Minneapolis again at 6 A.M. so did not see him    took the 9:30 A.M. train for St. Paul    got my time checks for Nov & Dec. cashed and got two $60 post office orders at the St. Paul office where I marked them for Bethel    found Mr. Carr at the Auditor’s office and arranged it to come back to Brainard with him on the night train as he was on his way to Manitoba to run a transit on the Winnipeg Road    bought me a Smith & Wesson revolver,  paid $12 for it    got back to Brainard between 1 & 2 Friday A.M.

Friday, Jan. 6, 1882 It snowed a very little in the night but is mild and foggy this morning    I went into the office to report but found Mr. Mason had gone to Fargo    told his secretary to tell him I had got back and could be found at the Hotel when wanted.    The air feels warm tonight and it looks like rain.

Sat. Jan. 7, 1882 I went up to visit the Blacksmith shop and Foundry this morning and then called at Mr. Mason’s office    found orders there from the Gen. Anderson, Chief Engr for me to go down and look over the Location of the Little Falls S. Decotah Division and see if there could be any improvement made in their lines as it had been represented to him that the Road was Located more for the interests of Speculators than for the Co.    I shall start on the night train.

Sunday, Jan. 8, 1882 Left Brainard on the 2:40 A.M. train    took breakfast at Little Falls and as there was no crossing of the Mississippi with teams I walked across and took dinner with Mr. Porter who agreed to carry me to Burnhamville tomorrow but this afternoon Mr. Moor came along with two horses on his way home to Sauk Center (with one passenger a Mr. Lile who it seems is engaged with Mr. Moor in getting out shippers for the Little Falls and Decotah RR) and agreed to take me within a few miles of Burnhamville so took passage with him and stopped at Mr. Workman’s at night.    While at Little Falls I visited the crossing chosen for the RR and was very much surprised at its Location    the entire span must be in the neighborhood of 300 ft or two spans of 150’ each with about 14 ft of water to contend within constructing the pier when a short distance below on the falls there is a natural pier in the shape of an island of solid rock with solid Rock foundations for Abutments on both shores where two spans of 150 ft each or less could be all sufficient   The cost of construction must certainly be less and the safety of the structure greater.

Monday, Jan. 9, 1882 Started from Mr. Workman’s with Mr. Moor & Lile    rode about two miles and then started on foot as they were going another way, but a man overtook me before I had gone far and gave me a ride the rest of the way to Burnhamville    I stopped at Horace Twitchell’s and called upon Mr. Burnham and Mr. J. Frank Lock (who are both Maine men) and got their ideas of the proper changes of location.

Tuesday, Jan. 10, 1882 Went down to the headquarters and followed the RR Line out some four miles to get an idea of the alignment and amount of work    found they had chosen the best place to get across to Grey Eagle    did not get back to Twitchell’s until it began to grow dark.

Wednesday, Jan. 11, 1882 Started this morning and went up across little Swan Lake and the two other Lakes down to Long Lake and on the outlet of that lake to see what kind of a crossing could be had    found the country to be very broken    the hills coming down snug to the lakes    came back to Burnhamville via the proposed Line    found it a very rough line for a Railroad and no improvement on the present Location.

Thursday, Jan. 12, 1882 Hired a team to take me to Grey Eagle and much trouble and dragging over bear ground    reached that place where we took dinner    we went by the way of the R.R. Line to see what I could of the Location and came back via Big Swan lake and other Lakes to see as much of the proposed changes as possible    thought the present location far the best    got back to Burnhamville a little after dark.

Friday, Jan. 13, 1882 Did not sleep well last night    a young fellow and girl were courting in the next room and kept me awake half the night    I concluded that it was not half as pleasant to be obliged to hear others court as to do it yourself.    Paid my bill this morning at Twitchell’s and said good bye to Mr. Lock, Mr. Burnham and others and started for Long Prairie, 10 miles, with a pair of horses harnessed to an old rickety cutter with the owner of the horses for a driver.    Arrived at Long Prairie at 11:30 A.M.    took dinner at the American House and then stage for Sauk Center, 22 miles, thermometer 10°, with a North wind and when I came to see the team I felt a little shaky    two little poor looking ponies that would weigh about 600 lbs each and the load consisted of a covered wagon, the driver, myself, a woman and child with our baggage to start at 2 P.M. and go 22 miles before dark and three inches of snow on the ground.    We started out slow and the driver kept constantly plying the whip which didn’t seem to fret them, but they began to increase their speed after going 5 or 6 miles and the last ten miles came in flying, reaching Sauk Center in good time for supper.    it has been a wonder to me all afternoon what those ponies were made of for there did not seem to be anything but hide and hair    one of them came so near slipping out of the harness that I had to get out and help the driver pull it back on him    It seemed to me that I could almost lift him up in my arms.    Got my supper at the Sauk Center House and a room with a fire in it for which I paid one dollar before going to bed so I was to start out on the early train    very comfortable lodgings but we had a terrible cold ride.

Saturday, Jan. 14, 1882 Was called this morning about four A.M. and took the cab to the depot but found the train was late and had to stay until after six A.M.    then they went very slow and made long stops for orders as they were travelling on other trains time.    I made up my mind to go to Granite Falls and spend the Sabbath with Ollen Sanders but at Minneapolis Junction I got out and met West Hammons so went down to Minneapolis    found the last train on the Hastings & Decotah had gone and none would start until Monday so as West urged me to go back to Anoka and stay over Sunday with him concluded to do so, had a splendid time at Minneapolis    was introduced to four judges and went into hear one of them try a case    not much of a day for judges either    went out to Anoka in the evening train    West and I slept together, not the first time either.

Sunday, Jan. 15, 1882 Spent the day looking over the place with West and talking over old times    It made me feel a little homesick to see West with his family about him and mine so far away.    The air is sharp, thermometer 7°- 0 and just snow enough to make the ground look white    Saw Mr. James Frost last night, an old resident of Bethel and talked with him about all the old folks at Bethel    Saw Ike Twitchell and talked with him    he looks the same as ever only he has grown gray since I saw him last.

Monday, Jan. 15, 1882 Took the train at 8 A.M. for Brainard    arrived there about 1 P.M.    took dinner at the Headquarters Hotel and then went to the office to see Mr. Mason    found a letter there from Carr and one at the hotel from home    then went to my room and commenced writing my report.

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 1882 Finished my Report and passed it to Mr. Mason to be sent to Gen Anderson at NY    Wrote a letter home and received one saying that the P.O. order which I sent from St. Paul had not been received but the P.M. at Bethel had received the notice that the money was due    I wrote a letter to the P.M. at St. Paul asking what I should do in the matter and sent a postal card to my wife telling her about it    I also wrote to Dr. Ed Griffin of the Wisconsin board of health at Fond du Lac for some points of vaccine matter to vaccinate myself with, and wrote to Mrs. Borden at 1004 Baltimore Ave, Kansas City, MO

Wednesday, Jan. 17, 1882 Did not get any letters today    have spent the most of the day in my room reading and writing but tonight as I was writing Cate [his brother, John Decatur Hastings in Maine] a letter, Mr. Mason sent his secretary in to tell me that he had just received a telegram from Gen. Anderson saying if Mr. Hastings has got back from his expedition let him go East if he wishes to.    So I fixed up with Mr. Mason, writing me a voucher for my expenses in Jan 1882 amounting to $41.25.    and giving me a pass to St. Paul and a letter to Mr. Martin, Northern Pacific Ticket Agent at Jackson St. so that I could buy a ticket at discount and another letter to the auditor saying I should like my money for my voucher in November.

Thursday, Jan. 18, 1882 Started this morning on the 2:40 A.M. train    met Weeks at the hotel door who just came down on the train from Superior on his way to Ashland to sell the supplies on hand there and bring back the N.P. Property stored there.    Got in to St. Paul between 10 & 11 A.M.    went to the Auditor office but found I could get no money on any voucher as they had sent me a check to Ashland for my October voucher and I had turned that over to Mr. Holbrook but as nobody could draw it but me I should have to get that back before they could settle with me so they wrote a letter to the postmaster at Ashland telling him to return the letter to St. Paul to G. G. Sanborn, Local Treasurer, then he would send me a check on a NY Bank for the amount due me.    I then went to the Post Office about the money order that I had bought there but had not been received at Bethel    he had written me at Brainard    said I could only get a duplicate at Washington    I then went to Mr. Clark on Jackson St. and bought my ticket    paid $14 for a return ticket from St. Paul to Chicago and $15 for a ticket from Chicago to Portland, Maine    saw Mr. Carr at the depot    he had been to Winnepeg but found they would not pay him but $100 and board himself which would be cost $40, so he came back    told him to ask Weeks to go to the Ashland office and see if there was a letter there for me    Started on the 12:40 P.M. train and at night took a sleeping car which cost me $2.

Friday, Jan. 19, 1882 Got in to Chicago between 6 & 7 A.M. and had just time to ride across the city in a car to catch the East bound train    reached Port____ about midnight then took a sleeping car which cost $2

Saturday, Jan. 20, 1882 Arrived at Toronto about 7 A.M. and Montreal about 9 A.M. then took a sleeper for Island Pond, paid $2.

Sunday, Jan. 21, 1882 woke up in Island Pond    found a regular old New England snow storm in progress    the first rough storm I have seen for the winter    took breakfast and dinner at the _____ Hotel    went to the Methodist Church this forenoon with Mr. Hutchinson, a man on his way to Maine from San Francisco, Cal.

[Noted on the last page of 1881/1882 diary]

Jan 12              Transportation from Burnhamville to Gray Eagle        $1.50

                        Board at Gray Eagle                                                     $1.00

                        Transportation  Gray Eagle to Burnhamville                $1.50

                        4 days Board at Bunhamville                                        $6.00

Left home at Bethel, Me. Mar. 13, 1882 at 4:40 P.M. and took a Birth in the Pullman Car at Island Pond

Mar. 14, 1882 Arrived at Montreal at 6 A.M.    got breakfast at a house on Victory Square    took a train west at 9:30 A.M.    the day is warm and sunny    there is but little snow on the ground west of Montreal    Sent a postal card to Genie [his wife, Eugenia] while in the City.

Mar. 15, 1882 9:30 A.M.   We are crossing the River with the train on a boat from Sarnia, to Port Huron when we shall be again in the U.S. in the State of Michigan (Distance from Port Huron to Chicago 335 mi)    the river here looks as though it might be from 1200 to 1400 ft wide and I was told that the water was 40 ft deep    the current is strong running at the rate of 6 or 10 miles per hour and being but a short distance below lake Huron the river doesn’t freeze over    the water has a green look like the water of the ocean    There are three tracks on the boats that carry cars across so that by breaking up the train one boat will carry a train.    For the first 20 or 30 miles in Michigan it looks rather desolate being much of it burned over last summer but farther on the soil looks better and near Flint where they change cars for Saginaw & Bay City it looks like a nice farming country    here is good water power with woolen and other kinds of mills on the Flint River    they have a fine Cemetery with a reception tomb.  The timber about here is Elm Hickory and Maple and grows tall and straight    the land lays in great swells   the apple trees here look smooth and thrifty with no dead limbs.    Hamilton is the next Sta and in a pretty place    the timber is straight and stands much thicker than in Maine    Lansing the Capitol of the State shows up well to the North of the road where the Capitol building with a dome and spire is to be seen    Stopped 20 minutes for refreshments at Battle Creek which is a flourishing place and all the way through Michigan the winter wheat looks green with a little snow sprinkled over it and everything looked flourishing though the soil is light and sandy    Our train is late    it should have got to Chicago early in the evening but will not until past midnight.

Thursday, Mar. 16, 1882 Arrived at Chicago at 2 A.M.    was carried across the City in an omnibus to the N.W. Depot but it was so early that no one was in the depot so went to a hotel until morning    bought me a rubber pillow for which I paid $2.25 and looked around for some clothes but did not see any that suited me.    Started for St. Paul 10:00 A.M.    the cars were crowded and at night I took a birth in a sleeper where I could get a good nights rest and all births in the car were full at night    many going to Manitoba

Friday, March 17, 1882 Arrived in St. Paul 6:30 A.M. and went up to the N.P.R.R. Office to get a pass of Mr. Merritt, the Assistant Engr., and to get my checks cashed at the Local Treasurer (the offices are in Davidsons Block on Jackson St.) but found they were not in so early in the morning and as the train started for Brainard at 7:40 A.M. found that in order to transact what business I wanted to I must stop for the night train so concluded to look around a bit    Walked up onto the bluff back of St. Paul and took a look out over the city    it looks about as large as Portland, Maine, but has not so many large nice buildings.    I then went down into the City    heard the band playing and saw the procession as it is St. Patricks day and the Irishmen are celebrating    an address was delivered by Bishop Ireland which was listened to by a large audience    saw a funeral procession accompanied by a band and a large procession of some catholic order come across the bridge from West St. Paul    went down across the bridge myself    the bank on the East side is much higher than on the west and the bridge is on quite a steep incline    it is a deck bridge made of wood except the east span which is iron    the piers are of unequal heights and the truss of each span sits level so that the grade is made by raising the floor of the bridge above the truss at the upper end and raising the truss above the pier at the lower end and each pier has one span of its own height which makes it look rather odd    there is a small island with a house on it in the middle of the river    the house I think is for a summer resort for it had a sign Minnesota over the door and was unoccupied    after looking about awhile I went back to Jackson St and found the office open    got a pass of  Mr. Merritt and got my checks cashed at the treasurers office then went to a restaurant and got my dinner    spent the rest of the day at the depot and at 7:30 P.M. started for Brainerd

Saturday, Mar. 18, 1882 Our train went very slow on account of some trouble with the engine and towards morning some of the immigrants talked of getting out and hunting jack rabbits for breakfast    we should have arrived at Brainerd at 1:15 A.M. but didn’t until 6:30 A.M.    After breakfast I went into the Engr office    found Mr. Mason    he said Gen Anderson had gone down to St. Paul    did not know what he intended to do with me so I went back to the hotel and spent the day    went to my room the bed looked as though someone had slept in it with his boots on and pretty dirty besides    I told the clerk he had given me a dirty bed and he gave me another room which was a little cleaner    found a letter from home and a postal card from Bill Talbot awaiting me    answered then both.

Sunday, March 19, 1882 The sun came out warm this morning and the snow is thawing rapidly but the sky looks hazy and like a storm    I have spent the day loafing about taking short walks and writing a little

Monday, March 20, 1882 It began to storm early this morning and it has kept it up all day coming steadily but not very fast    spent the day between the office reading room and hotel

Tuesday, March 21, 1882 It snowed all night and until 8 o’clock this morning then it slacked up and the sun tried to show itself    there has come about ten inches of snow

Wednesday, Mar. 22, 1882 Cold and blowing    does not look much like work in the field

Thursday, Mar. 23, 1882 It is a little warmer today but does not thaw much    I have been attending Court which is holden here for Crow Wing County    the first case that I heard was the State of Minn. against Barney Corig of Anoka for aiding and abeting one Plant in stealing a bufflow overcoat.    The jury did not agree    the next was State of Minn. against one Laird of Little Falls for stealing potatoes from the cellar of Dan Moore    the case was not finished

Friday, March 24, 1882 Was intending to go in and hear the potato case finished but went into the office first    found Mr. Mason who showed me a letter from Gen Anderson saying that Mr. Clough thought it was very important that a skillful engineer should be sent out to Sweet Briar Dakota to the scene of the late R. R. disaster to make a careful examination and report as to the cause of the accident and if Mr. Hastings is familiar with trestle girders he had better go.    Mr. Mason asked me if I was willing to go and I said of course wherever I am ordered, so after getting profiles, plans, passes and letter of introduction I settled my bill at the Headquarters Hotel and took the 1:20 P.M. train west.    Found the country looked much like the rest of Minn. that I have seen with rather scrubby timber and an occasional stretch of open ground, but when we struck the Red River valley the whole view was changed and as far as I could see it was level as a floor and the soil black as muck.    Reached Fargo about dark which is a City of about 5000 inhabitants on the west bank of the Red River and is in Dakota.    the city of Moorehead with about 2000 is on the east side in Minnesota    put up at the Headquarter Hotel.

Saturday, March 25, 1882 The train was to leave at 8:15 A.M. but was about two hours behind so I took a walk through the place and across the river to Moorehead    there towns are full of people and businesses lively    started about noon    the country looked splendidly    perfectly level until we reached wheatland 27 miles from Fargo then it began to be slightly rolling and increased as we went west until we reached Vally City (58 miles west of Fargo) on the Shyenne River where the hills are 100 ft high but destitute of growth    the soil here looks lighter but black on the top    We stopped at Jamestown on the James River for dinner    this is a pretty valley but the wind blows down the river pretty hard and looks as though it would be a cold place in the winter    we reached Bismark on the Missouri about 8 P.M.    this is a place of about 2000 inhabitants    the soil looks very good here but the land is more broken than on the Red River though it is not as cold and there is but very little snow

Sunday, March 26, 1882 Stopped at the Sheridan House which is near the depot    kept by a Mr. Bly    The weather is fine this morning    I walked down to the Missouri River to look at the new bridge that is being built across the river    there are two piers finished and two more underweigh    there are to be three spans of 400 ft each and two shorter about 200    I should think it is to be an iron bridge    the pier that is in the channel is finished and is a fine piece of work    it has an ice cutter on the upper end of two iron plates each two feet wide riveted together to form the edge    the sides of the ice cutter are rounded in the form of a gothic arch and the lower end of the pier in form of a half circle and the upper end is the same after it rises above the ice cutter which is 24 feet above the water    I was told there was a cason put down first that was 18 feet high    this was followed with scorea and the masonry commenced on that and from the bottom of the cason to surface of water it was 52 ft., from surface of water to top of pier 70 ft making 122 ft in all.    It clouded up before I got back to the hotel and began to squall    I stopped in the house the rest of the day.

Monday, March 27, 1882 took the train this morning for Mandan    arrived there about 8 A.M.    found Mr. D. R. Taylor, the Divis. Superintendent who furnished me an engine and car to visit Sweet Briar Creek, the scene of the disaster    Found the facts to be as follows: At 8:10 P.M. Tuesday, March 21, 1882, Simmon’s work train consisting of an engine and nine cars were wrecked at Bridge No. 327, Sweet Briar Creek, killing 8 men and wounding 23 others    It appears that the first car following the engine No. 1301 was a flat car of ordinary height    the next was a flat car considerably higher than ordinary cars and on this car was a large box affair used as boarding car    the coupling of this car being considerably higher than the one in front had a tendency to lift the hind end of the front car when any extra force was required to pull this train    now from Sta 837 to Sta 828 in a cut, the line curving to the North, it appears that the snow was packed had in this cut so that the flanges were filled and in pulling the train through this cut around the corner sufficient force was required to lift the hind end of the forward car which had no load upon it, and it must have been from this cause combined with the snow in the flanges which caused the hind trucks of the forward car to leave the tracks on the North side as the track here appeared to be in perfect order.    Here at about Sta 831 the first marks of the flanges on the ties were to be seen about 8 inches from the track, and the flanges of both wheels on the same side making but one mark which soon changed to two marks, showing that the truck frame was gradually turning     When they passed the first bridge No 330, the marks were 11 inches apart and when they reached Bridge No 328 the truck frame had got turned far enough so that the wheels on the outside displaced one length of the guardrail but did no further damage    between the bridge and the next is a 3”.30’ curve to the South and on reaching that Bridge No 327 the wheels had got so far turned that the outside ones took off the guard rail and the inside ones swept the ties up in a bunch, changing the gauge so that the wheels of the second car went through the Bridge    the car itself pitched off the South side, the next four cars following the same way demolishing the Bridge in their course leaving the cars on the track West of the bridge.    The engine and one car all but the hind truck (which had done the mischief) on the East side    After looking everything over I got into the car and was taken back to Mandan where I got some dinner then I got on to a freight and went over into the western part of Dakota to a place called Dickinson.

Tuesday, March 28, 1882 Have got a terrible cold    did not sleep much last night    it was past midnight when I went to bed but after getting some breakfast I went out to take a look at the country    The Hart River being but a short distance, I went down to that but found it was so high I could not get across    I picked up a pair of buffalo horns and some pieces of petrified wood with a few moss agates but the wind blew so hard that I did not stay out long.    Got some dinner and took the train for Bismark arrived there between 6 and 7 P.M

Wednesday, March 29, 1882 Left Bismark at 8:30 A.M.    the weather was fine, snow nearly all gone but when we stopped for dinner at Jamestown on the James River they came in from the East with snowplow and train covered with snow    the snowplow turned and went back ahead of our train there being no need of it further west.    They had been having a Blizzard near Valley City and the cuts were well filled.    Got into Fargo two hours late    concluded I would go over to the Grand Pacific Hotel at Morehead which is just across the Red River from Fargo and is in Minnesota    had a good room and it looked clean    they have got a nice house here.

