The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-07-06
For the North Iowa Times,

Minnesota, during the summer months
is the Fairy. Land of the North; her blue
unnumbered lakes; her groves Of mapl'
and oak; her prairies bright with bloom
and her countless brilliant insects floating
through the fragrant air make one feel tina
the old Spaniard searching for the fountain
of health and youth might here have cried
Eureka!
What delightful days were passed al
Hastings where the welcome Of old friends
came gratefully to the ear Of the wanderc'
from home; there were cosy chats IN the
parlor, then straw. berries and cream, cool
delightful reading in the library, more
strawberries and cream; walks and drives
tdthe Vermilion Falls, to lakes Rebecca
and Isabelle, strols through gardens and
down by the river side," then great deal
of straw. berries and cream. Tlre Ia me.
moire! ~"
But the one par excellence was, when the
Mississippi having reached its minimum,
six of US in roomy barouche set out by
moonlight for Mnne.ha ! ha
The Rev. laid aside his clerical
dignity his lady, more charming than
ever; Lu and Kate were in the best of
spirits M'dlle LIE D. vcr' happy; @.
v, ecstatic and the horses gay.
unexpectedly morning dawned, and what
had always been to us "a matter Of faith"
became a glowing reality, we saw the sun
rise! Gloriously the day broke upon US,
and after Hail, smiling morn" by the
whole troupe in chorus, we brcakfasted in
grove Of oaks By a lake half covered with
floating pond lilies and redolent with rosy
shadows. Perhaps that meal was not ap-
preciated; ask M'dlle LIE D. who executed
various brilliant capers and thought herself
in les champs Elysees.
Away again for the Falls Soon the
prairie view was broken by heaps Of mas
sive stone, railroad cmbankments, the old
st. Pierre river and its French ferryman,
and the fortified heights Of Fort Smelling
. shield broad and high which no arrow of
savage foe may pierce. Listen to its early
history. It's present site was selected and
recommended to the War Department in
1917; its original name is Fit. St. Anthony,
but during its occupancy by Col. Smelling
it was changed. During the Black Hawk
war in ,32 the, mail was carried between
this point and Fort Crawford at Prairie du
Chen by U. S. soldiers on foot; fourteen
days being required to accomplish the dis
lance and return. The first marriage from
Fl. Smelling was solemnized at Fl. Crawford,
the parties performing a journey Of three
hundred miles. So their bridal tour was
taken in advance of the ceremony. How
sacred are these names in the history Of
our country. Prairie du Chen, so ancient
and time honored, made it's transition in
1885 from temporary encampment of In,
dams and their traders to hamlet for
seventy. five years previous to this it had
been occupied by them. At council held
in this village in 1883 Julian Dubuque Oh
tanned permission to work the lead mines
at the site of the city now bearing his name
the wife of Peosta, a Fox warrior, having
eight years before discovered vein Of lead
on the western shore of the Mississippi. |
Iowa, gallant young State, shall never shame
the fostering mother of the eastern shore
In early days all this northern region
was known as the Territory of Upper Lou
isiana made over by the French to the Span
ish, but not long after our national colors
took the place Of the old, Spanish flag
As we read the names of the brave men
who opened to US this beautiful country
we are not unmindful Of the noble women
who left luxurious homes for inferior
dwellings carpeted and papered with butfa
| Tins. Who can estimate the goodness
Of the amiable Mrs. Smelling, the heroism
of the wives of Gov. Clark and Com. Good.
ing, the first ladies who ever wintercd in
Minnesota? the latter, by the way, the
first lady to make the trip of the Upper
Mississippi and the first of white women
who looked upon the Falls of St. Anthony
or shall We forget the devotion of Harriet
Bishop, the pioneer teacher of St. Paul?
Reverently VIC pass Fl. Smelling, guard Of
the northwestern frontier, with its tidy,
well.kept buildings, its encampmcnt of SOL
dicrs enacting field exercise, and merge
into oak groves, looking with delight upon
the beautiful scenery AMI sure that We live
in great country.
Soon en- arched gateway and enclosed
grounds announce the proximity Of the
beautiful waterfall. Impatiently we run
from the barouche steps to the overlooking
height and gaze upon Minnehaha Dear
little pet
"Gleamipg, glancing through the branches.'
Her old father has SO nearly given out that
she is in danger of evaporating altogether,
and We shall expect to find her some morn
ing reproduced in the lily's cup or twink
ling in dew drops upon the oakleaves. She
is now about the consistency of a lace veil
through whose misty folds We look into the
dell and see rainbow wreathing the spray
at her foot. We go behind the Veil and
standing there with God o'erhead and all
forms of beauty aboutus. We bring to mind
you, o !! fellow Clionians who cluster about
the Alma Mater in Buckeye land, and We
send you greeting Lu bottles some of
tina spray and one day we may give you