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Emil Kohlbeck and Joseph
Gerl enjoy a game of cards in the
bunkhouse. Courtesy of Alfred
Wenzel
Mike Baltus Story
M            From the Wausau Record Herald
March 20, 1954
"We worked in the woods from daylight to
dark. I remember a winter at Camp 3 near the
Big Eau Pleine river when we were hauling
logs on a two-trip road. They had a lot of logs
cut in the woods and it was breaking up on
March 1st. My brother-in-law, William
Drollinger, was foreman and he said, 'Boys,
let's try and get in all we can. I'll give you a
half day's time for every trip you make.' So
we were all willing each to outdo the other and
we kept it up for 13 days and 13 nights,
without unharnessing our horses, and thereby
finishing the job. On St. Patrick's Day we all
celebrated, but how those horses ever stood
the rap I cannot figure out to this day. I do
know that the teamsters were all in, for it was
just eat and go, that's all.
"In the matter of hauling big loads, I claim
credit for loading and hauling the biggest load
of logs ever loaded and hauled in Wisconsin.
It was done in 1910 at the R. Connor
Company's Camp No. 8, northeast of
Rozellville. The biggest load scaled 29,441
feet, the hemlock logs measuring from 18 to
Biggest load of logs. Courtesy Ronald Schuette        24 feet."