Thursday, March 30, 1882 Took the eastward bound train at 7 A.M. and arrived at Brainerd a little past noon    went in to the office    got two letters from home and a block of paper    came back to the hotel and commenced to write my report in my room but a man sick with the measles in the next room groaned and made so much noise that I could not work so went to the clerk and had my room changed.

Friday, March 31, 1882 Finished writing my report today and handed it in then wrote a letter home.

Saturday, April 1, 1882 warm and sunny    the snow is going fast    Got a Postal from Bill Talbot saying he was coming to Brainerd as he did not find any work in Minneapolis

Sunday, April 2, 1882 warm again today    I have spent most of the day looking around    The ice begins to look thin in the Mississippi    the river is open on the west shore near the R. Road bridge.

Monday, April 3, 1882 still warm and showered a little this afternoon    they are sawing a channel to run their ferry boat across the river    it is the same kind of a boat they used to have in Bethel and the Mississippi here is about as large as the Androscoggin at Bethel

Tuesday, April 4, 1882 Cold and windy today    Will Talbot came up in the noon train and I went around with him to get work    found a place where he could hire out on the river for $2.25 per day.

Wednesday, April 5, 1882 Cold again this morning and looks like storm    Will Talbot stopped with me last night    did not conclude to hire out on the river so took the 1:20 P.M. train for Minneapolis.    Went into the office this morning and found D. P. Weeks, my old leveler.    he had come to look for a job but as there was none at present he took the train for Grafton to work at the carpenters trade until work was needed on the road.

Thursday, April 6, 1882 It rained hard this morning when I got up and slacked up towards noon but commenced again this P.M. and is raining hard tonight.

Friday, Apr. 7, 1882 Cold damp day    I have been wondering about doing not much of anything

Saturday Apr. 8, 1882 Mr. Mason sent for me this afternoon and told me that Mr. Gilbert had got a job for me here in Brainerd    found it was to make a survey of the shops and yard    sent a new comer with me to help by the name of Freeman    started out this afternoon but it rained so hard we had to quit.

Sunday, Apr. 9, 1882 The rain storm cleared off with a snow squall and was cold and blustery all day.    I spent most of the day in the house.

Monday, Apr. 10, 1882 Commenced work this morning with Freeman and another young fellow by the name of Armstrong from Penn.    Worked at it all day but it was cold work

Tuesday, Apr. 11, 1882 Continued our survey today    the weather was warmer and we had quite a comfortable day of it.

Wednesday, Apr. 12, 1882 A nice clear day but the wind is cold.    Finished my survey and carried in my notes but Mr. Gilbert told me that he wanted me to make a plan to commence tomorrow

Thursday, April 13, 1882 Commenced on my plan this morning    am making it on a scale of 50’ = 1’    The weather is fine and looks like spring

Friday, Apr. 14, 1882 Still fine weather    another day spent on the plan.

Saturday, Apr. 15, 1882 Work on the plan again today.    Am feeling better but am anxious to hear from home    it has been nearly a week since I had a letter and then Genie was suffering with a bad cold

Sunday, Apr 16, 1882 Still no news from home    I got quite nervous last night thinking about the folks at home    I took a walk this afternoon out around Brainerd    heard the frogs sing for the first time this spring    it sounded good for they sang the same tune that they do a way down in Maine and as I stopped to hear them sing it made me feel home sick to think of the wife and children so far away.

Monday, Apr. 17, 1882 Work in the office again today    got a letter from home    found they were all well.

Tuesday, Apr. 18, 1882 Nothing new    am still at work on the plan.

Wednesday, Apr. 19, 1882 Clear but a cold wind is blowing    am still in the office

Thursday, Apr. 20, 1882 Have got my plan about finished but there is nothing else to do so work on it a little

Friday, Apr. 21, 1882 Am still at work about the office doing a little on the plan

Saturday, Apr. 22, 1882 Cloudy and cold    looks like snow

Sunday, Apr. 23, 1882 Took a walk about the place this morning then went to the office    found Mr. Mason there    asked him if there was anything more to do.    He said there was a job laid out for me to go to Fargo and go down the Red River to Winnipeg to see about the navigation of the river    took me up to Mr. Mitchell’s room to see him    he loaned me the report of the Chief Engr. of the Canada Pacific Sandford Fleming to read up on account of the floods on the Red River.

Monday, Apr. 24, 1882 Have been finishing up the plan, all but lettering it    Mr. Carr came on the noon train    has been at work on the Fargo & South Western and expects to go back there.

Tuesday, Apr. 25, 1882 Have been waiting to see what they were going to do with Carr but have not found out    think he is going back on the Fargo branch    Asked Mr. Mason for passes to St. Paul    think I shall take a turkish bath and see if that will make me feel better    my head is dizzy and my stomach and bowels are out of order and the back of my neck troubles me a good deal    Saw Mr. Alexander who is chief engr. of the branches in Minn. & Dakota    he don’t look like a very powerful man.

Wednesday, Apr. 26, 1882 Snowing this morning but has begun to melt.    I have paid my board bill at the Headquarters Hotel and took a receipt    it was $39.00    carried my undershirt and drawers over to Mrs. Deans to be washed and am now waiting for the train.    8:30 P.M. am in my room at the International House    have got a rather poor room I call it    have taken a turkish bath    feel as though it had done me no good.    9 P.M. after going to bed I heard the alarm of fire so got up and dressed    found the fire was in some old wooden building across the street    it only burned one building of any value

Thursday, Apr. 27, 1882 walked about the city awhile with Carr    took the train for Minneapolis    got some dinner then went and hunted up Will Talbot    found he had got a job    is going to work tomorrow    A terrible thing happened here this afternoon    a Devil by the name of Frank McManus enticed a little girl 4 years old away with him and committed a rape upon her using a knife to accomplish his purpose    he was caught with the blood of his victim still on him and put in jail    there is a terrible excitement    should like to help lynch him tonight but must go back to Brainerd    Went back to St. Paul and took the train at 7:30 P.M.

Friday, Apr 28, 1882 Arrived at Brainerd at 2 A. M. and went to bed    got up rather late and went to the office    found a letter from home    all were well    spent the day looking about the shops and in the office    see by the morning papers that Frank McManus was taken from the jail last night by fifty men and hung on a tree near the school house.    He denied the crime until the rope was around his neck then said he did it but was drunk    in an instant the stern command came from the leader up with him, and he was strung up in the oak tree and left for a warming to evil doers    I was glad to hear it was done for in such cases lynch law is the best-kind I think    was getting ready to go to bed when a message came from Mr. Mason that I was wanted at the office    found that Col. Clough had telegraphed from Miles City that he had got a party ready to start from Billings or Colson on the  Yellowstone for Fort Benton on the Missouri and wanted me to go as Chief of the party.    I told Mr. Mason that I was willing to go so he made arrangements to have me start next Sunday night.

Saturday, Apr. 29, 1882 Have spent the day getting ready to start    am going to leave my trunk in care of Mr. Mason in the general office building.

Sunday, Apr. 30, 1882 Have copied my notes gathered on the subject of navigating the Red River so that the man who takes my place can have the benefit of them    left them with Mr. Mason and carried my trunk over to the office, and just now as I was writing in my journal McKay came to my room to tell me that there had been a telegram come for me not to start tonight as Col. Clough was coming on the train and wanted to see me here.

Monday, May 1, 1882 Saw Mr. Mitchell & Col. Clough at breakfast and afterwards in the office    made all necessary arrangements and started on the 1 P.M. train.    A young fellow from NY came with me from Brainerd to join the party    his name is _______     We arrived at Fargo about 7 P. M.    Met Carr & Weeks on the platform of the hotel    they are at work on the Fargo & Southwestern    Weeks seemed a good deal disappointed to find that he was not going with me    I stopped at the Headquarters Hotel

Tuesday, May 2, 1882 Left Fargo on the train at 8:40 A.M.    I am not feeling very well    the back of my neck akes    my head is dizzy and I feel sick to the stomach but think it all arises from the trouble in the back of my neck    perhaps I have caught a little cold    Got some dinner at Jamestown but only ate some crackers crumbled into a glass of milk    Arrived at Bismark about 7 P. M.    saw swarms of wild geese on the way    made my supper of a glass of milk and a biscuit and afterwards went out and bought a bottle of St. Jacob’s Oil to try on my head and neck    hope I shall not be laid up so as to delay the work but feel badly    now 9:15 P.M. am going to bed

Wednesday, May 3, 1882 Left Bismark at 7 A.M.    am feeling better this morning    think the St. Jacob’s Oil did some good    Took dinner at Dickenson    Saw a great many small herds of Antelope and Deer and several times they came so near that men on the train got out their guns and fired at them but did not hit them    In the afternoon we began to get into the badlands which looked strange and wild enough    here were great wedges and cones of Clay 200 ft to 300 ft high and every other conceivable form    the most of them had a cap of red scorea or burned clay and along the sides of many could be traced veins of coal    This whole county has the appearance of having been a fire    the coal probably having been ignited by volcano fires burning the clay into big masses of brick    the fires going out before it had burned it all over, even leaving big lumps here and there to be cut into curious shapes by the water running down their sides and the ashes from the burned coal impregnating the whole country with alkaly.    We arrived at Glendive on the Yellowstone River about 6:30 P.M. and after a rush and a jamb to register my name at the Glendive House was put into a room which looked like a box stall about 7’ x 8’ with a bed in it which I shared with Ridgeway, each of us paying 50¢ for the luxury in advance.

Thursday, May 4, 1882 Left Glendive at 7:30 A.M.    was very much disappointed in the look of the valley of the Yellowstone and although the surface looks even and nice the soil looks poor in comparison with the Red River valley and the vegetation which I supposed would be very luxurient was very short indeed    in many places the ground is partially covered with wild sage and cacktus.    I made a curious mistake as we were riding along    I was talking with a soldier from Ft. A. Lincoln and noticing a mound with what I supposed was a short stake driven into it, I said “there is a section corner.”    he looked where I pointed and said it was a prairie dog standing on the top of his burough.    We arrived at Miles City about noon.    Have got everything already for a start in the morning    I am occupying Col. Clough’s room in the Engr. Headquarters    have not looked about so much as I should for they have the small pox here pretty extensively, the Fort Keough being quarantined    Have not had time to look for Maj. Grover who I understand lives about two miles up Tongue River.

Friday, May 5, 1882 This is my birthday.    I am 42 years old    it is a fine pleasant day    the air is warm and dry    I am feeling much better    went to see a doctor yesterday who charged me $3 and the drugist charged $3.40 for the medicine    they all mean to live up here    We started for Miles City at 7 A.M. on a special train    found the road blocked by slides from the bluff a few miles west of Ft. Keough and had to back down to the supply station    didn’t get away until past three P.M.    reached Forsyth in the evening and lay there overnight    we opened the box car where our baggage was and made our beds for the night    I found a buffalo robe and rolling myself in it slept first rate    The climate is splendid    the air dry and mild    no malaria though they sometimes have what they call a mountain fever which is much like bilious fever    the water is rather poor containing more or less alcalie    the soil does not look as I expected though I am told they raise splendid crops.

Saturday, May 6, 1882 The train stopped at Forsyth last night and this morning it is raining    there are lots of people here but no buildings except a few shanties    We got some breakfast at one of them and then the train started on to the end of the track.    Went to the Engr. Quarters and got some dinner then crossed the Yellowstone in a row boat to a town of little huts called Kartzville    here we hired a team to take us up to Terry’s Landing crossing the river near by at a place called Junction City    We stopped at Mr. Bundack’s quarters    he is the principal assistant Engr on the Division    had very comfortable quarters.

Sunday, May 7, 1882 Another rainy day    we concluded not to start today, it being Sunday and very wet    I went over to look at a tunnel which is being driven through the bluff for a distance of about 1100 feet    it is just west of the Bighorn River    they were working it from both ends and had got a hole through but had not got the material all out    In the centre the rock is a soft sandstone which decomposes very rapidly and the tunnel will not be safe without arching.    There is a Co. of cavalry quartered here as here is where the supplies are landed for Fort Custer which is some 30 miles across the country on the Bighorn

Monday, May 8, 1882 It was still raining this morning but we concluded to start as this is the rainy season and we are likely to have rain any time    We reached another Engr. quarters about 3 P.M    found his hut (or shack as they call it out here) was leaking badly    the roof was covered with poles and then clay shoveled on to give it the right pitch.    Mr. Gould, the engr., gave us a tent to sleep in which was quite comfortable

Tuesday, May 9, 1882 Rainy this morning but we started out and it soon stopped    we reached Tingleys camp at Pompy’ Pillar in time for dinner and stopped with another Engr. by the name of Crowly at night making about 32 miles today.

Wednesday, May 10, 1882 Reached Billings about 10 A.M.    found Col. Pike, a native of Cornish, Me., the Engr in charge here    he received us very kindly and gave us comfortable quarters    was introduced to Mr. Mitchell (who is to be my transit man) and other members of my party    Mr. Fields, my Leveler, his brother and Howard Martz came with me from Miles City

Thursday, May 11, 1882 Mr. Mitchell and I made a trip today up Alcalie Creek to see if we could get out across the country in that direction    had two saddle horses and rode about 12 miles out to the head of the creek which emptys into the river near Huntly    found by my barometer that we must rise about 600 ft to cross the divide    I felt badly shook up when we got back to Billings  

Friday, May 12, 1882 Started out with the party to try the route which we had looked over    ran a little over three miles when our stakes gave out and we went back to town and after making up the profile found we could get up on to the tableland with a 52.’8 grade    we pitched out tents and the most of the party will sleep there tonight this being Camp No 1.

Saturday, May 13, 1882 We broke up camp at Billings this morning and started for Cañon Creek, the most of the men taking the railroad for it, the teams taking a longer route    I rode my pony up the way the teams went to see that everything went along safely    stopped twice on the way to tell the teamster where to cross bad places but finally left them and went to camp    found the mule team had got in ahead and the men had raised the cooks tent and got a fire started    after waiting some time and no ox team coming in sight I sent our hunter back to see what had become of them    they came in at last having tipped one wagon over and breaking a tent pole, table and the wagon bows    we are camped on Cañon Creek near a spring and call this Camp No. 2.

Sunday, May 14, 1882 We had a fine morning and the most of us went to the creek and did our washing but it proved showery this afternoon so that the clothes did not dry.    My outfit consists of a transitman, leveler, two rodmen, two chainmen, three axmen, topographer and assistant, cook and assistant, four teamsters and hunter, 12 oxen, 2 mules & 3 ponies, 4 large covered wagons well loaded with two set of instruments throughout, and have four 16’ x 16’ wall tents.    Col.  Pike came up to see us today and brought the mail with a telegram from Col. Clough saying he would send me two topographers.

Monday, May 15, 1882 We have a pleasant day to start our line with    Left the main line up the Yellowstone valley at Sta 12151    turns about 52° to the right direct for the mouth of the Cañon    ran about 5 ½ miles then got back to camp about four o’clock and got our plans and profiles all made out before dark.    The bullwhackers found all the oxen and drove them in ready for a start tomorrow

Tuesday, May 16, 1882 Had another good day and made a grand run about 6 ¼ miles and are camped tonight on Chief Joseph’s battle ground where he was attacked by Gen. Sturgis    There is a butte on the south side of the Cañon which is called square butte but is more in the shape of a double pointed smoothing iron and is about 200 ft high    the sides are very precipitous and ragged with a few trees scattered about the sides and there being passage around both sides made it a splendid place for the Indians to fight or retreat just as they chose and this place Chief Joseph and his band of Nezperces chose for their battle ground.    They did not stand long but retreated up the valley and took nearly the same route that we are taking towards the Missouri but were captured by Gen. Miles before reaching that river.

Wednesday, May 17, 1882 we have had a fine day but it has been an unlucky one for our party for on starting out I found Brown our head chainman was sick and could not work and during the day Armstrong broke a screw on the compass and coming home the wagon tipped over and broke the swing piece over the vernier of the transit and tonight Field could not eat any supper and is feeling quite sick    he is going to soak his feet and take some pills tonight.    We have had rough work but have made fair progress

Thursday, May 18, 1882 The weather looked squally but we started out and did quite a days work and at night I had the pony up out of the Canon were a dog could hardly go and I had hard work to climb myself but the pony found no trouble after I reached the table land    it was nice level traveling and I had a nice ride back to camp only a snow squall came up before I got in and was chilly and uncomfortable.

Friday, May 19, 1882 Made fair progress though the weather was cold and squally.

Saturday, May 20, 1882 Ran our line out of the Cañon to night on to the open prairie    camped near the head of the Cañon    it has been very cold today and when we went to dinner one of the men found a current bush in full bloom with an icicle hanging to it three inches long.

Sunday, May 21, 1882 I took a ride with our hunter this morning to look out around    saw a big rattle snake    I got off my pony and killed him with my stick    the hunter cut off the rattles    This afternoon I have spent writing a report of our week’s work and writing a letter home.

Monday, May 22, 1882 Started our line today where I looked out the route yesterday    Went over the hill without any trouble and down into the lake basin to the North    ran about six miles then went back to camp on Cañon Creek.

Tuesday, May 23, 1882 Went over into the lake basin to commence and ran 5 ½ miles    nice level work    it was very cold last night, the ice in our wash basin freezing more than an inch in thickness and this morning the Clark Fork Mtns. to the SW, the Crazy Mts. to the west, the Snowy Mts. to the NE all look white as in mid winter.    I took a long ride this afternoon to look the country over ahead    think I have found a good route through as far as the Painted Robe, a tributary of the Mussellshell.    Found the tent pitched on the line when I came back and a camp fire made of buffalo chips as there is no wood    I got a nice shot today at an antelope with my revolver but did not kill him    saw quite a number that I night have shot with a rifle.

Wednesday, May 24, 1882 Started the line this morning and left the teams to come on afterwards    made a good run and reached the valley over the hills with a 66 ft grade    found the mule team had arrived on the camping ground and they had got off the cook tent but were in trouble about water as the water in the creek was so strong with alkali that it was not fit to drink but after hunting some time we found a pool of rain water that was very good though quite warm.    The men got tired and we nocked off work at half past three P.M.    Went to camp and found that the ox teams had not arrived so I mounted my pony and rode down to the last camping ground some 7 miles    found that the hunter had returned from Billings    he left us yesterday morning with my weekly report plan and profile but no oxen were in sight.    One of the teamsters was there who told me that the other two were out hunting them    he had been out all morning.    While I was reading a letter from home which the hunter had brought me, the other two teamsters came in but had not found the cattle    I blowed them up a little and sent one of them off again on my pony but he came back after dark without the cattle    in the mean time, Tom Pringle, one of the teamsters, mixed up some biscuits and put them into a dutch oven to bake (which is a pot with a cover that turns up at the edges to hold the coals) over a fire made of buffalo chips    it seemed ____ to eat biscuits baked with buffalo manure on fire under and over it but we all made out quite a hearty supper of biscuits, fryed ham and a can of peaches.    Then raised a tent and spread out our blankets for the night, but before we went to sleep we heard three shots fired, which alarmed us a little, as there are nine lodges of Crow Indians somewhere in our neighborhood and the soldiers are after them to get them back to their reservation    we soon found however that it was our own man who had come down so as to have their blankets to sleep on and in a few minutes the mule teamster came in, his mules had got away and he was after them, so all our team is adrift

Thursday, May 25, 1882 I woke the hunter up this morning as soon as it began to be daylight    he took his pony and the mule driver took mine    the hunter soon came back driving the oxen but now at 3 P.M. the mule driver has not put in an appearance    we have moved everything to the valley over the hill and the men have gone with our team after wood for stakes to a clump of trees that I saw yesterday some four miles away.    9 P.M. the mules or driver have not come back but the team that I sent off after stakes came back and said that they had gone 20 miles and the timber was then 10 miles away    I went out and found some bushes growing in a Cañon which will do for stakes and the long hump ribs of the buffalo make very good stakes so we can make out for the present.   

Friday, May 16, 1882 I found my pony picketed near the tent this morning when I got up and on enquiring found that the mule driver had got back in the night and had ridden my pony to Billings and back besides looking around over the country for the mules which he didn’t find    the distance by our line is 40 miles so the pony must have been ridden at least 80 miles    he seems all right only his back is a little sore.

Saturday, May 27, 1882 My ox teams took one of the wagons on ahead yesterday so that they would only have a wagon to a team today and last night two of my men proposed to take their blankets, go ahead and sleep in the wagon which I was very glad to have them do    we found them all right this morning and made a good run camping on a small creek near Painted Robe

Sunday, May 28, 1882 Clancy, our mule driver came back with the mules last night so that our stock is all together again    I have been across the country so that I could see over to the big Cooly Creek and have looked out a rout across the country then came back and made out my report for the week.

