Sandstone Siftings

From a Pine County newspaper, April 29, 1887:

Monday last we noticed the arrival of two Illinois Central cars loaded with iron for the Kettle River Railroad extension.

The residence and laundry building of L.H. Bissonett has, we noticed in our travel, received an addition. “Biz” must be good with Louis.

The Riverside Hotel under the management of Col. Karmain opened up a week ago last Monday, and from all that we can learn is giving good satisfaction.

Martin Ring is here overseeing the completion of their mill. The mill will be ready to steam up on Thursday of this week, the smokestack being placed in position on Wednesday.

At this writing, Wednesday, the Kettle River Railroad extension is within a few feet of the mill of Ring and Tobin, and we expect the golden spike will be drove this eve or tomorrow with great elite.

The Kettle River Railroad is in fine shape now, and number one, two and three are making good time. No. 3 ran away one day last week on the extension, Gus Kulike, engineer, losing control of her, nobody hurt, but Gus for a few moments quit his song of “Let her roll.”

Engineer Charles McMann is now happy, the new, long looked for and expected tank truck for the engine has arrived. Fatty Day, the conductor, will no more have to spread himself all over the tank to keep it from jumping the track. Charlie says he will now be able to bring the visitors in from the Junction to Sandstone in ten minutes.

Messrs Grant and Knowles have sold their old blacksmith shop near the mill of Ring & Tobin to them, and have bought the old boarding house of Murray & Rose and are converting it into a store, carpenter and blacksmith rooms. Of course Calix Germain, the blacksmith, is happy, for he is now close to home, and when he wants a drink (water of course), he has only a few steps to travel to his residence. Major Simpson has also moved his carpenter outfit into the same building, and we expect soon to see Capt. Geo. Southerland, carpenter general of the Sandstone Quarry Co., follow suit.

[Note: The Kettle River Railroad connected the Sandstone quarry to the St. Paul & Duluth Railroad to the west.]