Source: The Mining Journal
Marquette, Mi.
January 8, 1887 Saturday

Frogress of the Survey

The corps for the survey of the line for the DSS&A is now
fully organized and work is progressing all along the line
fron Sturgeon west and from Sage Jct., to the Sault. J. F.
Stevens, the engineer highest in authority under Mr. latcha,
the chief engineer and superintendent of construction returned
to the city yesterday, after visiting the western division of
the line and starting parties there.

The line west of Sturgeon is divided into three divisions for
the survey, known as the Summit,, Gogebic and the Western divi-
sions. Each has its own engineer in charge, Isaac Dox having
the Summit division; Col. J. B. Fish, the Gogebic and George L.
Cumine, just appointed, the Western. W. L. Webb is the engineer
on the Sault branch. On the first of these engineering divisions
there are three parties at work, in charge of engineers Marsh,
Gerchen and Bush, respectively. On the Western division there
are two parties under the charge of Marsh, Gomstock and Young.
On the Gogebic division there are also three parties at work in
charge of Messers. Abercrombie, Strong and Lafalo. On the Sault
branch three parties have been at work under the charge of Messers
Holmes, Stilwell and Sawyer. The location survey on this division
is about concluded and the contractors, Rexford Bros. and Hodge
have all ready commenced operations. They have sublet most of the
work and have one crew at work themselves on the road and two tie
camps running.

This gives a very large organization for the work on the sur-
vey, there being a chief engineer and principal assistant engine-
er, with offices in Marquette, four division engineers with offices
on the line and eleven assistant and resident engineers in charge
of the line. The parties at work west of Marquette average two
men each or about 180 men in all of men out on the line at present
up to more than 225,

George A. Marsh, who is in charge of the first party, which was
sent out on the line is now in the city. His party started out
from the MH&O near Sturgeon and has run the preliminary survey 22
miles to where Gerchen's party started in. He is now at work on
the locating survey and already has eight miles of the road lo-
cated. Some of the work has been very slow, one day not more than
40 stations being made on account of the heavy cutting necessary.
Axemen have to "make haste slowly" when going through the dense
growth of a cedar swamp. Extraordinary progress has been made
though, considering the obstacles presented by the country through
which the line runs, and the additional fact that all the work
has to be done on snow shoes.

George A. Marsh, in charge of the first party sent out on the
DSS&A survey is in the city. He returned to his party Monday.

Jd. F. Stevens, assistant engineer of the DSS&A arrived in the
city yesterday, accompanied by his wife and children, who came from
St. Paul to join him here.