Monday, May 29, 1882 Tried a new line to get down to the creek as I found the crossing where we struck it Saturday was at least 200 ft deep and 1500 to 2000 ft wide    We made out quite a days work.

Tuesday, May 30, 1882 Moved camp today down into Painted Robe Cañon and ran our line down nearly to the creek    we nocked off work early on account of Fields being about tired out    My pony was sick today and I walked most of the time    when I got into camp I found the boys holding a jubilee    a wagon with supplies had arrived and to cap all they had found the bones of a dead Indian in a hole in the cliff rolled up in his blanket with his bow beside him    They pulled him out and stuck his skull up on a flag pole    I took it down when I came and put it away in a hole in the cliff    the hunter gave me the bow which I sent back to Billings by the team and also a pair of elk horns    I got two letters from home and sent one back in return.

Wednesday, May 31, 1882 Continued our line across the cañon which proves to be a heavy piece of work some 1400 ft wide and 135 ft deep    stopped work at 2:30 P.M. on account of Field who is not feeling well.    Found our military escort had arrived when we came back to camp, consisting of Capt. Huggins of the regular army with 10 cavalry men and two mule teams with drivers.    I took a spade this afternoon and buried the remains of the Indian which my boys had pulled out of the cliff, putting up a head and foot stone.

Thursday, June 1, 1882 Ran the line over to Cooly Creek and moved the tents to a branch of that creek    I rode down into it and up some miles    found the bottom to be nearly ½ mile wide and enclosed in walls some 200 ft high    I rode around a high island like bluff some 4 or 5 miles around    the bottom land being nearly ½ mile wide all around it with cañon and coolys spreading out in every direction    found the cañon fenced across in one place with a wire fence    suppose it was the work of stock men    Capt. Huggins came in tonight and told me if I would have my pony and mules picketed near the tents his sentinel should watch them as some one might steal them

Friday, June 2, 1882 It has been showery all day though I have been out in it all day.    I set the men to work running the line across the Cooly so as to know the elevation we had got to overcome in a certain distance, and I took a ride up the divide between Pointed Robe and Cooly Creek hoping to find a Cañon leading from one into the other, but after riding 7 or 8 miles I found there was no hope in that direction although in one or two cases I found them to head within 2000 ft of each other.    I saw a wild pony but could not get close to him    I then rode down into a cooly and came down to the main creek, found the cañon fenced across in another place today, four or five miles above the first fence and also a wagon road so I suppose there is a ranch somewhere in the cooly but did not go in sight of the house.    The bottom land is from ¼ to ¾ of a mile wide and with the high walls of the cañon there is but little work required to fence in a large ranch    the grass in the bottom looks as nice as on the intervale in Maine    We see cattle every day in all directions and they all look nice but I have never seen a man herding them yet and believe they only look after them once in the summer.    Then the stockmen all get together and round them up so as to brand the calves while they follow the cows but in the winter they are obliged to keep track of them a little sharper, but there is no doubt but what it is a money making business.   This cooly creek bottom is a natural curiosity    I cannot describe it better than to liken the form of it to a monster tree felled to the ground, the main trunk running up in the middle and branches shooting off in every possible direction    their depths are about in proportion to their size    the main branch being near 200 ft below the prairie    I rode nearly all day to look up a better line but found we were in about the best place except to change a little for grade.    Had a little adventure on my way back to camp    In riding up one of the coolys, I noticed under an overhanging cliff about 100 ft above my head a pile of small dry sticks and thinking it was an eagles nest I went up to see it, leaving my pony standing in the bottom    On reaching the pile I found it built like a cock of hay and about the same size and looked as though some animal must have a house inside so I put the breech of my rifle against it    I pushed the top off which fell down into the cooly near the pony who went out on the opposite side as if he had been shot out.    His girth being loose, not having been tightened since morning, the saddle turned under his belly and he went out of sight kicking up his heels at a great rate.    I felt somewhat frightened for I thought the pony would go back to camp in that condition and the men would think I was killed but climbing out as soon as I could I saw the pony some ways off    he looked around and seeing me he stopped    I had not noticed the difference in the air before but with this exertion I could hardly get my breath    the air did not seem to do me any good so had to sit down and wait until I got over it    the pony having got over his fright waited patiently for me and picking up the scattering pieces I fixed up the saddle and went into camp as good as new not caring to look into the pile of sticks further.

Saturday, June 3, 1882 Started our line this morning near the summit between Painted Robe and Cooly Creek and ran it to the best crossing I could find bringing the grade down so as to make the trestle as low as possible.

Sunday, June 4, 1882 The day is clear and warm and just air enough stiring so that the heat is not oppressive and if we had plenty of good water free from alkali this would be a delightful climate

Monday, June 5, 1882 Ran across Big Coulee this morning and over the summit between that stream and Musselshell River.    Found a buffalo skin just as it was taken off but by mistake it was left behind.    Took dinner on the summit then ran our line down towards the Musselshell    Our teamster by mistake drove up Fish Creek about four miles to camp.    this is a stream that emptys into the Musselshell near where we strike that stream.

Tuesday, June 6, 1882 Continued our line to the Musselshell and camped on the bank of that stream

Wednesday June 7, 1882 My hunter told me of a man named Olden who lived about four miles down the river that knows the country well and could tell me all about the best way to Judeth Gap so I saddled my pony and rode down with Thomas    the distance proved to be ten miles instead of four    we found Olden was away from home so did not see him    he kept a store but had no goods at this time.    The store was a log building covered with clay and a dirt floor    the counter was a wagon body turned up on one side.    He also kept a post office but the letters and papers lay on a shelf together, and were very few    We got some dinner here and were surprised to see a woman in the log shanty    it was Olden’s Mother, a woman some sixty years old or more    after dinner we rode back on the North side    saw a fire under a cliff with two men standing beside it but when we tried to look at them with a glass they went into a cleft in the rocks    we concluded they were horse thieves or they would not hide    a shower came up and we crawled under a ledge for shelter but did not take much comfort as a scorpion crawled up my leg and came near stinging me    started as soon as the rain was over and took a circle to the North so as to look at the country about Careless Creek    the banks were covered with willows so we had to dismount and push our way through on foot leading our ponies    On reaching the creek we found the bevers had dammed the stream below and made the water so deep we could not cross    while I was standing near the brook the hunter called my attention to the fact that there was a large rattlesnake coiled up near my feet    it started me a little as I might have stepped on him and been bitten if I had stepped back a little    we killed him and took his rattle    there are several killed by the party every day.    We went down the stream below the dam and crossed without difficulty.    Got back so as to ford the Musselshell before dark.

Thursday, June 8, 1882 As the stream was rising we concluded to push across this morning and took the whole party down to help.    We got across without any loss but was rather trying to the teamsters who had to strip off their clothes and wade back and forth with each team, the water being nearly up to their shoulders and very cold from the thawing snow in the Crazy Mts and to make it worse the current was swift but every man worked with a will and the teams were soon over.    We then went back to change our line a little so as to make a better crossing    camped at night on Sally’s Ranch

Friday, June 9, 1882 Rained hard last night and is a little showery this morning    I concluded to cross the river and climb a bluff on the opposite side to look over the country.    Found the rain had raised the river so that it wet my legs some stretched out on the ponys back    it had also wet up the soil so that it stuck to the ponys feet like glue and in crossing a small stream he could not pull his feet out and fell over sideways wetting me considerably    I however succeeded in reaching the desired point    found Careless Creek to be the only low pass in sight    on my return I picked up a buffalo hide which I rolled up and strapped then to the pony behind the saddle    got back to camp about 2 P.M.    started the party out to work and made about 1 ½ mile of line.

Saturday, June 10, 1882 Rained hard again last night but stopped this morning so we started out and succeded in getting the line turned up Careless Creek before it commenced to rain again which was about 1 P.M.    I then sent the party back to camp and rode around the bluffs to see how the teams were to come as they could not follow our line with out crossing the river.

Sunday, June 11, 1882 Rainy again last night and is rather wet this morning    I find there was a government survey made on this part of the Musselshell Valley in 1879    Have borrowed a plan of Mr. Lolly (a ranchman who lives here) and have had a copy made, have spent the day writing my weekly report, making payrolls inventory etc.

Monday, June 12, 1882 Started up Careless Creek this morning    Saw many traces of coal on both sides but it shows quite extensively between Musselshell River and Careless Creek and for several miles back from each stream    made about 5 miles of line today and camped 8 miles up Careless Creek which is Camp No. 14    took the whole party over the creek twice on the ponys back one at a time behind me    the pony behaves nicely    a shower came up just as we got in and bids fair to be a rainy night.

Tuesday, June 13, 1882 Rainy today so that the party did not start out this forenoon but got an early dinner and started out about noon.    A shower came up however and drove them back to camp so nothing was done on the line    I rode out to the North East and struck a coal vein    I followed it some time and at last staked out a claim    two of the stakes being placed on high natural mounds of rock and at the East end a cedar tree with my name cut on it and a piece of paper in an envelope stating the fact of my having staked out a miners claim here    this I tucked into a hole in a root under the body of the tree where no water could get to it.    The stratas here are tilted up diping about 30° to the SE and this coal vein could be mined from the top as the vein is exposed in many places and only covered in any place by earth at a slight depth    I dated my stakes the 14^th by mistake.

Wednesday, June 14, 1882 Started our line again today and put on about five miles    crossed Swimming Woman Creek just above its mouth    I find that the break in the strata occurred here as they lay flat and is natural condition    to the NW and to the NE they dip slightly in that direction, to the South and SW they dip about 30° in that direction    Thrown up in the center near where we stopped work tonight there was a high cliff with a large amount of angular rocks at it base with large holes between them and I saw by the tracks that it was a burrow for some wild beast so getting out my revolver I looked about and soon started out some young ones about the size of a small dog with long smooth tails like a dogs.    I fired three times at them while they were dodging about among the rocks but did not succeed in killing one and perhaps it was as well for me that I did not for on telling my hunter about it he told me they were young Mountain lions and the old one might have made it warm for me if I had wounded one of her lambs    they are a species of panther but look like the African lioness and are quite dangerous to meet.

Thursday, June 15, 1882 Moved camp today up to the mouth of Roberts Creek and ran our line to within three miles of that place    this is Camp No 15

Friday, June 16, 1882 It has been showery today but we have made a good run    had to quit work early on account of scarcity of stakes.

Saturday, June 17, 1882 Camp No 16    Moved camp about 10 miles today and ran 6 ½ miles of line.    The country looks more level up near the foot of the mountains and looks the best to me of any I have seen for grazing purposes.    I found some white clover tonight near the camp, the first I have seen since I left home    it grows more rank than the clover at home and the leaves are more pointed

Sunday, June 18, 1882 Spent the day writing my weekly report and other necessary work    the day has been pleasant with no showers reaching us which is an exception    the showers growing more frequent as we approach the mountains

Monday, June 19, 1882 we put in about five miles today but a shower drove us in earlier than usual

Tuesday, June 20, 1882 Camp No 17    Moved camp today and pitched our tents by a little pond near the summit of the gap    a shower came on just as the men were puting up the cooks tent and every thing got wet and nasty    the cook was cross and ugly enough    I took a ride over to where the road goes through the gap    found that there were three places where we could go through the gap and down into the Judith Basin, either of which could be followed by a Railroad line.

Wednesday, June 21, 1882 Went back and ran our line up to the camp    saw the buckboard come in just before we reached it    found that Col. Clough did not come    Aleck the driver, Pease the messenger and an ox teamster by the name of Smith came bringing nothing to speak of but the mail    found the Gap to be 4600 ‘ high    ran down on to the bottom land on Rosses Fork with a grade of 52.8’per mile  Gap = Sta 5940 = 112 miles.

Thursday, June 22, 1882 Camp No 18    Moved camp today and pitched our tents on Rosses Fork near the mouth of a small stream called Buffalo Creek where there is some fine grass land and it can be irrigated from Buffalo Creek    our line crosses this stream at Sta 3560.    I fixed out the payrolls tonight and gave the men an invitation to sign them    they all did so except John Salsberg who refused to do so, the cook and several of the other men were disappointed in the price and grumbled a good deal.

Friday, June 23, 1882 Ran our line down past the camp about two miles and quit on account of a shower.

Saturday, June 24 Camp No. 19    Aleck and Peas started back this morning    we broke camp this morning and moved down the Fork to where a small creek came in from the east    here we found a ranch taken up for hay    the ranchman was quite intelligent and gave me a description of the country beyond    when I was at Camp No. 16  I went out one evening and watched for a bever in the creek    I saw one swimming along after I had watched a half hour or more and fired at him killing him the first shot but on pulling him out of the stream I found no mark of the ball so concluded it struck the water under his head and killed him by the shock    I skinned him whole thinking to have him set up when I get home and tonight I went out to see what I could shoot    I had not gone far when I saw two antelope, a buck and a doe    I fired at the buck shooting him through the vitals    I took his insides out and turned him over so that the blood would drain out and left him as he was so large I could not get him on the horse alone    I then went to a bever dam on the creek and watched until after dark but saw nothing.

Sunday, June 25, 1882 Took a man and pack horse this morning and went for my antelope but when we reached the spot where I shot him found the coyotes had eaten him nearly up so that nothing but one fore quarter was good    The hunter and Leveler started for the timber this morning    I loaned the leveler my pony    they came back with nothing but a few specimens    Capt. Huggins came back today and brought me a pair of arm pants and shoes which cost me $5.28 and were very nice    I went out and took a look for game this evening but found nothing.

Monday, June 26, 1882 Camp No. 20    Moved camp today and tonight we are camped on the Judith River a little below the junction of the stream and Rosses Fork.    Thomas caught a nice trout and gave it to me for supper    We shall have to spend a day getting a crossing of Rosses Fork and Judith River    shall try to cross them both at the same time.

Tuesday, June 27, 1882 Pulled back on our yesterday line about a mile and started at Sta 1200 worked our way down a Coulee to Rosses Fork and after crossing that stream kept down on the North side and didn’t run to the top of the slope until after crossing Judith River    in doing which we were able to get a grade line down to within 25 ft of the bottom land on Rosses Fork and 20’ on the Judith River    A shower came up and we quit work at 4:30 P.M.

Wednesday, June 28, 1882 We had a terrible time last night    About 10:30 P.M. a terrific storm arose.    I had just got to sleep but when the first gust of wind and rain struck our tents, it blew down the cooks tent, one corner of which was fastened to the same stake which held the corner of the officers tent where I slept.    The corner pole falling across me woke me up.    I sprang up to straighten up that corner of the tent, but the next gust took our tent clean away in an instant, throwing me across the table the tent vanishing like a flash of lightning.    I picked myself up and limped back to where my blankets were and finding them, I rolled myself in them and lay down to await until the fury of the gale had passed, but was soon drenched, the rain coming down in torrents.  I found there was one tent standing which was occupied by the teamsters and axmen.    they had got up at the first of the gale and by putting two men at each corner and a number at the center pole had kept it from blowing away    I went into the tent and one of them gave me his blankets to roll up in so that I got through the night without suffering very much except from a bruise on my hip where I was thrown on the table, but is better this morning.  The cook got a cut on the forehead and Mr. Mitchell a bruise on the knee which was the extent of our injuries    our stationary got somewhat damaged and the cooks supplies some of them are spoiled but our loss was not heavy though it made us so uncomfortable.    Capt. Huggins came over this morning    his experience was about the same as mine    his tent blew down and he took shelter with his men    we did not start out to work this morning, the men feeling rather used up from last nights wetting so concluded to let them have the forenoon to get rested and dry their clothes and after dinner it began to rain and kept it up all the afternoon so we did not get anything done on the line today.

Thursday, June 29, 1882 It has been a clear warm day and we have put in about 5 ½ miles of line.  On my way back to camp I struck a trail and followed it down to the Judith River where I found a ranch on the bottom land    there was a small hut built of cottonwood logs and plastered with mud    it had only one room    the family consisted of a man, woman and two children    he had quite a garden    a few potatoes and other vegetables and a few radishes    the most of his business seemed to be hunting and putting up travelers but I thought the accommodations were rather limited

Friday, June 30, 1882 Moved down to Bever Creek and ran the line down in to the creek so as to get a better crossing

Saturday, July 1, 1882 Continued our line down to Sage Creek    found it a perfect mass of bad lands    some three miles wide and two hundred feet deep    I left the party in the afternoon and rode up on one side of the creek some five miles and then across into the valley of little Wolf Creek and down until I struck the McGinnis Road    then took the road back to Sage Creek and went back to Camp but was late to supper    found the party had run far enough to see the coulee and then stopped not daring to run down into it.

Sunday, July 2, 1882 Started out this morning to look up a better line    went down the River until 1 P.M. then struck across the ridge to Wolf Creek and up the divide to the road that I struck yesterday, found the road followed the lowest pass so shall be obliged to cross the stream with a big jump tomorrow.

Monday, July 3, 1882 Started our line at Bever Creek and patched it up a little, then made our jump across Sage Creek and up the side of the ridge to near the top.

Tuesday, July 4, 1882 Did not work on the line today as it is a National holiday    the most of the party went in swimming    I  with the rest    This afternoon our team came in with the mail and after reading my letters I went to work to get my payrolls ready to send back.

Wednesday, July 5, 1882 Stopped in the camp today to make out my report and write a few letters    sent the party out to run a line over the summit which they did but did not get a very good one    they got scared in by the storm and got back in good season

Thursday, July 6, 1882 Started a new line over the summit between Sage & Wolf Creeks and moved camp to Wolf Creek    ran our line down on to little Wolf Creek and the party had to walk over to camp as one hind wheel was broken on an ox wagon crossing the bluffs and the mule team went back for the beding.

Friday, July 7, 1882 Commenced at Little Wolf Creek and ran our line over to the big creek when it began to rain and we nocked off work about three P.M.

Saturday, July 8, 1882 Started our line near camp and ran up over the ridge between Wolf & Arrow Creeks    found we had got some big coulees to cross before reaching Arrow Creek on that line    I left the party about four o’clock and rode down towards Arrow Creek    met a man, woman, and three children    his name was George Sampler    he told me something about the creek and country here abouts    I got back to camp about 8 o’clock P.M.

Sunday, July 9, 1882 It has been terribly windy today.    I found I had got to look over the country ahead of the party so started out this morning on my pony and rode over to Arrow Creek.    followed the road down into the creek and tryed to climb up outside of the road but had to take the road at last.    I think the banks are at least 500 feet high and cut into ravines in every direction    I finally got out and rode back toward Wolf Creek    found a coulee that appeared to lead into Arrow Creek    shall try the line down it tomorrow as it is the only possible means that I can see to cross that stream.

Monday, July 10, 1882 Started our line on Wolf Creek this morning and ran over the summit between that stream and Arrow Creek and started down the coulee    made about six miles    had to quit fifteen minutes to four P.M. as our staked gave out    we are camped tonight on the coulee where the McGinnis & Benton Road crosses    Camp No 24.

Tuesday, July 11, 1882 Fair day    we did not get in a very long days work however, though we had no particularly bad luck    Game is getting a little scarce    Our men have not got any for some days until tonight    Tom Pringle brought in an antelope which will last us about two days.

Wednesday, July 12, 1882 Started our line about one mile below camp and ran four miles down the creek    it grows more crooked and narrower as we go down.

Thursday, July 13, 1882 Continued our line down the creek making less progress than yesterday on account of rough ground

Friday, July 14, 1882 I found we were as far from camp that I concluded to move down nearer our work    it took us 2 ½ hours to get on to the work this morning and a shower coming up we quit early so did not get much done today    this is Camp No. 25

Saturday, July 15, 1882 we got a good start this morning and succeeded in reaching Arrow River making some more than four miles.

Sunday, July 16, 1882 One of our men while hunting yesterday ran across the den of a grizzly bear so this morning Captain Huggins and I made up a party of my men and soldiers for a bear hunt    After following up the ravine where the den was for some two miles we divided our forces    the Captain and I keeping our side two of the men the other and our best hunters followed up in the bottom to route the game    after going three fourths of a mile in this way I saw two large white tailed deer standing on the other side and the Captain thought it was too good a chance to loose so we fired at them when two old bears and three cubs ran out of the ravine above so the bear hunt was turned into a deer hunt for the bears were soon out of sight and my first chance to shoot a grizzly was lost.

