McCloud River Railroad
McGiffert Loader Advertising Booklet

The Clyde Iron Works of Duluth, Minnesota, became an early developer and manufacturer of steam powered logging equipment as the industry matured in the vast white pine forests of the Upper Midwest. John R. McGiffert joined the firm as its vice president and general manager in 1901, and he led the development of a large number of the company's products through his 45-year career. The machine for which he is best known and remembered is the "McGiffert Self Propelling Log Loader", which he invented around the time Clyde hired him. Clyde between roughly 1902 and 1930 built nearly a thousand McGiffert loaders that saw service in all corners of the United States, but especially in the pine regions of the Upper Midwest, the south, and the Intermountain West.

The McCloud River operations purchased its first two McGiffert Loaders in 1907, and almost immediately followed that order up with a third. Shortly afterwards Clyde produced an advertisimg booklet for the McGiffert loader that was largely based around McCloud River's machines. This booklet is presented here in almost its entirety, omitting only a couple pages that otherwise did not have any printing on them.

More information on McCloud's McGiffert loaders can be found on the following two pages of the site:

McGiffert Loaders Roster

Loading Logs at the Landing






















Since the letter is in small type I've transcribed it below. The letter is dated 25 January 1908 and is signed by S.O. Johnson, Assistant General Manager. The letter is as follows:

"Clyde Iron Works
Duluth, Minn.

Gentlemen:-

In view of the effort which you made to demonstrated to the write the strength and efficiency of your machinery prior to our purchase, it is only fair that we should tell you how the two machines have worked and how we have found him.

We will admit that we were somewhat sceptical as to the machines being able to load and handle the extremely heavy timber which we have, but we have picked up with your maching and placed on the cars logs scaling thirty nine hundred and some odd feet so far, and with no apparent effort for the machine; so far as the ability of the machine to handle the size timber that we have, or I might say almost any one else, has been thoroughly demonstrated to us, and I feel confident that the machine will load any log that we have in our woods.

Upon the first day and when the first machine was worked for the first time, we loaded 73,000 feet of logs scattered along the right of way in one hour and twenty minutes, the machine moving and placing its own empties at seven different landings.

I might add that every statement made by your representatives has been fulfilled in every respect, and in most cases more than what was promised, and our every expectation has been gratified.

I will also add that the Clyde Iron Works have given us the best service we have ever received from any machinery house, in every respect, in regard to shipments being made at the date promised, and the absolute willingness of their erectors and every one connected with the machines to aid us in getting them started and making them a success for our work.

We have already wired an order for the third machine and we hope to be able to do more business with you in the future."