St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-03-31
Cbe gnttlligenter.
Travelling in the Upper Peninsula.

MlchiSan, Calicu the upper Icnll
sula," is entirely shut out from tn
rest of the world during the winte
months. The Detroit Advertiser give
an interesting description of the mod
of travelling during that period
The mails are carried by Indian
and half breeds, when the travcln,
is good, on their backs and when i
is bad, by dog trains.
The snow falls to a depth Of from
two to five or six feet The snov
shoes used by the men are about cigh
or ten inches in width, and from tw,
and half to four and a half feet il
length. They are fiat, and are mad,
of bows of maple wood, round at thu
toe and coming to point at the heel
where the ends are fastened by thong,
Of raw deer skin. The space is fillcC
by a lace-work of raw deer or mOos,
skin strings, with the exception of ;
small space Immediately in front of {
cross-picce Of wood, upon which tn,
ball of the foot rests The shoes useC
by women are smaller than those uscc
by the men, and Of different shape
The feet of the person using the shoes
are cncascd in mOcCasins of buCkskin
sufficiently large to admit three OF
four tlickncsses of blanket. TIL,
blanket is used not onl y to keep til,
feet warm, but also to prevent the toes
from being chafcd by the strings o
buck-skin which are passed over them
and by which the shoes are fastened
to the feet.
The doc trains used are made Of &
fiat board half an inch in thickness
ten inches in width, and from six It
ten and twelve feet in length and arc
turned up in front. At each side OF
the train a rope is fastened, running
the whole length Of it, and train
cloth" of canvass is used, considera
bly, larger than the train. The arti
cles 10 be carried are laced on the
cloth, from one end of the train to the
other. The cloth is then wrapped
over them, and laced up by means OF
a string passing under the ropes at
the side.
For tramp, ediblcs carried are,
usually, some -four, pilot bread, salt
pork, tea and sugar, and cooking uten-
sis, tin kettle and frying pan.
The food for the dogs is generally
tallow and corn meal. The bed clothes
are a single blanket TO each man.
Imagine white man and an Indian
about starting on tramp" of three
or four hundred miles, through forest
unfrequentcd by all living beings, ex-
cept with birds and animals The
provisions are packed upon the train,
the dogs are harnessed to it, one ahead
Of the other to the number Of four or
five. The Indian takes the lead, with
his snow shoes, the dogs follow with
the train, and the "palc face" brings
up the rear, with yclls to the dogs in
front Of him. Tramp, tramp, tramp,
until noon, when halt is made the
train is unpackcd, the kettle, tea and
sugar is produced, Il fire lighted, and
after taking Il cup of tea, the word is
given, and the tramp commences. The
party makes another halt in time to
prepare the camping ground before
the night sets in. The dogs are left
standing in their harness, the Indian
takes the axe and cuts enough fuel to
last them until morning, the white
man uses a snow shoe for shovel,
and clears away the snow until the
ground is reached. A shelter is then
built over the clear place, Of poles
covered with evergreen bOughs. The
front Of the "wigwam Is left open,
and the ground covered with hemlock
boughs.
Immediately opposite the front, a
rousing log fire is built, the dogs
Embarrassed and the supper prepared
The supper is composed of cup OF
tea, some pork cooked in the frying
pan, and some -four cooked in the fat
left from the pork. After supper the
pipes and tobacco are produced, and
the white man smokes in the front OF
the fire, while the Indian cooks the
supper of corn and tallow for the dogs
i'll the same kettle in which the tea
had been made but few minutes be
fore. After being satisfied with his
smoke" the pale face and Indian
wrap their blankets around them, and
lay down side by side Oh the hemlock
boughs, with their feet to the fire, and
sleep'as sweetly and as soundly as
"e'er did king upon the richest dam
ask
In the morning, before day, the Indi
an prepares breakfast which is eaten
and the travellers again move on. The
dogs are fed but once day, and the
reason is they travel much better. A
distance Of thirty miles per day is
travelled with ease by those accus
toned to the use of snow shoes. Wher
toward Spring the days become mucl
longer and the sun hotter, the travel
ing is done at night and the resting
and sleeping by day.
The veteran Indian, "snow shoer,
will never drink water or eat snow
during the time he is on his journey
as he says it makes him Every muci
weak"