Monday, July 17, 1882 We ran nearly four miles up Arrow Creek today and had to climb down into the cañon some six hundred feet this morning and back to camp tonight.    There are some grand sights in the wall of this cañon which are all different colored sand stone and are worn into every conceivable shape by the elements    there are splendid towers and ruined castles of fare white sand stone and straight shafts from fifty to one hundred feet high with caps of different colored stone, some being perfect balls two feet in diameter while the top of the shaft which supports it will not be more than five.    These balls seem to have been deposited in the sand before it was hardened into stone and as the stone was worn away the iron like ball protected the stone below it    the rain washing down so evenly as to wear the stone under the ball alike on all sides leaving the ball at last raised on the top of a tall shaft like an apple on the top of a goad stick    others looked like immense toad stools, then there would be a white castle with walls carved in every fantastic shape imaginable and straight high walls sparkling while looking as though they were built of small stones with their corners rounded, and of every shape and form and many beautiful groups of statuary    the most wonderful sights I have ever seen in the shapes of natural curiosities

Tuesday, July 18, 1882 Climbed down into the cañon again this morning but moved camp down into the creek bottom at the road crossing so that we did not have to climb the wall tonight    ran the line up to within three and one half miles of camp    this camp is No 26

Wednesday, July 19, 1882 Ran our line up to camp at dinner time and some two miles beyond in the afternoon    One of my axmen got too much liquor last night and could not work today    Saloon at Arrow Creek.

Thursday, July 20, 1882 Moved camp form Arrow Creek this morning    we took dinner at a ranch kept by one Steele, 6 miles from the creek    I found out there that the road did not follow the good sag where we wished to go but struck off to the right for Benton and as teams had taken the road I made haste to overtake them after getting the party in motion    I overtook the ox teams by riding about four miles and turned them back into the sag but the mule team which carried the cooks outfit had gone four miles farther and camped.    I stopped and got some supper with them then Thomas, my hunter, and I saddled up to ride back to where the others were camped as our blankets were on their team    taking a bag of bread for the boys     when I came to saddle my pony I found my coat and vest which had been tied to the saddle was missing so I gave Thomas the bread and I rode back over the road I had just come    got into camp about 9 P.M., but did not find the missing articles but one of my teamsters was sure he saw them strapped to the saddle when I turned them back so I shall go over to the ranch in the morning and take another look as my barometer pocket compass and map were in the coat and vest.

Friday, July 21, 1882 Rode over the hill and met our team hoping they had found my coat and vest after I left but found they had not so kept on to the ranch and took a look myself but could not find them    the ranchman promised to look about and find them if he could    I then road back over the ground  I came yesterday taking dinner at Steele ranch at noon    got some bread and milk, the first I have eaten in Montana    got back to camp about five in the afternoon    they had moved about 5 miles    this is Camp No 27

Saturday, July 22, 1882 Continued our line up the big sag which looks as though it might have been the channel of a mighty river at one time though there are signs of a great upheaval    the stratas on each side are laying in place while everywhere that rock is shown in the sag like same stratas are tilted up on edge and in one place a single strata composed principally of horn blend stands on its edge from 50 to 150 feet higher than the bottom land and running out into it being about six feet thick and standing up like a wall    it shows the action of water and there is a bank of earth heaped up against it on each side which probably was the work of the water dropping the sediment when checked by the barrier.    I walked along on the top and found the Indians had taken advantage of this high wall to bury their dead on, out of the way of the coyotes it seems    they had wrapped them in their blankets and lay them on this wall making a little wall of stones about them to keep them in place    there was nothing left now however but bones and a few pieces of cloth nearly worn away by the elements.

Sunday, July 23, 1882 Very hot today    I don’t feel like riding much today and everything looks well ahead so will take a day of rest    I have written a letter home and one to Rob [his older brother] and have sent them to the stage ranch by John Salsburg.    There has been no rain in the vicinity this summer and every thing is dried up    the grass is all cured on the ground and looks very short and hard picking for the stock but still they seem to live and thrive somehow

Monday, July 24, 1882 Ran about six miles of line and camped near an alkali lake but found a spring of very good water coming out of the bluffs.    Camp No 29

Tuesday, July 25, 1882 Started our line near camp this morning and took dinner near another alkali lake which was so strong that a crust had formed on a part of it or else it had dried away leaving a crust on the mud that looked like a lake just frozen over and glistened like a mirror in the rays of the setting sun    it was about two miles long and one mile wide    the air blowing across it smelled like strong lie from hardwood ashes.    I found on the edge of the pond a great quantity of round balls rolled up by the waves of some vegetable mater which looked like short course hair.    We ran our line on the right side of the lake toward a sag in that direction but discovered that it was not the main sag and backed up on our line and started around the other side of the lake.    Our teams went on and camped on the main road, there being a well    a man is just starting a ranch here to put up travelers    he has a small A-tent and a dug-out, rather an inviting place for travelers.    Camp No 30

Wednesday, July 26, 1882 Camp No 31 on Shonkin Creek    We moved camp again today and continued our line in the sag to within about two miles of the Shonkin    Capt. Huggins came in from Benton today and brought me a letter from home with good news    all well at home    the letter was from Genie written at Dixfield on her way home from Fayette.

Thursday, July 27, 1882 Ran down the creek about three miles below camp making 5 miles of line

Friday, July 28, 1882 Camp No 32    We are camped tonight where the old road crosses the creek.    There are settlers all the way on the creek bottom though it is very crooked and narrow and people in Maine would not think it much of a chance to settle but they do it on account of the water which is very scarce and poor in this country.    They can pasture as much stock as they please but cannot raise crops without irrigation or but very little hay so in order to make a sure thing of wintering their stock they must have water.

Saturday, July 29, 1882 Camp No 38     We are camped tonight on Shonkin Creek about two miles from Ft. Benton and only a high neck of land runing down between the two valleys    We ran to within about 3 ½ miles of camp and nocked off about 5 P.M.    Clancy came about ½ way with the mule team for the party    I rode in on my pony

Sunday, July 30, 1882 I have spent the day writing my report and getting the payrolls ready to be signed    did my washing and afterwards went up on the ridge to see the town    it looks very nice    it is said there are 1500 inhabitants    there are several large brick blocks and they must do an immense business for the number of inhabitants.

Monday, July 31, 1882 Ran our line down to camp and made a long day of it as we had bushes to cut through part of the way.    I went out this evening and shot a young bever    shot him through the eye

Tuesday, Aug. 1, 1882 Ran our line across the Missouri and connected with the town location and Fort.

Wednesday, Aug 2, 1882 Found our line was not in the right place as the bottom land of the Missouri was some 70 feet lower than the Shonkin and would make too great a fill when we break through the bank and this forenoon we tryed another line around the bluff but found on making the profile that we did not get high enough.

Thursday, Aug. 3, 1882 Started on the Shonkin this morning and got a good line across the bluff and down to the lower ferry at Benton    this finishes our survey in this direction

Friday, Aug. 4, 1882 Wrote a report of the work during the month of July and also some letters home and to brother Rob    carried in a bill for supplies for our trip back to the Yellowstone and other work to get ready for a start.

Saturday, Aug. 5, 1882 Finished up the work of repairing and packing, got our teams loaded and crossed to our camp on the Shonkin.    Had a man repairing our tents but he did not quite finish and is going to stop and finish his job tomorrow

Sunday, Aug. 6, 1882 Did some writing and had a general cleaning up before starting back.    I am going to take Thomas, our hunter, and make a trip around the Highwood Mts. visiting the Highwood Pass, the Casner Coal mine in Belt Creek, look the country over between the Highwoods and Belt Mts. to see if there is a practable line for a railroad, then visit the mines in Belt Mts., and finally look over the country at the head of Arrow Creek and join the party at the crossing of Arrow Creek

Monday, Aug. 7, 1882 Bid the party goodbye and started on my pony going across the river to Benton on my way to call at the P.O. and get Power’s bill for supplies but he had not got it made out    is going to send it to me at Arrow Creek    I crossed the upper Ferry and rode up the coulee where the people of Benton think a railroad could run but I am satisfied the grade would be at least 100 ft per mile.    Met Thomas some three miles farther on with the rifles, ammunition and provisions for our journey.    We rode up the high land on the west side of the Shonkin until we reached the sag then followed it across towards Highwood Creek until I could see that it went into the valley all right and then it seemed to stop or turn down the valley of Highwood Creek    we then took a short cut across toward Highwood pass    called at a house on our way and got some supper then traveled until dark and camped beside a haystack spreading our blankets on the hay and picketing our ponys nearby 

Tuesday, Aug. 8, 1882 Got an early start    crossed near the pass    We then rode up through the pass and back down the stream some ways below where we struck it in the morning taking dinner with some men who were cutting oats    one of them was a Dago relative of Capt. Huggins, named Clark    after dinner we struck across the hills toward Belt Creek    found the country high and rolling with deep coulees that the streams run in    We crossed three branches of Willow creek and little Belt before reaching Belt Creek at Casners coal mine.    This stream has high banks on each side averaging at least 300 ft above the creek.    Casner keeps a hotel and store here besides working a coal mine    We reached his place just at dark    found very good lodgings and supper.    We met a party this afternoon making a government survey checking the wild land off into sections of one mile square    they were using a small transit and common field compass    there were eight in all    for corners they dug four holes about 1 ft square and made a mound in the center with the dirt taken from the sides

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 1882 Visited the coal mine this morning    the vein is about eight feet thick but is mixed with slate and refuse matter    I should judge about half would be good coal though not perfect for I could see small streaks of sulphured iron in the veins    after breakfast we started for the Barker District but did not reach the mines    the day was so hot we could not ride fast    stopped overnight at a rough sort of a place on Little Otter Creek about 25 miles from Casners and was told it was 10 miles to the mines by the trail or 15 by the road.

Thursday, Aug. 10, 1882 We got a fair supper and breakfast but for lodging spread our blankets on the floor which I preferred to sleeping in their births which looked dirty enough.    After breakfast we saddled our ponys and started for the mines    reached them about noon    found the camp rather dull    only a few leads being worked    they told me it was more from want of capital to work them than scarcity of ore    went into the Wright & Edwards mine, the Barker Mine and the Bass mine    got specimens of ore from each and after seeing what we could took the trail back out towards Arrow Creek and on reaching the divide between Otter & Arrow Creeks we picketed our ponys, spread our blankets on the ground and lay down for the night.    The ground here at this season of the year is dry    the grass made into hay standing and no dew falls at night so that sleeping in the open air is quite comfortable.

Friday, Aug 11, 1882 Finished our crackers & tongue for breakfast and started on our journey at sunrise    followed down our branch of Arrow Creek and over a divide to another branch where we found plenty of good water (the first branch being dry)    The sun having got up high and beginning to be warm I pulled off my coat and tied it to the saddle taking off my field glass to do so and forgetting to put it on again rode away and left it laying on the ground.    Did not miss it until I wanted to use it some two hours afterward then I thought where it was and sending Thomas down one of the branches of Arrow Creek to see how it looked, I went back to the place where I left it.    As I rode up I saw the biggest and blackest negro that I ever met standing there with a gun in his hand.    When I got within speaking distance he said “where all de dear gone?”    I told him where I saw their signs this morning and just then two prairie chickens flew up.    I shot one and the negro shot the other.    He said he was a miner and had a good mine but no money to carry on the work and nothing to eat so came out to get a deer but this was his last cartridge    I had two in my pocket so I gave him one and loaded my gun with the other, bid him good day.    I picked up my glass and started back.    Rode until noon then built a fire and cooked my prairie chicken    Made a dinner of it and started on again    struck a branch of Arrow Creek and followed it down until it was so dark I could not see, then turned the pony loose and rolled up in my blankets for the night.

Saturday, Aug. 12, 1882 woke up at daylight and found myself surrounded with range horses which scampered off in a great hurry when I threw my blankets off    they made a great noise and raised a terrible dust    I was afraid at first that my pony had gone too but soon saw the little fellow standing near me as though nothing had happened and I thought from appearances that he had not been 100 ft from me all night.    He is a nice handy fellow though a little lazy sometimes    as I rode down the creek this morning I saw the track of a mountain lion and a grizzly bear in the mud that must have gone just in the night    I got in to camp at Arrow Creek before the men were up except the cook who had just got his fire started    I found the party had only reached there the day before being delayed on the way by one of the oxen falling lame so that they had to lay over one day and finally leave one team behind to be brought up afterwards.    They had started the line up Arrow Creek about two miles    I went out with them today    we put in about four miles of line which made out our first week from Benton

Sunday, Aug. 13, 1882 I spent the forenoon writing and cleaning up and this afternoon I went out with the teamsters to look after the lame ox.    On looking him over I concluded he was made lame by shoeing    the shoes on one hind foot and the fore foot on the opposite side were not properly shod, the shoes reaching back only to the middle of the foot    I had the teamsters cast him and pull them off    They have a simple way of casting an ox.    They hitch him with a rope around his neck and pass it between his fore legs then across his back over the kidneys taking a turn over the rope before bringing it out between his hind legs, this end they take hold of and pull back, the rope pulls down on the small of the oxes back    he curls down and rolls on to his side without a struggle.    It seemed to me a nice way.

Monday, Aug. 14, 1882 Started our wagons up the hill this morning    they have to use all of the oxen on one wagon as it is a terrible hill, 670 ft in height and very steep    Arrow Creek running in a deep cañon.    The lame ox is improving    will be well in a few days    The teamsters made a wild move and camped some 10 miles from the end of our line    we didn’t go in until about dark and then spread our beding down on the ground without raising a tent.

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 1882 I got the teams started on the right track this morning then started on the line    ran about 4 miles and at night saw the mule team standing on the bluff    I rode up to them    found them rather discouraged    they wandered about an hour or two trying to find a place to get down to the creek but gave it up    I started them along and rode on ahead until I found a good place to get down and a spring to camp beside, but the ox team did not come up nor the rest of the party so I suppose they are all camped together.    The cook loaned me a pair of his blankets and with my saddle blanket I made out quite comfortably

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 1882 I rode up ahead this morning towards Wolf Bute to see what we were coming to    found rough work ahead then rode back and found the ox teams    sent them down the hill in the right place and went down to the party who had camped with the ox teams and had gone back to work this morning carrying their dinner with them.    we ran to within about 1 ½ miles from camp and walked in    the teams are all together tonight but Field had a quarrel with Dutch, one of the ox teamsters because some of the baggage was left on the bluffs in the wagons to save hauling up again    I let them have it out and after supper said to the men, “come boys, lets go up and bring down what we need.”    They all started including Field & Dutch    Camp No 38

Thursday, Aug 17, 1882 Worked on the line but did not move camp.    We managed to get our line up out of the brush so that we can make good progress tomorrow.    I saw a man herding sheep and had a talk with him    he was taking care of 3000 sheep    he was paid $40 per month    did his own cooking and took the whole care of the pack for the summer.    Had a small corral in a bend of the brook and an A tent near the gully so he could hear any disturbance in the night    during the whole summer these 3000 sheep did not go more than 1½ miles from the corral    they looked fleshy and nice    had no disease among them and sheared 7 ½ lbs of wool on an average this year    they were South Down Lesisters with just enough Marino to make the wood good    The profit in sheep farming here must be enormous but it is not safe to try to winter them without enough hay to last them three months though they seldom have to feed as long as that, yet there is occasionally a hard winter and unless a man has something provided for his flock to eat the loss is great.

Friday, Aug. 18, 1882 made a good run today    put in 6 ½ miles    I went in the afternoon to look ahead and found it bad enough.    The creek does not reach into Wolf Creek valley as I was told but there is a high divide between which I am afraid we cannot get over with our grade    Camped tonight on a branch of Surprise Creek within one mile of Wolf Creek Valley    Camp No 39

Saturday, Aug. 19, 1882 Went back on our line about 200 ft and started an 80 ft grade run over to Wolf Creek but found we could not make the rise without going back some four miles to start.    Our summit was 4668.    Or about 68 ft higher than Judith and from this point I turned the level over to Highwood Pass and found it must be fully as high and I think the pass between the Highwoods and Belt ranges is about the same elevation.    The party went back to camp and I rode back towards Wolf Butte to look for a better pass, going by a cattle corral on the way.    There were about 20 men engaged in branding cattle    I stopped to see the performance    they had two yards enclosed with a high fence and between them was a sort of pass like a letter \ / the wide end toward one yard and the narrow one toward the other    Six or eight men on horseback would drive 20 or 30 cattle into the wide end or catch pen then they would shout and scream until four would dive into the narrow part, the end of which was closed by a door    then they would run in a pole behind them and have them fast with their sides exposed between the rails    then they took a hot iron made in the shape they wanted the brand which iron had a handle about four feet long and burn the mark into the cattles sides    then when all were marked the door was thrown open and these allowed to go into the next yard.    The process was repeated until all were marked.    After seeing them brand what I wanted to I took a look for a line    found a pass where I think a tunnel can be driven to advantage, then rode back to camp and got some supper about sunset.

Sunday, Aug. 20, 1882 I have been at work in the camp all day washing my clothes and shaving first    then I repaired a hand level and afterwards wrote letters until dark    We move on to Wolf Creek Valley tomorrow

Monday, Aug. 21, 1882 We moved our camp to Wolf Creek today being No 40    Started our line some four miles back and tried another pass through the hills    found it more than one hundred feet lower than the first and can be crossed with a grade line by beginning farther back to climb    While the men were taking their nooning I rode on ahead to look at the best route and as I reached the top of the hill I saw a buckboard with two horses and three men    I rode up to them and found it was Alec Gelanders and Messenger with the new Rodman & Axman    Alec said he had two bags of mail which made the boys glad when I told them    I diverted him to camp on Wolf Creek and went there myself as soon as I got the party on smooth running.    Found four letters from home telling me they were all well    Genie and the children were at Old Orchard Beach with sister Ag and Good Wiley’s folks.

Tuesday, Aug. 22, 1882 I gave Mr. Mitchell directions about running the line this A.M. and stayed in camp to write my report telling the men they might have the afternoon to write letters and finish up the office work.    Mr. Roberts our cook told me tonight that he had decided to leave us    his father lives in Brunswick, Me., and was unwell when he heard from him last so he thinks of going home to Maine.    Comforth our assistant cook thinks he can take his place and I shall send for a man to help him    Roberts, John Salsburg & Walter Field go tomorrow with Alec

Wednesday, Aug. 23, 1882 We moved camp today to Willow Creek making it Camp No 41    Ran our line across and down into Sage Creek valley but found we were getting a bad line so sent the party into camp at half past four P.M. while I rode until sunset looking up the country.    Think I have found a much better one    shall try it tomorrow    There is a sheep ranch near where we camped    a man was herding 2000 head    that seems to be the usual number to keep in one herd    this flock belongs to Thomas Brothers in Wolf Creek    they have another flock besides of about the same size and buy more as fast as they can    their sheep averaged 7 lbs of wool this spring and they say money invested in sheep pays 30 percent interest.

Thursday, Aug. 24, 1882 Went back to Wolf Creek to try my new line    did not make a long day of it (Mr. Mitchell my transit man being almost sick) but found it was all right to Sage Creek

Friday, Aug. 25, 1882 Camp No 42    5 miles of line today.    Ran from Willow to Sage or by the route I had looked out    then started the party up the valley but found it was going up fast    I let them keep on up the valley while I rode across the country to the east to lookout a better line which I succeded in finding after a long hard ride    got into camp about sunset feeling tired and hungry with the pony pretty well used up.

Saturday, Aug. 26, 1882 Camp No 43    Judith River    I made a sketch of the country over which we were to pass and showed my teamsters where we wanted to go and also told our hunter to keep watch of us and guide the team down to the river where we should strike with the line.    Then I went ahead with the party until I got the line on to the table land between Sage Creek and Judith River then after starting them in the right direction I rode down towards the Judith to find a place to get down to that valley    found it was six miles or more across and did not get across in time to look much as my pony was worn down with hard riding so had to go slow    saw Clancy with the mules in the distance after the party and with the glass could make out the ox team some four miles back    I then started for the camp    found it down on the Judith River, 7 or 8 miles from the end of line    the ox team will not get in tonight so we shall have to lay in the cooks tent without any beding    I am more fortunate than the rest for I can use the saddle blanket to roll up in

Sunday, Aug. 27, 1882 We did not spend a very comfortable night as the weather turned cold and it was rather too cold to sleep comfortably without any beding.    After breakfast I rode out to find the ox teams and look for a place to come down    found one that I shall try tomorrow then saw the ox teams on their way down and after giving them directions where to find the camp I rode to a house and found there was a post office about a mile away.    This is the nicest looking valley we have seen in Montana and on going to the P.O. which was in a little log house and was also a store, was shown a plan of the town    it is T14 N, R 14 E and all the land near the river is taken up    there are huts and tents scattered about with large stacks of hay near them.    There are springs all over the valley and the water in the river is clear and good.    The first religious meeting was held in an unfinished house today.    The town is called Philbrook and will be a nice place if the railroad should come here.

