Adriatic posted:Bill and/or Matt,
You being Yoopers, I may have asked before, and might again, but do either of you have a version of a Con Culhane story? I'm trying hard to piece it together better.This Michigan legendary RR logger's story is dying off too fast. He moved his whole logging and RR operation from Culhane Lake (East of the Marquette penn. along Superiors shore), and did it in the WINTER, over the frozen cedar swamp to Shelldrake, near Paradise and Taq. Falls..All by lifting the rails behind him and re-setting them up front. You had to fight him to be hired on. If you would fight for a job, you'd likely work for it too
My present goal is to find out what Mfg. and type of engine the "Ellen K" was, but any story would be fine. His wife (Ellen) bought the engine when the C&H mine canceled a loco order with the loco en route.(1894-1896?) A "planned scenario", they had trouble getting a dock to let them unload (politics/unions) and so did the unload on a beach (Whitehouse Landing, or the sand bar/shallow cove, north of Culhane Lake(?). He died 1903 falling under his own train....and I have to quit writing and update the laptop, can hardly type it's so bad.....
I'd appreciate any info. Ask the oldest local RR fan you know...please
.
EDIT: White landing is White House landing.
I will find out the story. That one is new to me.
I have moved several houses in the winter, including our camp and sauna. A lot can be done when the ground freezes. You wouldn't believe the spots we make roads in- in the winter. We build logging roads as our occupation. Coaxing Caterpillars alive in -35 sucks, it used to be fun. Sometimes we let them run. We have a couple bulldozers and 3 dump trucks running right now in Michigamme on the old Fence Grade.
As for moose. We see them quite often. My mechanic hit one a month ago. We pulled the radiator away from the fan and jumped on the hood and tied it down and drove off.
Crossing the Mackinac Bridge scares the crap out of me. I just lose it. Can't help it. But I still do it.
In Munising you can still see the rails disappear into the water in the old harbor. There is also a glass bottom boat tour there. Goes over some cool old sunken ships. The water is very clear and you can see to the bottom no problem.
As far as ingenuity and hard labor. Nothing beats what the men of old did building these old tressels and mines. It is mind boggling when you are standing there looking at it first hand. The history is everywhere, especially in the Keweenaw.
I have some pics of the Calumet and Hecla RR units. A big old snowplow unit too. I'll get more this weekend.
It is a beautiful area but getting increasingly hard to make a living. Lots of bums here working the system too.
John, any chance of getting a tour of your ship with the kids when you come to town?
Matt
