Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-07-31
Prescott, Wisconsin, July 81, 1851.
Editorial Correspondence.
LETTER FROM LA CROSSE,
Augusta HOUSE, Sunday, P. NJ, !
July 2lst, 1861. {

on the La Crosse Packet, Friday P. M.
we were detained so long at Beef Slough
Bar that we did not make connection
with the train, and SO we found ourself
in La Crosse Saturday noon with no way
of getting Eastward til! ] o'clock Monday
morning. Remembering that some cor
respondent. of the JOURNAL had once
praised the AueUsTA HOUSE, l came to
it,and have found it sail right, spacious,
clean and comfortable.
At first | was hardly reconcied to the
idea of laying over here So hours, but
events since have made me cheerfulIy
acquiesce in the belief that, in this in
stance especially. "whateyer is, is right
Yesterday afternoon, the two fire COM
pahies of this city were having q trial
of their engines, and this afforded amuse-
ments for an hour or two, when was
SO lucky as to fall in with B. w. REY-
NoLDs, Register of st. Croix Land Office,
who is here on visit, and who kindly
took me under his care, showed me over
the city, and made me acquainted with
SEYMOUR, Of the Republican, Gen. WEEB,
Indian Agent, who has also just return
cd from the Indian country, EDWIN
FLINT, Esq, Col. 7. B. SroDDARu and
others, all of whom seemed ike old
friends Immediately.
To-day, have been very properly
employed, that is il it is true that
1.-THE proper study of manlsind is man."
To-day l have been studying Man, us.
ing the word of course in its generic
sense, embracing both sexes and all ages.
Yesterday party of about $50 Lap
landers arrived here, bound for some
place opposite, in Minnesota. They came
not from Lapland proper, hut from the
Northern extremity Of Norway, but are
genuine Laps in language, habits and
dress. spent an hour very pleasantly
in observing the party, their quaintness
of dress and simplicity of manner.
I cannot adequately describe them, but
may give some idea of their appearance.
All, men and women, wore thick stock
ings, and strong serviceable shoes, made
of seal skin. The women each wore two
skirts, coming up close under the arms
and just meeting the stockings below the
knee, and held by Il strap over each
shoulder and a sash OF girde around the
waist. They have shirt, very short,
just fairly meeting the skirt, ore des-
erittd, but with huge collar fastened
by great round metal bottoms and some
times other queer looking jewellery e
some kind, and over this jacket, with
sleeves and kuttoned cuffs ike n coat, but
the waist not over SIX or eight inches
long, and displaying p'ofasion of met
al bdttons on The front. On the head
they wear sort of tulban. The dress
Of the man is very like that of the wo-
mer, except that they have short plug
hat, and instead of skirts ware pants, but
toned c'ose at the ankles, and swelling
into magnificent breadth and fullness, AS
they reach up close under The arms.
I felt strangely while looking at this
group of type of humanity l never ex
pected to see. Here were bales in help
less infancy, boys and girls in sportive
youth, man and woman in the fullness
of life, aud the aged grandparents, with
cred, wrinkled, wh;tened by the frosts Of
time, yet CHEEKY and hopeful as they
booked on the New World. And these
had come from that far hyperborean re-
gion, where Day comes but once year,
and Night darkens through six months
ins succession. Gods! what magnetic
power in American institutions to draw
such aliens hither and endow them with
the honors and blessings of American
citizenship.
Well, this morning | awoke with an
idea-I must have daguerotype of one
ofthese Lap girls. 1t was no easy thing
to do. After about two hours patient
trial to find some one who could converse
with them, and just as l was about tc
give up, l found Norwegian and
young Bohemian musician who enter
ed into the plan with interest. We pro
cured picture at the artists, and at las
one girl was made tounderstand what ",
wanted, ana. with a gleeful twinkle of tn,
eye signifed her willingness to Ego IN
Didn't love her?. But shade of VESus
She had got 10 six up" One of thos,
strong old sea chests, which looked a
though it might go through the..Maul