Monday, Aug. 28, 1882 Went back to our line this morning about eight miles from camp.    I looked the bluffs over for a chance to get down to the bottomland until 11 A.M. then went out to join the party on the line    found they had not made great progress not having found the line until ten o’clock.    After dinner I left them to continue the straight line and rode up the Judith River to Utica    saw some nice looking ranches    called at one and was invited by the lady of the house to come in and have a glass of milk which invitation I gladly accepted.    The room was furnished neatly    a large rocking chair was brought for me by the gentleman while the lady was preparing a lunch which soon came in the shape of a waiter on which was a pitcher of nice sweet milk, a goblet, two slices of nice bread and some good yellow butter that looked like the butter at home.    I ate my lunch, drank the milk then had a long chat with the gentleman who I found was from St. Louis and was not the owner of the house but was uncle to the children so I suppose brother to the lady of the house or her husband.    I enjoyed my visit very much and should have stayed longer but had six miles to ride to join the party which I did about four o’clock P.M.

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 1882 Ran our line down over the bluffs across the valley of the Judith and up the opposite bank.

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 1882 Continued our line towards Rosses Fork but found we were too near the foothills so did not get as smooth a line as I could wish    think I can improve it by keeping down on lower ground    Camped on Rosses Fork near dark in No 44

Thursday, Aug.  31, 1882 Went back to near the Judith River and struck the head of a coulee which ran into Rosses Fork    followed it down to the bottomland on Rosses Fork

Friday, Sept. 1, 1882 Intersected our A-line on the east side of Rosses Fork saving 13 miles between Rosses Fork & Arrow Creek making the distance via our last line from the N.P.RR on the Yellowstone to Ft. Benton on the Missouri 242 miles

Saturday, Sept. 2, 1882 Moved camp to Bever Creek which is No 45    Ran to within a mile of the creek making 9 ½ miles of line, the biggest days work yet    I shot an antelope this forenoon and put it on the wagon to be taken into camp.    Game has been rather scarce lately and this is the first fresh meat for some time

Sunday, Sept. 3, 1882 Capt. Huggins gave me an invitation to go on a hunt with him today    he takes a wagon and tent up to the Snowy Mts. and we hunt from there.    Mr. Mitchell & Field go with me and the Sargent and three soldiers with the Capt., making eight in all    We started out anticipating a grand time but man proposes etc.    before we had reached our camping ground a soldier overtook us with a letter for the Capt. and one for me.    Lieutenant Allinson had arrived to relieve the Capt. and Alec our courier had come with mail for me and rest of the party so I must go back in the morning    we hunted a little this A.M. but saw only one deer and did not get him.    The Captain is not feeling well tonight    thinks he shall go back tomorrow

Monday, Sept. 4, 1882 Came back to camp this morning    found three letters from home    Genie and the children were still at Old Orchard and were all well    a few lines from Col. Clough which comprized the whole of my mail.    I worked in the office today writing my report and making out pay rolls, vouchers, inventory, etc.   did not finish until past ten P.M.

Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882 Capt. Huggins left us today    he reports at Camp Villard near Billings to take command of his company which is stationed there    his first Lieutenant Allinson is in command of our escort    we ran our line across the creek and down towards camp.

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 1882 Ran our line to Cottonwood Creek today then went back to our camp on Bever Creek

Thursday, Sept. 7, 1882 Camp No 46    Big Spring Creek    Ran our line to within a mile of the creek but found the ground dropped off so fast near the creek that we must go back three miles to begin climbing down sooner

Friday, Sept. 8, 1882 Went back this morning and ran a grade line down across Big Spring Creek and started it up Boyds Creek

Saturday, Sept. 9, 1882 Camp No 47    Forks of Boyds Creek    I left the party in charge of Mr. Mitchell to run up the creek while I went on ahead to explore the country with Mr. Pichette who volunteered to guide me to the pass but found he knew nothing about it    he took me to the pass that leads to Maginnis which was perhaps 1000 feet too high for us to pass over with our line    We ate our dinner in sight of Ft. Maginnis then went out on the divide to find a lower pass.    Found one a great deal lower which I think is McDonalds Pass but this is much too high    shall try it with the level Monday as I want to show on the plan and profile the different passes whether they are good or not

Sunday, Sept. 10, 1882 Saddled the pony this morning and started for the divide between Big Spring and Flat Willow Creeks    rode until about noon when I came to a pass which I think will be quite cozy    rode down the creek a few miles and then across to camp.    The land on this Creek is good and it would be a splendid place for a sheep ranch if the snows do not fall too deep in the winter, all the hills are covered with a heavy growth of grass    no cacktus    the water is good and plenty of it.

Monday, Sept. 11, 1882 We met with an accident this morning    while we were at breakfast our office tent took fire and before we could extinguish the flames the tent was ruined    I sent our mule team to Ft. Maginnis to borrow a tent until one could be sent to us from Billings    the team came back with a tent but it is only large enough for three to sleep in so I shall have to arrange to use one of the other large tents for an office and have three of the men sleep in the small one.    We continued our line up Boyds Creek and through MacDonalds Pass down on to MacDonalds Creek, then ran a crest line for nearly two miles on the summit    found the Pass to be 4718 ft, 119 ft higher than the Judith Pass.

Tuesday, Sept. 12, 1882 Camp No 48    Left Branch of Big Spring Creek    We broke up camp on Boyds Creek this morning    I made a map for my teamsters to go by and also the Lieutenant to go across the country to this Creek as it would save them at least 10 miles.    My teams came all right but the Lieutenant wandered a little but came through all right at last    I took my party back to Big Spring Creek or Camp Lewis as it is called on the map and started our line up that stream    ran our line over a small cliff and on going down below found we had run our line over the grave of a Piegan Indian who had been rolled in a buffalo robe and laid in a hole in the cliff    there was a queer mat in the hole with the remains and a tin pail holding about one quart enclosed in a buckskin bag also an iron spoon.    The mat was about three feet wide at one end and one foot at the other and 5 or 6 feet long    it was made of peeled willow sticks fastened together, the sticks running crosswise, the sides of the mat being bound with buck skin and a piece hanging at each corner painted red and black    At the next cliff we found a cave in the solid rock where a bear had made his den    we could see his nest and a large amount of thorn plants which he had dragged in but the hole was so deep and crooked that we could not see the end to know whether bruin was in or not and had not time to smoke him out    he had a splendid chance    the face of the ledge was completely covered with wild hops    we continued our line up the stream until night then went to camp about 5 miles above.

Wednesday, Sept. 13, 1882 Continued our line up the valley to within one mile of camp    found it rather bushy in the morning but good in the afternoon    Bought 100 lbs of Potatoes of a ranchman at 4 cents per pound.    if they had a market for their crops at the price they ask they could get rich    I also bought ½ a beef critter at 8 cts per pound and yesterday I bought some oats for the mules    was obliged to pay 5 cts per pound.    Everything is sold by the pound out here. 

Thursday, Sept 14, 1882 Ran our line to within ½ mile of the summit.    I left the party after dinner and rode about three miles to see if there was a better pass than the one I had already picked out    saw a big buck antelope standing on a bluff    judged he was about 500 yds and raised the sights on my Sharps Rifle accordingly    the distance proved to be about right and it rather astonished me to see him drop when I fired.    On examination I found the bullet entered his neck low down then went through his heart.    Rather a nice shot for so long a distance.    He is such a fine specimen that I have skinned him whole and intend to take him home to mount

Friday, Sept. 15, 1882 Camp No 49    Flat Willow Creek    Moved camp today.    The Lieutenant moved on ahead and passed us on the summit but when we came down to the stream we saw our tents but his were nowhere to be seen    I asked my teamsters why they did not all camp together    they said the soldiers got stuck in the brook and they were obliged to pitch tents so the cook could go to work, that the soldiers had gone on and one of their wagons tipped over and rolled down a hill breaking their wagon bows and tongue    they then pulled their wagon out and camped    one of them came up this evening saying the Lieutenant sent him to borrow tools and bolt to make repairs    I sent word to Lieutenant by MacDonald that we should move camp tomorrow    he sent word back that he would wait until we came around the hill before he started.

Saturday, Sept. 16, 1882 The weather turned cold in the night and this morning the wind blows from the west with a thick mist flying    we went out on the line and tried to work but the instruments fogged up so that we had to quit but had plenty of office work for the men to do     I hear the Lieutenant broke up camp and moved on

Sunday, Sept. 17, 1882 Still rainy    two of my men started out yesterday for a hunt in the Snowy Mountains but it was so wet that they were obliged to come back this morning without any game.    We have busied ourselves at work on plans & profiles in the office

Monday, Sept. 18, 1882 It has rained steadily all day so that we were all confined to our tents    This must be the equinockal storm

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 1882 Camp No 50    South Fork McDonalds Creek    It cleared up in the night and has been a fine day.  Lieutenant Alison came up and met us on our way down    he had moved camp about six miles    we moved down and camped near him.

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 1882 Camp  No 51    South fork McDonalds Creek    Moved our camp down near the cañon and ran our line to that point.    There are high bluffs on each side and here they come near together and it struck me that this would be a splendid point for a sheep or cattle ranch as it would be fenced for a long distance affording shelter from the cold winter wind with plenty of wood and water and a chance to eat what hay any one would need.    I noticed at the mouth of the cañon two large blocks of sandstone which at some early day had fallen from the cliff and left standing on edge.    The Indians had taken advantage of the quality of the rock and used it for an immense whet-stone, many places grooved out to the depth of from one to two inches and from one to two feet long.    These places seemed to have been made grinding and shaping their stone hatchets and hammers.    Others were smoothed off as though by grinding knives and axes    some of these places looked fresh as though they had been used lately    others showed greater age being more ground and weather worn since being used.

Thursday, Sept. 21, 1882 Camp No 52    Forks McDonald Creek    Put in about five miles of line and finished our days work about two miles above camp.

Friday, Sept. 22, 1882 Continued our line down the main creek    nocked off work at half past four as one of the teamsters rode down and told us that the hunter had killed a buffalo and Clancy had gone with the mules for the meat so the men would have to walk into camp    It proved to be a three year old bull and quite large giving us plenty of fresh meat    I turned one quarter over to the soldiers as three was all we could take care of    Lieutenant Alinson started for Maginnis this morning with both wagons for rations    I sent by him for sugar, oats, and knives & forks    he left a part of his men near us to await his return    Alec Turned up with the mail tonight so that we all feel well with letters from home.

Saturday, Sept. 23, 1882 Camp No 53    I rode across the country to the main creek thinking perhaps I might come across a stray buffalo and wishing to have the afternoon to make out my payrolls, ranchers inventory, etc.    I struck the creek some five miles lower down than the teams had moved so had to ride back up the stream.    Alec met with a great loss here    it seems he had been in the habit of hitching his horses head down to his forward foot so that he would not run away    one of his horses went to the brook for water    the banks and bottom were soft and when the poor fellow got in he had no choice but to hold his nose under water until he was drowned, his mate whinnyed and acted so strangely that it attracted the attention  of Corporal Sutterson (who is assisting our cook).    he gave the alarm but before the men could do anything to relieve him the poor horse was dead.    We all felt badly about it but the horses mate seemed to feel it worst of all as he kept whinnying and looking anxiously for his mate and refused to eat.

Sunday, Sept. 24, 1882 My men held a hunter feast last night    they built a large fire and with long sticks roasted pieces of buffalo meat, eating them one after another until one would suppose they were made of India rubber.    I joined them a short time    found the meat cooked in that way was very nice and did not seem to fill us up as one would expect so that a person could eat a larger amount without feeling any bad effects from it    I also tried a piece of a prairie dog which one of the men had shot    it was fat and tender but tasted like a wood chuck and was not equal to the buffalo.    The day is warm and still    We have all been busy in the office getting plans, profiles and reports ready to send back by Abe tomorrow.

Monday, Sept. 25, 1882 Camp No 54    The Lieutenant came back from Ft. Maginnis last night and we have pushed on down the stream    put in about 7 miles of line    moved camp 14 miles

Tuesday, Sept. 26, 1882 I left the party this morning to continue the line down the creek while I rode across the country to see what the prospect was to get over Elk & Flat Willow Creeks    rode at least 20 miles    think I have found a good line as far as Flat Willow    got back to camp about 5 P.M.

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 1882 Camp  No 55    Bever, Ball or Elk Cr.    Moved camp and ran our line to this creek bringing the end of the line about opposite the camp.    We have made some more than 18 miles this week so far.

Thursday, Sept. 28, 1882 Rainy to day    I rode out this morning to look for the best point to cross the divide between this Creek and Flat Willow    got caught in a shower and took refuge under the lea of a hill    while standing there I saw some object coming down to the creek on the opposite side    I looked at it through my field glass and found it was a monstrous bull Elk with horns at least 5 feet long    I waited until he had entered the bushes which bordered the creek then I left my pony, took my rifle and went down to get a shot at him    I reached the bushes without being discovered but suppose I must have made some noise in crawling through them for the elk started to run, but I made out to shoot him before he got away    he was a splendid specimen standing as high as a common horse with monstrous horns    his neck & shoulders were almost black and lighter colored behind    It rained all day so we could not work on the line.

Friday, Sept. 29, 1882 Showery today but we went out to work on the line and though it continued by spells all day we made out quite a days work, crossing Flat Willow and putting in some more than a mile on the East side    Went back to camp and found the soldiers had killed a buffalo and brought us half

Saturday, Sept. 30, 1882 Rainy again today    I rode out to where the soldiers killed their buffalo hoping to get one myself but they had taken fright and moved north so I did not get anything except to shoot an antelope

Sunday, Oct. 1, 1882 Camp No 56    Flat Willow Creek    I rode out this morning to look the country over but it was so misty and foggy that I could not see any distance, getting back to camp about 1 P.M.    I concluded we had better move camp to Flat Willow so as to be near our line Monday morning to start work    It was rather wet but we made the move all right    This is a nice stream and with the exception of Big Spring Creek is the largest since crossing the Judith River

Monday, Oct. 2, 1882 Rainy again today    The soldiers did not move yesterday but have come up with us this forenoon    We did not go out on the line today.

Tuesday, Oct. 3, 1882 I sent the party up to try a pass through the hills to a creek which runs into the Musselshell while I spent the day riding over the country to look for a better one    saw two buffalo bulls about noon but did not get a shot at them    Found a pass through the hills that I think will be an improvement on the other one    they found that very high    they ran six miles of line and did not get into camp until about eight o’clock P.M.    I got in at half past seven but it was quite dark

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 1882 Camp No. 57    We moved camp to a cooly where we found water about 4 miles East of Flat Willow where I saw the buffaloes yesterday.    We made about six miles but did not reach the summit, the grades were all right    think we shall get over the summit without being very heavy work

Thursday, Oct. 5, 1882 Camp No 58    Buffalo Creek    We started our line up to the summit this morning and just as we reached there I noticed my hunter making signs to me from a high hill    I turned my field glass on him and found he was beckoning me to come up there so leaving my transitman to run the line down into the opposite valley, I went to see what the hunter was doing    he told me there was a buffalo in a coolee about one mile away and I could get a shot at it, so we rode over to where he was but saw him moving down the coolee.    we watched him until he lay down then leaving our horses we crept up to him, but just as we reached the spot an Indian rode up behind us    I motioned him back and we crept up to the buffalo who jumped up before we were quite near enough    I shot him however though a little too far behind to kill him instantly so he started to run and the Indian dashed after him on his horse to run him away from us.    I sent the hunter back after the ponys and I started after the buffalo & Indian    I had not gone more than ½ mile before I saw three Indians skinning my buffalo    I hurried up and although they could not speak English I soon made them understand that the buffalo did not belong to them but gave them the fore quarters and I took the robe and hind quarters.    My hunter coming up, I sent him for the wagon which came and carried off the meat.    It seemed like the buffalo fell near where three lodges of Indians were camped so they went at it hoping to skin and cary the meat into their camp before I came up but did not succeed    I shall keep the robe for a trophy

Friday, Oct. 6, 1882 Camp No 59    Buffalo Cr.    Moved about six miles down the creek and ran our line to camp    the grades were easy but we had to cross the creek a number of times.

Saturday, Oct. 7, 1882 Started our line down the creek and told the men to move camp but at night found that only the cook tent had been moved as the oxen had strayed away in the night, or a part of them, leaving the bell ox with those behind so that the night herder hearing the bell thought they were all right, but in the morning six of them were missing and although they hunted all day did not find them, so after supper I saddled my pony and with two others of the party started back to our last camp about six miles away, but night overtook us on the way and while wandering about to find the camp we heard the mule team coming so we went out one side to meet them.    Found Clancy and Armstrong who had come up to sleep as our beds are all with the ox teams    Clancy had followed the trail until dark then taken off the mules and lead one while Armstrong rode the other.    We had not gone but a short distance when the hind mule got mired in crossing a coulee and in struggling fell down on his side where he stuck fast in the gumbo and was as helpless as a fly in a bowl of molasses although he weighed 1100 lbs. and was a powerful animal    so after trying with what help we had to get him out and found it impossible I left the men to hold his nose out of the mud and keep him from strangling while I took my coarse by the stars to find the camp two miles away which I succeeded in doing and started all the men with two yokes of oxen to the rescue    Then I lead the way back and after working awhile succeeded in saving the mule, and all of us got back to the old camping ground at 11 o’clock P. M. tired enough with no camp raised so we spread our blankets on the ground and slept the rest of the night.

Sunday, Oct. 8, 1882 I started the men out in all directions as soon as daylight, the night herder and I went up the creek to where he found the rest of the oxen, then he went to the right and I to the left to find the trails    after hunting an hour I struck it and sent Dutch and Brown, the night herders, on the trail while I went back to camp    got to the old camp ground No. 59 about 2 P.M.    found Alec, our messenger, had arrived, so after reading my letters and eating some dinner started down to the other camp No 60 on Big Bend Creek    Alec taking my beding on his buckboard.

Monday, Oct. 9, 1882 Spent the day in camp finishing our plans, profiles, and doing other office work as a part of our party were away hunting oxen    The teams all arrived at this camp a little after noon so we are all together again.    Brown found the oxen about ten miles from camp and found an Indian walking them    he started off when Brown came in sight who fired a bullet after him but did not hit him so there is no doubt but the oxen were driven away by the Indian    Our escort was camped about four miles away

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1882 ran our lines across the Musselshell today and then went back to camp

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 1882 Camp No 61    Fossil Cr.    Alec started back today and we moved our camp across the Musselshell to a creek that comes in on the east side and as there was no name on the map we called it Fossil Creek as we found great quantities of fossils in its bed    Our escort is camped about two miles up the river    the Lieutenant seems to be packing a route of his own as he does not follow us.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 1882 Camp No 62    South Branch Fossil Cr.    The teams made a long move today and we did not get into camp until after dark

Friday, Oct. 13, 1882 Got our line to within about one mile of camp tonight.

Saturday, Oct. 14, 1882 Camp No 63    Fossil Creek    Moved about six miles up the creek and left our line about the same distance below what it was last night, making six miles of line.

Sunday, Oct. 15, 1882 Spent the forenoon shaving and dressing my buffalo hide.    The sargent rode over today to tell us where our escort was    they are about three miles south of us    the Lieutenant sent me a note saying he should move down on to the head of Froze-to-Death Cr. tomorrow as he had no wood and the water was bad    the sargent shot an antelope on his way and brought it in to us    our hunter got another    we like that better than buffalo as it is more tender    I rode up to the summit this afternoon    think we can get over all right.

Monday, Oct. 16, 1882 Camp No 64    Head of Froze-to-death Cr.    Started my party up the valley    my teams over the summit and rode over to the head of Froze-to-Death Creek to find the best pass and be sure my teams got on to the right Creek as there are two heads near together and one I think is Big Porcupine, the other is Froze-to-death    After making sure that the teams were going all right I rode back to meet my party    found them about 1 P.M.    they had eaten dinner but had saved some for me    I ate it and warmed myself at the same time by a fire made of buffalo chips as it was quite cold and squally, spiting snow and sleet    we stopped work at 4 P.M. as we ran out of stakes    started for camp the men traveled about four miles when they met Clancy with the mule team coming after us    he said camp was about five miles father down where they struck the first wood    we reached camp a little after dark and having good fires in our camp, we didn’t mind the storm outside

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1882 Did not get back to our work on the line this morning until half past ten A.M.    reached the summit at noon and the valley of Froze-to-death at night    Alec our messenger came to us as we were about to quit and we were all glad to see him for he brought letters from home for us all    Mine contained nothing but good news as they told me the family were all well at home    spent the evening answering my letters, one home and one to Col. Clough.

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 1882 Sent Clancy down to the mouth of Big Porcupine for the supplies which Alec brought out and deposited there    Alec also started back with the mail

Thursday, Oct. 19, 1882 Camp No 65    South Fork Big Porcupine or Black Tail    I rode over the divide this afternoon and found the stream we are on runs into Big Porcupine so that it is a branch of that stream instead of Froze-to-death as we supposed    our maps are all wrong as they make Fossil Creek and Froze-to-death head together when we find that Fossil & Big Porcupine are the ones that head together.    We moved camp down the creek today about five miles and camped nearly one mile above the Lieutenant    made about six miles of line.

Friday, Oct. 20, 1882 Camp No 66    Mouth of Black Tale Creek    We are all together again.    Tonight the soldiers are camped near us and Clancy came back with the supplies    we have made about six miles on the line and left it two miles above camp    It has been cloudy all day and is beginning to rain a little tonight.

Saturday, Oct. 21, 1882 Camp No 67    Big Porcupine Creek    Cloudy today    we moved camp about four miles and ran our line to it making about six miles of line    closed the weeks work with the line opposite camp    made 34 miles this week, the biggest weeks work yet.

Sunday, Oct. 22, 1882 the clouds cleared away last night and today the wind sprang up and blew harder than we have known it to blow for some time, though it was not cold    I did my washing but my clothes did not get very dry    wrote a letter home and another to Lucien Holmes of Standish though cannot send then until Alec comes again

Monday, Oct. 23, 1882 Camp No 68    Big Porcupine Cr.    I think they must have moved camp at least 12 miles    we ran six miles of line and had to go about six more to camp    did not get in until after dark

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 1882 Went back this morning and took up our line where we left it last night and ran it down to camp    the nights are cold but the days just right to work in  

Wednesday, Oct. 25, 1882 Found we were not many miles from the Yellowstone and the road running away from the creek so that we could not get water until we reached the river    I concluded to work down the creek one day more and then move to the river    we ran five miles and came in sight of the Yellowstone bottomland, then nocked off and went back to camp

Thursday, Oct. 26, 1882 Camp No 69    Yellowstone River    We reached the river with our line about three o’clock P.M.    the teams arrived just before we did    found a nice place to camp and plenty of good water    sent two men to get a boat so that we could make our connection with the main line tomorrow    Our camp is on the Dirty Woman Ranch and when I came down ahead of the party she came out to meet me, leading a child with one hand and carrying an army musket in the other    she hailed me when I got near enough, to know where I was from and what I wanted    I told her and she seemed somewhat relieved    she said her husband was away looking up their stock and she thought we were trying to get away with their horses so she had come out with her gun to defend her property    I thought a woman had some pluck who could defend her house but a woman who could take her gun and step out to drive away horse thieves would do for even this part of the country, but I am afraid she deserved the name they had given her

Friday, Oct. 27, 1882 We have made our connection with the main line at Sta 6878+41 and have finished the survey.    I rowed a part of the men over the Yellowstone in a dugout but when we came to go back the wind blew so that the man who first attempted it gave it up    I took the boat and rowed the leveler over and then went back for another load    found Alec had come with the mail and as the wind had gone down some left the rest to row themselves across which they did after a while    I then sent the boat back and got ready to break up camp tomorrow

Saturday, Oct. 28, 1882 Broke up camp this morning and all started for Billings    12 of us came up to Froze-to-death and crossed over to the station    the teams are to be driven back 110 miles while we go on the train    I rode my pony up to Froze-to-death, 18 miles, the last ride I expect to take on him for the trip    he has carried me about 2700 miles this summer as near as I can reckon it and I hate to part with the faithful fellow.    Our team came along at 7 P.M. and we reached Billings at 11 P.M.    Mr. Bundock and another gentleman gave me an invitation to occupy an empty cot in their room which I gladly accepted.

Sunday, Oct. 29, 1882 Camp No 70    Billings    Saw Col. Clough this morning who received me very kindly and told me that he had got another line of about 100 miles for me to try    I have spent the day writing home and other business letters beside looking about the town.    Mr. Fuller invited me down to his office this afternoon    he has charge of the R.R. buildings that are going up    I looked over his plan and showed him my route on the map    had quite a pleasant call.

Monday, Oct. 30, 1882 Went over to Camp Villard to see Capt. Huggins    had a pleasant chat with him    took a late breakfast with the Capt., Maj. Bell, and Dr. somebody, have forgotten the name    Col. Clough celebrated his 69^th birthday by giving a champagne supper to which I was invited and spent a pleasant evening.    There was quite a large gathering composed of Engineers and business men of the place with Gen. Merrill, Maj. Bell and other military men from Camp Villard and a few ladies.

Tuesday, Oct. 31, 1882 Mr. Bundock and I rode over across the country toward the Musselshell to look up the new route    Col. Clough’s driver took us over with a span of sorrel horses and a buckboard    stopped at the stage ranch within five miles of Painted Rock kept by Mr. Brewington

Wednesday, Nov. 1, 1882 We saddled the horses and spent the day looking up a route from the lake basin into the Musselshell    rode nearly all day    took our lunch on the Musselshell    got back to Brewington’s at night    Mr. Bundock was nearly tired out not being used to riding in the saddle

Thursday, Nov. 2, 1882 Got back to Billings tonight    found the teams had all got in    they found they were getting footsore and telegraphed Col. Clough who sent Field down to get them on the train so that everything is here ready to be looked over for another start

Friday, Nov. 3, 1882 Spent the day getting things ready for another start

Saturday, Nov. 4, 1882 Another day spent getting ready

Sunday, Nov. 5, 1882 Wrote a few letters    packed up my things and got everything ready for a start on the morrow.

Monday, Nov. 6, 1882 Camp No 71    Five Mile Creek    Started out line from Sta 12151 on main line and crossed Alakli Creek near its mouth then ran over to the valley to five Mile Cr. and up that stream making about five miles of line and camping 2 miles above the end of line.

Tuesday, Nov. 7, 1882 Started down with the party to commence another line up Alkali Creek so as to try both ways into the Lake Basin    Met Col. Clough and Mr. Bundock who were coming up to see us    they took Mr. Mitchell into the train with them as the Col. had received a telegram to send him over to Missoula Division to help Works    I rode up a short distance with them to show the Col. what I had done and what I proposed to do then left them to go on and went back to set my party to work    Field taking the transit and Croaney the level    made about 4 miles up Alkali Cr. and nocked off work at 4:30 P.M.    the party going back to camp    I rode down to Billings as I wanted to see Col. Clough on business and Mr. Mitchell before he started west

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 1882 Found this morning that Mr. Mitchell did not go on the early train    he had such a bad cold    I went in to see him in Isaac’s tent but found him asleep and did not want to wake him.    Got out on the line ahead of the party    we ran about five miles and then went to camp as Clancy did not show up with the mules.

Thursday, Nov. 9, 1882 Started our line up Five Mile Creek again this morning and concluded to move camp    the new teamsters had quite a circus to get the oxen yoked as they are not what would be considered half broken in the east (I discharged the old teamsters in Billings and hired new ones)    After I had been out on the line some time and did not see the team coming, I rode back and met Macdonald who told me the second team had broken a reach and were obliged to stop    I then went back until I met the other two teams coming    the third teamster stopping with his load    I guided them up to where the party were having dinner then left them to get my dinner.    After dinner I went to them again but found one wagon had gone down a bank and in trying to pull it out, it tipped over    I then left them to unload and went for the mule team to go after the baggage    I met Clancy with the mules about two miles up the creek    sent him back after the beding which was in the first unfortunate wagon    then I went to the wagon which was tipped over and calling all the men righted up the wagon and loaded it     then I got on my pony and piloted them to where the cooks tent was pitched    got there a little before dark and all went to work putting up the tents which we did in short order and none too soon for the snow began to come down and the ground was soon covered.

Friday, Nov. 10, 1882 About eight inches of snow fell last night and this morning the air was full of snow.    my pony’s ran away and I sent a man after them who brought them back before noon    I started the oxen back after the wagon which was left yesterday but the snow flew so that they got lost and wandered about until one o’clock P.M. when they came back to camp with each man a frozen ear for a comforter    I told them to unyoke and try again tomorrow    I am afraid the time will seem long to the men back with the wagon.    It being so stormy we could not work on the line, Field asked permission to go into town and I sent Clancy with the mules to get some spare reaches & tongues for our carts    Camp No 72

Saturday, Nov. 11, 1882 The wether is still cold and blustery, but could not lay by on that account    The teamsters yoked the oxen again this morning and I saddled my pony and rode out ahead of them to find the wagon which I did without any difficulty    found the teamster had camped under the wagon sheet the two nights he had been left alone    We loaded up the wagon and drove to camp, got in a little after noon    found the party had started out some after I did and had been in to their dinner    I went out and found them on the line    we put in between three and four miles of line and tonight our outfit is all together again

Sunday, Nov. 12, 1882 Spent the day in camp    the wether is clear and cold with a steady wind    two of the men went to Billings and did not get back until after dark.    Dunn brought back an ox bull to replace one lost at the last camp.

Monday, Nov. 13, 1882 Continued our line up Alkali Creek    put in four miles of line    the wether is still cold and windy

Tuesday, Nov. 14, 1882 Camp No 73    Head of Five Mile Creek    Moved camp today to the head of this creek near the stage ranch    found a large freighting outfit camped here as this is the last water for 25 miles    The horse teams have six and eight horses to each team with two wagons hitched together.    The ox teams have three wagons hitched one behind the other, a large one in front and two smaller ones behind with nine or ten yokes of oxen in each team, with one man to drive with a long whip    each team had 14000 lbs for a load and moved about eight miles a day.    We ran our line up near the summit on this creek and stopped work opposite camp

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 1882 Ran our line over the summit and out into the lakes basin    found the summit to be 3814.    Grade at Billings = 3130    General level of Lake basin 3726

Thursday, Nov. 16, 1882 Ran our line over the summit from Alakli Creek    found the summit then to be 3966 or 152 ft higher than Five Mile Creek summit    Col. Clough came to us on the summit    was very cordial and told me that Gen. Anderson had got something for me to do and wanted me to get this line through as soon as possible    I have abandoned Alkali Creek route on account of heavy work, steep grades and high summit

Friday, Nov. 17, 1882

Camp No 74    Lake Basin    Mooed out onto the basin about twelve miles and camped without water    our line across the Basin will be straight and nearly level

Saturday, Nov. 18, 1882

Camp No 75    Bull Mt. Stage Ranch    Ran our line across the Basin and are camped on the coolee running into Painted Robe on the stage road    I find we can get 19.5 miles of straight line across the basin    we have plenty of wood and water at the camp

Sunday, Nov. 19, 1882

The wether is fine but the night cold    I have spent the day writing letters and doing office work.   Camp No 76    Painted Robe

Monday, Nov. 20, 1882

We struck the head of a coulee that ran into Painted Robe and got down with a 1.4 grade much better than we had antisipated.

Tuesday, Nov. 21, 1882

Ran our line across Painted Robe and across the divide between that stream and Big Coulee    Found indications of coal in the bluffs to the south of our line about ½ mile    the bluffs come down to Painted Robe near where our line crossed it at Sta 2127    the stage road is on the north side of the stream

Wednesday, Nov. 22, 1882

Camp No 77    Musselshell River    Continued our line across Big Coulee and over the summit between that stream and the Musselshell where it snowed so fast we had to quit and it was fortunate we did for on our way to camp we found one of our UZ wagons tipped over    we all took hold and soon righted it up in short order and drove up to the first crossing of the Musselshell above Oldens Ranch where the cook’s tent was already pitched, and as it was near night, every man took hold with a will    the tents were all up and fires going when the cook called for supper.    9 P.M.    Field has been down to Oldens with some letters to mail as that is a P.O.    I have sent one home    he tells me there was an Indian there who called himself a black head and said his tribe was in the hills hunting buffalo.    It is a new tribe to me    I think it must have been a flat head [or a black foot]

Thursday, Nov. 23, 1882

Fine day but rather sharp this morning    we were on the line before daylight and got to work before sunrise    Made four and one half miles on the line crossing the Musselshell twice    I shot five prairie chickens from the top of the trees with my rifle    had them cooked for supper

Friday, Nov. 24, 1882

Got out early this morning and by working until dark finished the survey connecting with our A Line on Careless Creek Sta 3865 A = 2975+38 making our new line about 17 miles shorter than the first, reducing the distance from Billings to Benton to 223.8 miles    About 50 miles from Billings to the Musselshell    When we were about finishing our line, we heard a great many shots fired which sounded not very far from us    I rode up onto a bluff to see what the trouble was    it proved to be a battle between the Flatheads and Piegans    It seems there were 26 lodges of Flatheads camped on the creek above us and it is probable that the Piegans were trying to steal their ponys    The Piegans were driven off with the loss of three killed    the number of wounded could not be ascertained    We had a nice moon light evening to go back to camp in    arrived there at 8 P. M.

Saturday, Nov. 25, 1882

Spent the day doing office work    The snow has nearly all gone and the wether is mild.

Sunday, Nov. 26, 1882

I have got everything ready for a start back to the Yellowstone tomorrow    Have repacked the wagons and every thing made close    one of the oxen (the moose) is lame (footsore, I think) so we shall have to trail one wagon and drive the lame ox and his mate loose    Field has been doing a job of surveying for Olden, did not get through tonight    will finish tomorrow then Olden will bring him to our camp at night.

Monday, Nov. 27, 1882

Camp No 78    Bull Mt. Ranch    We made 14 miles today and reached this place in time to pitch our tents before sunset    Olden brought Field and the men who have been helping him to our camp in time for supper    Olden took supper with us then drove home in the evening.

Tuesday, Nov. 28, 1882

Camp No 79    Head Five Mile Cr.    Got a good start this morning    was a mile on our way before the sun arose and kept steadily moving all day    made 20 miles but did not reach our camping ground until after it began to grow dark but we hurried up our tents and got into them very quickly before the cook called to supper    We were obliged to make this long march on account of water there being none for 20 miles nor any wood to burn.    I fired at a band of antelope and broke ones leg    tried to run him down with the pony    he soon ran the pony out of sight and I had to give up the chase 

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 1882

Camp No 80    Billings    We got into town in good season this afternoon    eight of us were accomodated at Headquarters and we pitched tents for the rest    This I expect closes my field work for the year 1882.

Thursday, Nov. 30, 1882

Thanksgiving Day    I have been unloading our wagons and taking account of stock    Had a very good thanksgiving supper, baked turkey, etc.    Col. Clough came tonight    he has been up to Benson’s Landing, the west end of the Yellowstone Div.    they finish laying track on this Div. today    A telegram from Gen. Anderson to Col. Clough came tonight ordering me to stop here and make an estimate

Friday, Dec. 1, 1882

Finished our plan and profile    handed them over to Col. Clough as well as payroll, inventory, etc.

Saturday, Dec. 2, 1882

We have started our plan to lay our Location by.    _____ is at work on the Small plan and Cooney is making a profile to estimate by.

Sunday, Dec. 3, 1882

The wether is cold and looks like storm    I have written home and a few letters besides    have looked about the town a little and rested what I could

Monday, Dec. 4, 1882

Col. Clough took the early train this morning

Sunday, Dec. 10, 1882

I have spent the week at work in the office laying on a location from Billings to Benton    have got as far as the Judith River    We had a snow storm Tuesday but it is nearly all gone now and the wether is delightful    just cold enough to make the air feel bracing    it thaws almost every day and Friday it rained a little    Col. Clough came back early Friday morning and is here now    two or three hundred Crow Indians passed through the town this week and were about here for two or three days    I bought a knife sheath of them, nicely beaded and filagreed off    gave them a dollar for it    Tried to have them tan a buffalo robe for me but they said, “one night sleep (bowing his head on his hand) go Musselshell-Porcupine    buffalo    come back two moons” (holding up two fingers) meaning that they were only going to stop here one night then were going over to the Musellshell and Big Porcupine to hunt for buffalo and would not be back for two months so they could not tan the skin.    I have been up today to see John Salsbury at Cañon Creek    he and his three brothers have taken up a mile square and have fenced it in    one of the brothers has got married this summer and their father is with them now.    They have quite a nice place    they offered to take my pony and keep him through the winter for two dollars per month    I rode the pony twenty miles today    he is feeling well

Sunday, Dec. 17, 1882

I have spent the week at work in the office    Nearly a foot of snow fell Monday and Tuesday but the wether turned warm and there is only a few inches left    We have had a delightful winter so far with only a few cold days.    Col. Clough started for Minneapolis this morning to spend Christmas    I got a note from him tonight telling me to take my party and run a line to the Bull Mts. coal field, to start immediately

Sunday, Dec. 24, 1882

The night before Christmas and I am on one side of the continent and my family is on the other    rather a hard look for Christmas presents this year.    Mr. French, the man who was to go with us to show where I was to run a line, went east Monday morning and I have been waiting ever since to hear something from him or Col. Clough, but have heard nothing from either since.    Field started home Tuesday morning and the rest of us have been at work on the plan and estimate since    The wether has been fine most of the time

Monday, Dec. 25, 1882

Christmas day and the wether is clear and bright and not very cold    We have had a fine dinner, Roast Turkey, etc.    Last night I heard a number of shots fired off in quick succession and this morning found that a man was killed    this is the second man who has been shot dead since I have been here    There is a graveyard near Alkali Creek where there are nearly forty graves and all but three died with their boots on.    Mr. French has got back and we are to start out tomorrow to look up the route    I don’t feel very well today    have got a bad cold and the old light feeling has returned to my head.   Sort of neuralgia, I think

Sunday, Dec. 31, 1882

I started out with Mr. French and another man.    French and I riding ponys, Ed Donovan took the other man, our beding and provisions.    We camped the first night on Crooked Creek    the next day which was Wednesday we reached the Bull Mts. and camped at the head of Rozer Creek but did not find the mine    French saw Pete Young who told him where the mine was    Thursday morning French and I started for the mine    I rode my pony and French went on foot, he having tired old Rhony out the day before and I decided to send him back by Ed who is to go back to the stage ranch where the boys are camped and tell them to move back to Billings as there was no chance for a line across in that direction    (They having moved out from Billings to the ranch to be ready to start the line when I got back to them)    We climbed to the top of the Bull Mts to get a view, then after wandering a long way we found the coal veins which were from ten to sixteen feet thick and looked very well though it slacked up some when exposed to the wether and showed traces of sulphur.    We then hunted for Youngs shack as we were getting hungry having a light supper the night before and one small piece of bread for breakfast.    We found it after hunting a while.    They gave us some dinner and at night we spread our blanket on the dirt floor getting a good nights rest.    We were intending to start back Friday but in the morning it snowed hard and our horses could not be found until afternoon, mine having strayed off with Youngs, so we concluded to stay until Saturday when we took an early start    the wether was cold and we had a fifty mile ride which took us until after dark.    This morning the thermometer showed 24° below zero.    I think of starting for Minneapolis tomorrow to consult with Col. Clough about this survey.    Found a number of letters waiting for me amongst which was a letter from Hal, printed but full of news and hinting that Christmas was near and he had lost faith in Santa Claus but wanted a new sled and his Aunt Em advised him to write to his father

Sunday, Jan. 7, 1883

Started for St. Paul Monday morning the first day of the year and rode all day and night without much sleep so that I did not have a very happy new year for besides the jostling about all day and night I had a terrible cold and it seemed to grow worse on the way.    Saw the steel bridge at Bismark across the Missouri which was not finished when I went up    it is a splendid structure.    Took breakfast at Mandan which town has grown very fast this summer.    This wether seems to grow colder as we come east though the thermometer does not indicate it, but the wind blows more in Dacotah    at Valley City the snow blew so that could only see a short distance and looked dreary enough.    The towns all along the line have changed wonderfully since spring    Jamestown & Fargo have got to be quite smart towns and wear the appearances of Citys.    I reached Brainard about 2 A.M. Wednesday morning feeling about sick    found the Headquarters Hotel had been burned up about six weeks ago which made it look strange about the depot.    I found a Mr. C. N. Hite there waiting for lodgers to take to his hotel so I went with him    Went to bed and got a nap before breakfast but when I got up and tried to dress I was so faint I had to lay down again, but that did not scare me for I have always been troubled with faintness if anything ailed me    I could not eat any breakfast or much dinner    I concluded to lay over until tomorrow

Friday morning I felt a little better though was faint at first when I got up and had to lay down for a while    I concluded to go down to Minneapolis and see Col. Clough so took the afternoon train     reached St. Paul before dark and put up at the St. James Hotel where I fared very well though the bed was none of the cleanest.

Saturday morning took the Manitoba train for Minneapolis    found Col. Clough’s place which is No. 1302 Linden Avenue    leave the Henipen Ave Street Cars at the last turn in there track going west and only a few blocks from the end of their track.    Col. Clough was not at home so waited until evening.    Had quite a pleasant chat with him and his family then bid him goodbye    he wishing to see me there when the golden spike was driven and gave me a letter to Gen. Anderson.    I put up at the Nicolet House    was interviewed soon after registering my name by young Dr. Swett from Brownfield, Maine, who had seen my name on the register and having been well acquainted with my brother Rob, came and introduced himself.    I spent an hour taking with him then got into the elevator and went up to bed.

Saturday morning    I took the train for St. Paul    found Gen. Anderson in his office    he is very gruff and full of business    he talked with me for awhile, then told me I might go to Brainard and he would send for the rest of my party    I am to go to Wisconsin to finish the location there.    I went to the P.O. and sent Genie home two $50 money orders, straightened up my account at the banks    found after drawing out $150 from the First National I had $665 six hundred and sixty five dollars then left and $150 in the Merchant National making $815 in all deposited at St. Paul which with money on hand and Dec pay still due will leave me ($1100) eleven hundred dollars still remaining for my summers work.    I got on board the 8:15 P. M. train for Brainard and reached there past 2 A.M.    slept in the room opposite Headquarters in the Brick Block then came down to Hites to breakfast where I am now

Sunday, Jan. 14, 1883

I have been in Brainard the most of the week    started for Superior at 3 A.M. Saturday morning.    The party came down from Montana Friday night, all except Cooney who went home and has not got back.    The thermometer has been down as low as 38° below zero for the past 3 days.    Fields tells me that they had a Chinook wind on the Yellowstone which carried the snow all off and the thermometer stood 40 degrees above zero.    We arrived here in Superior at 11 A.M. Saturday.    I have been around with Mr. Holbrook to see about everything to start with.    I find there are no packers or axmen to be had here and Vaughn telegraphs from Ashland that he cannot furnish any.    I have engaged a team and am going to start for Ashland tomorrow morning    it will take three days to go and as many to come back, but I see no other way to get along.    The lake is open outside the bar which makes the air damp and terrible cold    Much harder to bear at 8° below than 20° below on the Yellowstone.

Friday, January 26, 1883

I started from Ashland to Superior Monday the 15^th    had a Frenchman by the name of Alex Turville to take me across the country with his team which consisted of two horses and a box sled    the thermometer at 38° below zero and the air being damp from the open water in Lake Superior made it bite terribly.    The team proved to be rather slow and we only made 28 miles the first day to the Brule River where we camped in a deserted stage ranch. 

Tuesday [Jan 16] we made about 20 miles having to break our own road and cut out many fallen trees.    The snow we found about two feet and too light to make good snow shoeing though I traveled on them most of the day.    camped at night in a deserted Indian tepee

Wednesday [Jan 17] we made a long move travelling until 11 P.M. but were obliged to make camp before reaching Ashland in a tie camp about 7 miles out. 

Thursday [Jan 18] we got into Ashland about 9 A.M.    took dinner at Davis and then went down on the Lake Shore to see Tom Kendicken    found him logging on the shore    four men choping and loading for one pair of ponys to draw on a traverz or cnotch    Tom could not go with me as he had taken a job at loging    Went back to Ashland and stopped with Mrs. Davis.

Friday [Jan 19] we went to Odana and finding the men all in the woods I sent Turville into camp with a letter for Horace Greely with Tom Scot to show him the way and while he was gone I went out to find Adam Scot    went to his house and his wife pointed over to another shanty    I went there and heard a drumming and chanting going on within and thinking perhaps they did not want me in there I motioned to her to come and call him    she came and called Adam out.    He was dressed up in all of his finery with a big headdress of feathers and Sam Stoddard had a copper plate frock on with spangles all over it and big silver ear jewels in his ears    I called him big Chief which seemed to please him and while we were talking a Potawotamy Indian came out with his paint on    it seemed that a party of that tribe was visiting the Chipewas and were about to take their departure    this was the ceremony before departing a dance or chant or something of the sort    Adam and Sam thought they would go with me but did not know certain.

Saturday [Jan 20] at 11 A.M. the team came back bringing Horace with them    he could not make up his mind whether to go or not but would let me know in the afternoon and when night came they all decided not to go back with me.    Horace made me a present of a nice pair of moccasins.

We stayed at Walker’s overnight and Sunday [Jan 21] morning started for Superior.    Took dinner at Ashland and stopped at Bagles camp on Fish Creek overnight

Monday [Jan 22] morning we got a good start with the thermometer 40° below zero    I was obliged to run a good part of the way to keep from freezing    we got back and stopped at the Indian tepee over night

Tuesday [Jan 23] we came to the Brule    found a wolf hunter staying at the old hut    I went to work with him and got up the nights wood and we all stopped in the hut together

Wednesday [Jan 24] morning    we started again    took dinner at a little hut near Poplar River where a man was making a homestead claim but was not at home but men estimating land were stoping there and we got some baked beans which tasted good after eating cold grub for so long    I reached Superior at 7 P.M. and before I went to bed had raised a crew of packers.

Thursday [Jan 25] morning we got everything ready to start but before getting underweigh our packers struck for higher wages, but I told them to go    so with the balance of my men I started out    camped at Bear Creek about 4 miles from Superior which is Camp No. 1 in Wisconsin

[Jan 26]  This morning my men started out on the line and I stayed in camp to do some writing    they did not make great headway all being green at the business of snowshoeing    only making about 4000 ft.

Saturday, Jan. 27, 1883

I started out on the line with the men this morning    we traveled some 3 miles to get on the works then made two miles on the line and walked back into camp at night.    At 9 P.M. my last packer came into my tent and wanted his time    said it was too cold and rough for him.

Sunday, Jan. 28, 1883

I have spent most of the day adjusting the line and writing letters   My Ax men came back from town tonight bringing three packers with them.    Thermometer 9° above zero    2 ft. snow.

Monday, Jan. 29, 1883

Camp No. 2 Aminicon River    The boys got a good start on the line this morning and Turvelle’s team came to move us at eight A.M.    We loaded everything on and started out for the road.    When we crossed the Omaha, Holmes (my cook who is a grandson of Ezekel Holmes of the Maine Farmer) and I took the track while the rest of the men followed the team    I got to the Aminicon some time before the team came as they found a very poor road.    We decided to camp near the road as there was no road down the river.    I took a bite of lunch then went down the river to meet the boys    They had crossed the river and were coming back.    I found a wolf trap in the trail and several pieces of poisoned meat.    The gray wolf is very plenty here and are hunting the deer.

Tuesday, Jan. 30, 1883

We woke up this morning and found it snowing very fast and it has kept steadily at it all day.    I have sent in the team with letters and payroll    it is rather dismal in our little tents, with the snow coming down and melting from the heat of the stove    the water runs through in a great many places    the tents are old and poor and I think are some that I condemned when I ran this line before    Howard Martz is feeling poorly today but has taken some pills and I am in hopes he will be better in the morning.

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1883

Howard is better this morning but I did not think it best for him to go out on the line today so Ridgeway took his place.    Our team came back from Superior tonight bringing supplies and mail but no letter from home.

Thursday, Feb. 1, 1883

Camp 3    Middle River    we moved camp today to Middle River and as our team could not take the load all at once I stayed until they had made one trip    had a pretty cold time of it but managed to keep comfortable most of the time.

Friday, Feb. 2, 1883

My party are pushing along on the line today and this afternoon I took Lewy R. Jenny and went down the road to split out some white oak slabs and while at work seven men came along    said they had come out to work as packers    I told them to go to camp and sent Lewy to help them put up a tent which they ____ to get into but acted pretty green.    Sent the team to the summit with a load of provisions to cache

Saturday, Feb. 3, 1883

Camp No. 4    Poplar River    My new packers slept cold last night and this morning when I went to set them at work their spokesman demanded wall tents to sleep in.    I told them that they could not have them, so they all packed up their bundles and started out for Superior.    My head packer told me that they had got some of the pack straps.    I followed them and laid it out to them, but they denied having them    after awhile however two of them came back and said they took the straps by mistake and had concluded to come back and work.    Turvelle stopped at the cabin on Poplar River and did not get down until 9 A.M.    he loaded the bagage all on and tipped over before going 100 ft.    I told him then to make two loads and I would stop until the last load.    he came back about noon and after visiting the boys on the line I reached the cabin on Poplar which I found occupied by our cook.    He cooked me a big steak and then I went up the river to meet the boys.

Sunday,  Feb. 4, 1883

Turvelle and Lewy have gone in to Superior today    I took a walk this forenoon    went up the river above our line and found a deer yard    tried to get a shot with my revolver but could not get in sight of them    came back to dinner and have been in camp ever since.

Sunday, Feb. 11, 1883

This has been a cold week and we have not made great progress    we made a change in our line of about one mile to lighten the grade and have moved the last time we can with our team    shall make our first move tomorrow with packers    hope they are all right but don’t feel the confidence in them I did in my old crew.    This is Camp No. 5 and is in Sect 1.T.47.N. Range 11. West

Monday, Feb. 12, 1883

Camp No 6  T. 47. N. R. 10.W. S. 9    We made our first move today with packers and did very well, got the camp set up in good season but did not go quite far enough to strike water

Tuesday, Feb. 13, 1883

Camp No. 7    Brule River    We made another move today and got into camp all right but did not get all our provisions up.    The transit party went about 1 ½ miles east of the river so I went two miles ahead of them to see about making a change in the line so as to lighten the grade    took one man with me and about tired him out though he did not go ahead more than one half the time.    Got back to camp about sunset

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 1883

Did not move camp today but the packers went back and brought up the provisions left behind    my transit party started in on the curve connecting the old line with the change but did not have good luck and worked all day on the curve

Thursday, Feb. 15, 1883   

Camp No 8    T.47.R.10.S.13    moved camp about 1 ½ miles today and camped on a little stream at SW 2675    I went ahead with the axmen to help them along on the line, when I got back to camp I found my head packer sitting in my tent feeling blue    he and the cook had had a falling out and he thought he must quit    I cheered him up and sent him out to work again

Friday, Feb. 16, 1883

Helped the men on the line again today but did not move camp    Sent Ed Rubyour to Superior with mail today

Saturday, Feb. 17, 1883

Camp No. 9 T.47. R. 9. S. 8.    Got moved over the summit and near one of the branches of Iron River    I believe we are now on the last half of our journey

Sunday, Feb. 18, 1883

Have been travelling all day looking for vacant land    Cooney went back and met two land hunters on our trail behind    the snow is still light and deep making it hard snowshoeing

Monday, Feb. 19, 1883

Pushed our line ahead but did not move camp    The packers took all the spare stuff and cleared off the snow for the tents near a small lake on Sec. 11. T. 48. R. 9. W. where I have camped twice before.    I went out this forenoon to look for timber and while I was gone the cook picked a quarrel with the head packer so tonight the head packer wanted to leave but I persuaded him to stop awhile longer.    Cooney got in late and the cook quarreled with him.    I begin to think he will prove to be a worthless fellow but am in hopes to get along with him as the trip is short and will only last a few weeks.

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 1883

Camp No. 10    T.47.N.R. 9.W. Sec. 11.    We are camped on the hill  on the north shore of the small lake where we had such a pleasant camping ground in the summer of ’81    Will Straw was with us then and Carr was my transit man who is now dead.    I talked to my cook today and he has promised to do better    we have no fir bows here and have to use jack pine which is rather course    The wether is still cold and dry    the snow shoeing has not improved much.    Ed Rubyour came back to us tonight bringing mail etc.

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 1883

Camp No 11.    T.47.N. R.8 W. Sec.9    We are camped on the line near the small lake where I camped in the summer of ’81 after intersecting Holbrooks line and sending John Default in to Superior for orders    The wether is still cold and clear

Thursday, Feb. 22, 1883

Camp No 12    T.47.N. R.8.W. Sec 12    The boys have been out to Pike Lake Road    we are looking for a load of supplies to come from Superior and find they have not got along yet.

Friday, Feb. 23, 1883

The transit party went nearly three miles with their line and the packers went ahead about two miles to shovel out and find a place to camp.    It is already tonight and looks like storms

Saturday, Feb. 24, 1883

My packers are out of sorts this morning and have concluded to leave me unless I turned my cook off and they also intimated that they did not want to move today.    I told them that I should move when I thought best and should not consult them     six of them packed up and left leaving us short-handed.    It has snowed steadily all day.

Sunday, Feb. 25, 1883

I started Lewis Petitte for Ashland early this morning after packers and provisions and spent the day myself looking up land    the wether is cold and windy, no news yet from the supplies sent from Superior         

Monday, Feb. 26, 1883

Camp No 13    T.47. R. 7. S. 18    It is beginning to look rather serious as the last of our flour and grub will be gone tomorrow morning and the men are beginning to feel as though they stand a chance of starving    No news yet from Superior.

Tuesday, Feb. 27, 1883

I started out the boys to hunt for grub this morning    most of the boys started for Pike Lake fishing    I took Coony, Rubyour & Skye with me and started for Muschell Buskee’s on Spider Lake    when we got about five miles from camp we struck a trail that went towards Pike Lake and supposing that Buskee had gone fishing we followed it for two miles but it crossed Pike Lake and still kept on so I sent Coony & Skye back to Spider Lake while Rubyour & I kept on until we struck the open meadows on the head of White River then we gave it up and turned back    we reached camp just before dark    found the fishermen had all got in without any fish not being able to find Pike Lake but fishing awhile on Horseshoe Lake without any success.    A little after dark Coony & Skye came into camp with a deer and twenty pounds of flour which makes the men look cheerful again.    The deer was one that Muschell Buskee had killed to sell and the flour was borrowed from a Mrs. John Morrison living near Buskee’s place and being a niece of his.

Wednesday, Feb. 28, 1883

I awoke before daylight this morning and I heard a faint hulloo in the distance    I went to the tent door and answered it and soon heard it again nearer this time quite plainly    I answered again and soon young Turville came into camp with the mail    it seems that he and his father started for our line one week ago today and leaving the supplies at Iron River and the Buskees Road had spent the rest of the time trying to find us and finally went back to the 22^nd Mile Post and from there followed our line until he found us.    I made out the payrolls to send back by him and all the men I had to spare went back to get the provisions across on to the trail and bring forward what they could.    After noon Jerry Perault came into camp with another batch of mail and to bring word from Superior where the supplies were as my renegade packers had got in and carried word that Turville had not reached us.    The wether has turned warm and it is thawing fast.

Thursday, Mar. 1, 1883

Jerry Perault started for Superior this morning with the mail    We have looked anxiously all day for Lewis Pelette from Ashland but he did not come.    This afternoon Sam Stodard and three other Indians came to our camp from Superior    they are going to stop overnight with us.    Sam said he met Jerry Perault about eight miles away and he guessed that little Frenchman pretty tired    he go slow like old ox    I knew the reason however for Jerry told in camp that Holbrook gave him five days to make the trip and so he was going to wear out the ____  going in.    My men have not got back tonight.    I fear they must have had a hard time in finding the provisions.

Friday, Mar. 2, 1883

My men had not come back this morning and our provisions being all gone again I concluded to start with the balance of my party to see if we could find them but as no one was willing to stay in camp I stayed and let the rest go    but the party met Lewis Petitte with two Indians and a white boy coming in with a little flour, sugar and hams so the cook came back with them and in about two hours the first party I sent out after Turville’s load came back and all the other men with them except Field & Ridgway.    It seems that Turville did not direct them right and they wandered all day Wednesday without finding the grub and camped at night without any thing to eat, tired and hungry and to make it seem worse they could see a big hedge hog (or gog as the Indians call them) on a pine near them and had no way of getting him down but every man would have gladly eaten a piece of him if they could have got at him but all had to lay down hungry and get some rest for the struggle in the morning and as soon as daylight Thursday morning they got on their snow shoes and started.    nobody feeling like saying a word, all being tired, hungry and discouraged.    They traveled in this way for about three hours then threw themselves down in the snow to rest and began to consult about turning back as it looked dark to them ahead, but there was nothing for them to turn back to except starvation, so one of the party started on and had only gone a few hundred feet when he came into the Bayfield Road and his glad shouts soon brought the others to him and now they were all courage again for they knew the grub was on this road and not far off    so they hurried on and soon found it and the way they put the food inside of them was not slow, but they could not get back to camp that night, so each man took a pack and came back part way, camping where they did the night before making the home camp this morning.    This afternoon Field & Ridgeway being still out with nothing to eat I started after them with some bread and butter, which Lewis Petitte brought in.    I found them about six miles away tired and hungry, but after eating their lunch we all started for camp and reached it in good season, and tonight my party is all together again and the wolf of famine is driven from the door.    Sam Stoddard went away from our camp this morning and one of the Indians who came with Lewis Petitte started with them    the other two concluded to stop and help us

Saturday, March 3, 1883

I sent my packers after the balance of the provisions and as they could not quite make it in one day and tomorrow is Sunday I offered them two days pay if they would bring it in so we could move camp Monday which they agreed to.    My transit party started on the line and Cooney went over to Spider Lake to return the borrowed flour    Muschell Buskee was at home and said he wanted ten cents per pound for his deer which would bring it to $12.20    that I might leave the money with a trader by the name of Brown in Ashland.

Sunday, March 4, 1883

We have spent the day in camp reading and writing.    W. J. Dunn, one of my chainmen, concluded to leave us tomorrow as he and Field had some trouble    he starts in tomorrow morning.    The men are feeling discontented    they are having such a hard time and poor fare

Monday, March 5, 1883

Camp No. 14   T.47. R.7. S. 21    We moved camp nearly three miles    I made a trade with the ax men to help pack and gave them a little extra time so that all taking hold we get along quite comfortably though we are short of packers.    Our dog train proves to be a success as the boy and dog packs more than anyone man

Tuesday, March 6, 1883

The boys packed ahead today about four miles so that we are ready to make another long move tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 7, 1883

Camp No 15    T.47. R.7. S. 24.    We moved camp three miles and one fourth today and did it easily with all hands taking hold with a will.    We have now struck the head of Fish Creek and seem to be almost in town.    The men seem cheerful and contented again now we have got in motion once more and plenty to eat.

Thursday,  March 8, 1883

We pushed the line ahead about three miles today and I went one mile beyond to look the ground over for a change of line.    Sam Stoddard, Geo. Martin and two other Indians came to us to work as packers

Friday, March 9, 1883

Camp No 16    T.47.N. R.6.W. S.21    The party went out to work on the line today and the packers moved camp as we have a full crew again.    Storming all day but we worked till night.

Saturday, March 10, 1883

Six packers went into town today    are to come out Monday    We worked on the changes of the line today.

Sunday, March 11, 1883

Spent most of my time in camp today writing and reading.    The wether is fine and beginning to look like spring.    Ben Judd came back from Ashland and his cousin P. G. Cook my old Rodman    came back with him to make us a call. 

Monday, March 12, 1883

Worked on a long 2° curve today and did not finish    everything seemed to go wrong

Tuesday, Mar. 13, 1883

The curve did not come out all right again and the transitman ran it over again and found out where his mistake was    this occupied nearly all day    My choppers are not worth their salt and I feel anxious to get through for I have got about the poorest crew take it all through that I ever had.

Wednesday, Mar. 14, 1883

Camp No 17    T.47.N. R.6.W. S.9    Moved camp today and made a pretty fair run after finishing the curve

Thursday, Mar. 15, 1883

It begins to look like spring wether freezing nights and thawing daytimes    we went down below today to run a line backward to intersect with them    I am about discouraged with my party    The axmen are good for nothing and the chainmen are very slow    we worked all day on less than one mile.

Friday, Mar. 16, 1883

I called on my head packer to furnish me with two axmen today which he did and they proved to be good ones.    Coburn did not go out with us as he complained of a lame foot but we did not miss him but rather felt relieved to get rid of his talk.    We made a good run and brought the two lines nearly to an intersection.

Saturday, Mar. 17, 1883

Finished our change of line today making a connection with the old line east of Pine River    the wether has been warm    the snow has thawed fast making it hard snow shoeing

Sunday, Mar. 18, 1883

Turned cold last night and seems quite winterish    one of my packers came into my tent this morning and said he wanted to go hunting but he had no gun so I loaned him my revolver and he started off    Two of my packers went into town yesterday    I look for them back tonight

Monday, Mar. 19, 1883

Moved camp today to Sec 7    T.47. N. R.5.W.    Camp No 18    I went on ahead two miles beyond our camp to look at the country for the next change of the line.    Got back to camp about supper time.

Tuesday, Mar. 20, 1883

Began the change today    tonight found that it was all right

Wednesday, Mar. 21, 1883

Camp No 19    Sec 4    T.47.R.5    Moved camp today and tonight we’re nearly a mile ahead of it with the line

Thursday, Mar. 22, 1883

Camp No 20    T.47.R.5.S.3    Camped tonight on the east side of Fish Creek and finished the last change except one in town

Friday, Mar. 23, 1883

Ashland    T.47.5.S.5.    Camped just out of town tonight and ran our line up to within a ½  mile of Camp.

Sunday, Mar. 25, 1883

Made our connection with the Omaha & Wisconsin Central RR yesterday and this morning my packers & axmen started back to Superior and I was very glad to get rid of them.

Monday, Mar. 26, 1883

Bayfield    Came up here in the stage this morning and have made quite an extensive land purchase for me    have bought 400 acres of timber land beside preempting 160 acres more

Tuesday, Mar. 27, 1883

Came back to camp tonight    found everything going on as usual.

Friday, Mar. 30, 1883

Ran another line yesterday and today for an independent line running through Fourth Street 16 ft. South of the other roads that is the Omaha & Wisconsin Central    Got a letter from Holbrook today telling me to report to Superior when my survey was ended    shall probably start Monday

Saturday, Mar. 31, 1883

Broke up camp today    Discharged all my men except Transitman, Leveler, Rodman, and Chainmen    packed  away our camp equipment and went to the Colby House to supper intending to start for Superior Monday morning but got a telegram this evening from Holbrook telling me to stop where I was    there was a letter on the way with orders.

Sunday, Apr. 1, 1883

Spent the day in the house writing letters and getting my pay rolls and other monthly returns ready to send off tomorrow

Monday, Apr. 2, 1883

Got another telegram to go to work on plans and profile and send them as soon as possible    Went to work on them in Mr. Vaughn’s office until I could find one of our own.

Tuesday, Apr. 3, 1883

Have been at work all day on a plan of Ashland and have not yet got it finished

Wednesday, Apr. 4, 1883

Finished our plan of Ashland today and sent it to Superior by Express    Hired an office and moved into it today    am to pay $10. per month.    Bowen moved us in and furnished stove, furniture and wood.

Thursday, Apr. 5, 1883

Fine spring wether    Been at work in the office all day.

Friday, Apr. 6, 1883

Finished a tracing of the first 20 miles of our line and a profile of the whole    sent them to Superior by Express.

Saturday, Apr. 7, 1883

Started a plan of the balance of the line and set Cooney at work finishing up the working profile.

Sunday, Apr. 15, 1883

The past week has a very busy one for our party.    Monday we worked on a plan of balance of line to Ashland and in the afternoon received a telegram from Holbrook saying that Mr. Mitchell would be in Ashland tomorrow to see me.    I answered that I would be there to see Mr. Mitchell.    We worked in the office until supper time and I set off for the train in the evening.    Mr. Mitchell came about 10 P.M.    acted as thought he was a little surprised to find me waiting for him but I explained to him that I had received a notice of his coming

Tuesday, Apr. 17, 1883

We had a regular blizzard    the air was full of snow all day and came with a strong wind.    I went out with Mr. Mitchell to show him around the place so that he could get an idea of position of the different roads in town and the land and their rights then owned or occupied    we spent the most of the day traveling about in the storm until he got tired out    then I finished the day in the office after making  Lieut-Gov Fifield a visit and getting his ideas of what the people of Ashland proposed to do for the N. P.R.R. in shape of Depot Grounds and right of way.    He assured us that the people were very friendly and intended to deal generously with us in that matter.

Wednesday, Apr. 18, 1883

This morning it had cleared off leaving about two feet of snow on the ground    pretty good for one fall as late as the 10^th of April.    Mr. Mitchell and I took another walk this forenoon down on to the Wisconsin Central docks and old depot grounds to see how they were situated.    In the afternoon the President and other officials of the Central came to meet Mr. Mitchell.    They hitched up a team and drove over town looking at different positions of roads and making some arrangements in view of friendly business relations between the two roads.    This afternoon Mr. Mitchell concluded that he wanted a plan made showing depot grounds as he would ask the people of Ashland to give them to us.    The boys worked until late at night on it.

Thursday, Apr. 19, 1883

This morning at 10 A.M. Mr. Mitchell and I went to meet the people of Ashland together with Mr. Kannon the Attorney for the Central    had a full meeting of the business men of the place who gave us about every thing we asked for in the shape of Depot Grounds & right-of-way and in the afternoon I settled up all my bills and got ready to start for Superior on the morrow.    Mr. Mitchell telegraphing to Merritt of St. Paul to have passes for me and my men with the ticket agent at St. Paul Depot.

Friday, Apr. 20, 1883

morning we started on the Central    went via Chippewa Falls & Eau Claire but did not reach St. Paul in time to connect with the train from Brainerd so went to the Merchants Hotel to stop over night.

Saturday, Apr. 21, 1883

Went to the Depot this morning to get the passes so as to be ready for a start and found that no passes had been left for me there.    I then went back to find Mr. Mitchell but he was not up so had to go back to the depot and wait    Mr. M. came down just before the train started but could make no arrangements for us to start so had to await the evening train.    Went to the First National Bank and drew out what was due me there, then went to A. J. Merritt’s office and found my passes were left at the ticket agents on Jackson St.    Went there and got them, then spent the rest of the day looking about the city.    At 8:10 A.M. we started    saw Mr. Mitchell on the platform who seemed very pleasant    told me I should probably go back to Ashland to get that part ready for grading    road all night in the car and found when I got here at the N. P. Junction that there was no train to Superior Sundays so here we are awaiting the trains tomorrow.    The wether has turned cold and looks more like Dec. than April.

Monday, Apr. 23, 1883

We took the train for Superior at 7:30 today and arrived in Superior about 10 A.M.    carried our bagage into the N. P. Store House then went to the office in the Court House where I found Mr. Holbrook.    He immediately took me out one side for a talk.    It seems that he is not on very good terms with the head of the department and they don’t pay much attention to him so he don’t seem to know how things are going on.    I spent the rest of the day in the office making a tracing of Ashland for John H. Knight of Ashland to see about the land damages for their Depot Grounds.

Tuesday, Apr. 24, 1883

I worked on the same tracing finishing at night.

Wednesday, Apr. 25, 1883

I worked calculating quantities on the first 20 miles out of Superior    finished that job Thursday night and Friday went to work on a profile of the Ashland end which lasted me until Saturday night.    The wether turned cold and windy Friday    the waves rolling up in the lake so that the spray dashes nearly to the top of the light house on Wisconsin Point and today it still continues blowing hard as ever    a man can hardly walk against it    I am staying at the Kurkendall House and pay my board every night as they garnished me when I was here before

Sunday, Apr. 29, 1883

Ashland, Wis.    I started from Superior Thursday by the way of the Omaha line    changed cars at Superior Junction where I ate dinner then went to Cable .and stopped overnight    Friday morning I took the train to the 25^th mile where I got dinner then footed it in to Ashland 18 miles    reach town at 6 P.M. and took my old quarters at the Colby House.    Field came in after grub today    he starts back tomorrow    he is running check levels from Superior

Saturday, May 5, 1883

I am 43 years old today and don’t feel very old either, only when I think of my children almost grown up a way down in Maine and see the grey hairs sprinkled over my head then I can see that I am not as young as I used to be.    I have hired a room in Mr. Garnishes house next door to the big Chequamegon Hotel for which I pay $10 per month and get my board for $6, per week at the Colby House    am very comfortably situated.    The ice is still in the bay but is so broken that tugs press their way through it from here to Bayfield every day    it started out of the bay Monday but an easterly wind blew it back the same night and it is slowly melting away in the bay.    The first boat came in from Bayfield March 1, which is late for navigation to open here they tell me.    Ridgeway came Tuesday night and I sent him to camp Wednesday.    Cummings was in here yesterday and said he had got the principal camp finished and should go today out on the line to build the other.    Have not heard from Field since he went back

[Although Daniel Straw Hastings continued in the employ of the Northern Pacific Railway through most of 1883, his detailed journal entries end here. No reason for their termination has yet been discovered in the family archives. – Ed.]

Accounts

Account of clothing packed in my trunk

Bosomed shirts                        7

Ginham      “                           3

New Flannel                            3

Old        “                                4

Drawers                                   3

White under Shirt                   1

Blue Seamed under shirts       2

Night Shirts                             2

Stockings                                9 pr

Silk Handkerchief                   1

Linen      “                               9

Worsted Slippers                     1 pr

Towels                                     6

Mittens                                    2 pr

Account of Expenses on account of the Northern Pacific

1^st telegram from Bethel to Brainard, Minn.  2.14

2^nd                                                                   1.65

3^rd                                                                    2.00

4^th                                                                    2.00

5^th        .50 on telegram to me                         2.20

6^th                                  to me                           .20

RR Tickets to Chicago                                  18.00

Ex at Montreal                                                            1.50

“    “  Chicago                                                 2.50

“    “  Milwaukee                                             1.00

Sleeping car Bethel to Chicago                      5.50

Ticket Chicago to Milwaukee                         2.75

Sleeping car from        “                                  1.50

Ex at Philips                                                    2.00

“    “  Ashland                                                 2.00

                                                                     _______

                                                                      47.94

1881          N.P.R.R.                     Dr

May 19            To postage                                          .03

May 16            “  Cash paid D. P. Weeks for

                                    Mending Level leg                  .75

                         “  Cash paid W. G. Walker            10.00

                         “  Cash paid Adam Scot (deducted)

                                    In May) in April                    5.00

                         “  Supper, Lodging & Breakfast for

                                    G. Martin and T. Kindicken

   “     “                         at Ashland                             1.50

                        Telegram (deducted in May) from

                                    Case                                      1.05

May 23            To postage                                          .03

June 5              Postage                                                .06

                        Tom Cloud Ex to Ashland                  .50

   “    9             Tom Kindicken to Asland for

                                    supplies                                 1.75

   “   25            Expenses of packers to Ashland       7.00

   “   30            Horace Greelys Ex to Asland to

                                    hire packers                             .50

July                  Postage                                                .09

                        Expenses of packers to Ashland

                                    & Batfield

Aug. 15           George Martins Ex to Ashland         1.00

   “    24           George Messenger Ex to Ashland    1.25

   “    28           George Martins Ex to Ashland         1.00

                        Postage                                                .15

                                                                                  3.40

Memo:       Arty Bartlett, Forest Bartlett and J. H. or Cap Bartlett are in Glendale, Montana

                  West Hammons, Anoka, Minn.

                  Dr. Os. Twitchell, Madison, Wis.

                  Ollin Sanders, East Granite Falls, Minn.

                  Fuller Ellenwood

Samuel Hunt, Evansville, Wis.

Timothy Chapman, Milwaukee

Reuben N. Stowell, Monticello, Minn.

Al Parker                          “              “

George F. Foster, Portland, Maine

                        W. O. Straw                            Dr

To pullman Island Pond to Montreal                          1.00

            Montreal to Detroit                                         5.50

            Hack at Montreal                                              .10

By Lager beer                                                 Cr          .30

            tea                                                                     .10

            telegram                                                          1.70

            paying Godards bill                                        1.00

To Cash                                                           Dr

            for Tickets to Mill                                           2.75

By two Wool Blankets                                    Cr        9.00

            one rubber blanket                                          1.50

            one pr Rubber Boots                                       3.25

To two lunches                                                Dr          .50

By sleeping car                                               Cr        1.50

            Beer                                                                   .40

            Bill at Philips                                                  2.00    

Expenses in May 1883

May 18         One brush for letter  book                      $ 0 .50

   “                Express Bill                                               1 .00

   “   23              “         “                                                 3 .75

   “   30         Ed McGerr work on line                           1 .00

June  2         Ex package                                                   .25

   “    “          Room rent for May                                10 .00

   “    “          Board for May                                       24 .00

   “    “          Postage                                                         .96

                                                                                    ______

Total                                                                            41 .46

June  5         Rent for Store House                                2 .50

June   6         Postage Stamps                                         1 .00

   “    “         Express  Paid                                               .95

   “     7               “         “                                                   .25

   “    “         Cashing two Checks Postage                       .40

   “    14        Trackage                                                       .75

   “    13        Two drawing Tables                                 8 .00

   “    21        Express Bill                                                  .60

   “    “              “         “                                                 1 .10

   “    22             “         “                                                    .50

Total                                                                            16  .22

            June  18        Express Bill                                              2  .65

               “    25              “        “                                                    .50

__________________________________________________________________________________    July   3          Express Bill                                                                 .75

               “      4             “         “                                                1  .35

               “    18        3 Maps of Ashland                                  4  .50

               “    “         Small Table                                               1 .50

               “                Postage                                                      1 .60

               “    “         1 Bottle of mucilage                                     .15

               “                Saddle horse to ride over the work           1 .50

            Total                                                                              14.61

            Board for July

Aug   1 – 1883         Paid Moses White                                  $ 5 .00   $ 2 .00

                                 Paid Peter Cloud                                       5 .00

Sept   8 – 83             Advanced pay Birkume                         $ 2 .00

                                 John Twobird

                                 Antoine Denermy paddocks bill               5 .00

Aug   8  – 1883         Fare Ashland to Ashland Jct & return         .35

   “     8                     Ex Charges on roll profile paper St. Paul

                                 to Ashland                                                    .80

Aug   10                   Cash paid for Bean Pot for Camp

                                 Sta 3900                                                 $0  .50            

  “      15                   Fare to Ashland Jct & return                       .35

  “      20                      “            “         “          “                            .35

  “       “                     Ex Charges on 2 doz. Note books

                                 St. Paul to Ashland                                      .95

  “      21                   Fare to Ashland Jct * return                         .35

  “      22                   Repairs on Level                                       1 .00

  “       “                     Night watchman to protect the

                                  buildings from five                                  1 .00

  “      24                   Fare to Ashland Junction & return              .35

  “      25                   Sampson & Carrington for platting

                                 Omaha line on map                                   5 .00

  “      27                   Ex Charge 1 Pass Ashland to Superior        .25

  “      28                   Ex Charge St Paul to Ashland                     .65

  “      28                   Ashland Jct & return                                    .35

  “      29                   Board in Aug                                         26  .57

                                 Postage                                                      1 .80

__________________________________________________________________________________            Total                40                                                           .62

Sept.    1                   To Truckage                                                 2.00

   “       2                   Telegram from Superior                               .15

   “       8                   Frow for splitting shingles                           1.50

   “       10                 Fare to Ashland Jct. & Return                      .35

   “       11                 Ex Charges on package Ashland to

                                   Superior                                                       .25

   “       “                   Carrying packages between

                                   Ashland & Duluth on Manistee                 5.00

   “       “                   ½ Doz. chairs for office                               7.50

   “       13                 Fare to Ashland Jct. & Return                      .35

­­­­______                                                                                    _______

Total                                                                                              17.10

Sept.    19                 Fare Ashland Jct & Return                           .35                       

   “       17                 Ex Package from St. Paul                            2.20

   “       24                 Fare Ashland Junction & Return                  .35

   “       26                    “        “                              “                        .35

   “       30                 Board for September                                 25.71

Oct.     1                   Fare Ashland to Switch 31 RR                   1.00

   “       2                   Delivering telegram                                      .10

                                 Postage                                                        1.65

______                                                                                    ______

                                                                                                 $31.72

Oct. 1  – 83   Due from H. H. Ripley for blankets bought

                     of Robert Bunker                                                  $7.00

                                 October Expence Acct

Oct.     3                   Ex. package to Superior                                .25

   “       4                   Fare to Ashland Junction and return             .35

   “       8                   Postage Stamps                                             .30

   “       12                 Fare to Siding 21 & return                          1.00

   “       “                  Cashing Check                                              .25

            13                 Ex Charges on package to St.Paul                .25

   “       19                 Fare to Siding 31 & Return                        1.00

   “       20                 Ex Charges on Pa from Superior                  .25

   “       22                 Fare to 31                                                      .50

   “       26                 Fare 31 to Ashland                                       .50

   “       27                 Telegram to Superior                                    .80

   “       27                 16 1/3 weeks Board at Russells                  8.00

Nov.    1                   Board at Colby House                              10.85

_______                                                                                  ______

                                                                                                   24.80

Nov.    2                   Telegram to Superior                                    .50

Nov.    3                   Kerosine Oil for office                                 .25

                                 Postage                                                        1.05

Nov.    5                   Ex packages                                                  .50

Nov.    6                   Charles Rifle for venison                            7.80

   “       “                   Postage                                                          .25

   “       7                   Fare to 31 & Return                                    1.00

   “       9                     “          “                                                     1.00

   “       “                   Two meals at restaurant Colby House        5.00

Nov.    27                 Paint for marking wood                                .45

Dec.     5                   Express package to Superior                         .25

   “                            Padlock for Storehouse                                 .30

Dec.     7                   C.H. Martz for two bu. Potatoes                 2.00

   “       13                 Padlocks for Stationery Chest                      .60

   “         “                  Nails for boarding up windows to

                                 store house and office                                   .15

                                 Truckage                                                     1.00

                                 Two weeks board at Colby House

                                 At $6.00                                                  $12.00

                                 RR Fare Ashland to Superior                      5.25

1883                                        F. W.D. Holbrook                               Dr.

May        16                 To  J. M. Davis Hotel Bill                           $2.00

   “          “                    “  Two nights Lodging                                   .60

   “          23                   “  Time Certificates                                   77.88

   “          31                   “      “      “   Wm. Roach                              3.50

June        11                   “   Time Certificates                                127.53

   “          14                   “      “      “    Henry Cole                           22.58

July         5                    “  T.C. David Hasking No. 23                   11.00

   “          “                    “   “  “  Thos. Banks      “    24                   35.00

   “          “                    “   “  “   Hue McGillis   “    25                   35.00

   “          “                    “   “  “   James Cummings 158                  60.00

   “          31                   “  Time Checks amounting to                    59.36

Aug        27                   “      “        “             “                                 59.36

Sep         4                    “      “        “             “                                 16.50

   “          18                   “       “       “             “                                 83.00

 Oct        2                    “       “       “             “                               137.98

   “          29                   “       “       “             “                               411.10

Nov.       19                   “       “       “             “                                 78.68

   “          29                   “       “       “             “                               106.99

Dec.         7                    “       “       “             “                                 55.00

               _____                                                                       _________

                                                                                                     1382.82

1883                            F. W. D. Holbrook                                           Cr.

May        15                 By Cash                                                     $75.00

June         6                    “  Cash                                                       80.48

   “          22                   “     “                                                         153.61

July        17                   “     “                                                         141.00

   “          31                   “     “                                                           59.00

Sep         4                    “     “                                                           75.86

   “          18                   “     “                                                           83.00

Oct          2                    “ Robert Bunker                                           9.00

Nov.       5                    “    Checks                                                411.10

                                      “       “                                                       128.98

   “          26                   “       “                                                         78.68

Dec         10                   “       “                                                         32.00

Dec         7                     “       “                                                         54.99

________                                                                                  ________

                                                                                                     1382.82

1883                            Northern Pacific R.R.                                                 Dr.

Apr.        1                  To Salary for March                                 $150.00

   “          15                   “  Voucher                                                159.00

   “          30                   “  Salary for April    150.00

   “          “                    “  Voucher                                                  30.87

Mary       17                   “       “                                                         15.17

June        2                    “       “                                                         41.46

   “          “                    “  Salary for May                                     150.00

   “          22                   “  Voucher                                                  16.22

July   3     “                 “                                 71.09

   “            “                   :  Salary for June                                      150.00

   “          31                   “       “     “   July                                       150.00

   “          “                    “  Voucher                                                  39.91

Aug        31                   “       “       Aug.                                          40.62

   “          “                    “  Salary for  “                                          150.00

Sept        14                   “  Voucher                                                  17.10

Sept        30                   “  Salary for September                           150.00

Oct          2                    “  Voucher                                                  31.72

  “           31                   “  Salary for  October                               150.00

Nov.        1                    “  Voucher  “     “                                       24.25

   “          30                   “  Salary for November                            150.00

   “          25                   “  Voucher                                                  36.20

   “          30                   “       “                                                         23.00

Dec.        18                   “       “                                                         45.45

    _________                                                                        __________

                                                                                                     1942.06

1883                            Northern Pacific R.R.                                                 Cr.

Apr         12                 By Cash Deposit in Merchant National

                                     Bank of St. Paul                                      $150.00

June         2                  By  N.P. Check                                          159.00

   “          “                    “       “       “                                                30.57

   “          15                   “  Cash Deposited in Merchants Bank     150.00

   “          29                   “  Check                                                     41.46

July         3                    “       “                                                         15.17

June         8                  Cash Deposited in Merchants Bank         150.00

July         9                      “       “   in First National of St. Paul      150.00

   “          31                 By      Check                                                16.22

   “          11                   “         “                                                       71.09

Aug        20                   “  Deposited in Merchants Bank              150.00

   “          27                   “       Check                                                39.91

Oct         27                   “          “                                                      40.62

Nov.       1                    “          “                                                      17.10

Oct         13                   “          “                                                    150.00

  “           23                   “          “                                                    150.00

Nov        16                   “          “                                                    150.00

Dec         10                   “          “                                                      24.25

   “          17                   “          “                                                      31.72

      _____                                                                                  ________

                                                                                                     1687.41

                                    Amt due Dec 18, 1883                               254.65