The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-10
LETTER FROM WISCONSIN.
Lake PepIu-s'LOver's Leap Fishing
and other SpOrts-Cure fOrsDyspePsia,
RtP. Etc


and other spOrts-Cure fOrsDyspepsia,
Etc. Etc.
[BvENING TELEGRAPH SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
MAIDEN Rock, Wis, June 49, 1866.
The place from which l write is village on
the Wisconsin side of Lake Pepin, four miles
above the noted rock known as Lovers Leap"
where, as the legend runs, Wenona, daughter of
q Chippewa chief, made Sam Patch Jump over
the precipice, and perished in the lake beneath,
rather than keep house and hoe corn for an old
Chippewa bruiser, who 0y command of the cruel
parent was camping on her trail.n The rock
is now perpendicular ledge of one hundred
and seveDty-fve feet. Its base is about two
hundred feet above the level of the lake. the
intervening space being timbered slope of
twenty OF thirty rous. From this it will be seen
that the maiden must have got up and run for
The water, after taking her sprighty leap, or
else there must be an inaccuracy of state
ment in the legend. The rock itself is
a prominent object on the lake. 1t
is visible from almost all points of the
steamboat channel, and, together with the sur
rounding scenery, is an object of attraction to
tourists. Standing upon its summit, as near the
edge as one dares to go, you would think stone
might be tossed into the water, which seems to
watch the missile go down, and you will see it
go through the tree-tOps perhaps not half way
to the lake. Such is the illusion produced by
the dizzy height and the conformation of the
bluff. We saw a couple OF artists sketching the
rock from the beach. They were under cotton
umbrellas, fauked by the trunks and roots of a
fallen tree. Want of time forbade us from ap.
preaching and inquirng who they were, but we
trn will nil WI
the public can get a good idea of this de.
lightful lake.
But 10 enjoy this country in its tulness one
must go there and stay awhile. You can make
headquarters at Lake City, and cross over in a
sail-boat, sbiH, or the lake packet. At Maiden
Rock village there is public house kept by Capt.
| Doughty, an experienced sailor, who runs fine
! yacht for the pleasure OF his guests. The
hospitality of friend prevented me from try
| ing the Captains fare, but l reckon a stranger
will be made welcome lin those parts"-fur
nlshed with clean bed and good cheer
saw the saddle of fat deer carried to the Cap.
tain's and one will be pretty sure to see upon his
table the most delicious of game and fish, in
| cluding the speckled trout.
The Wisconsin side of Lake Pepn is mainly
| timbered land. Here is all the good trout fish.
ing, the best deer hunting, and the camping
grounds of the general sportsman.
Tie writer camped few days on Rush river,
| a dozen miles back from Maiden Rock. This is
| truly splendid trout steam. II Is from two to
four ds.wide; has plenty of good, long ripples
| with deep and surging pools below; plenty oi
casting room, and plenty of trout The fisher
men can secure good quarters with the settlers
| along the creek, who furnish the best of wood
mans fare, and are very kind to those who
come to enjoy the trouting and the cool shades
of the big woods. They are death on "pot
fishers" despise a man who will sell trout
and are very careful to protect the fish during
the spawning season.
IL is a pleasure to sportsmen to go among
such people, and has but one alloy, namely
the very small amounB of current funds Vol
can make them accept for the excellent fart
and kind attentions with which they serve you
have but one fault TO find with them, and tina
Is, that in spearing on the river at night will
freight, in quest of coarser fish that make III
from the lake, and lay in long, still pools an
afraid they do not always resist the tempta
lion to throw the spear ut n very big trout
if they find one in bad company. / hope, i
any of them have done this, they will sternll
resolve to do it 10 more. The trout can be pro
tected in Rush river for all time, by cultivatinl
proper understanding between settlers anC
sportsmen; and l will vouch for the conduct o
the latter if the settlers will agree that the bIi
trout shall henceforth be the prize of him, anC
him only, who can catch him by fair means
There are trout in this stream that weigh fou
or five pounds, and can be caught OCCASIONAL
by careful work. The writer was rathe
pressed for time, and fished too fast to find h
largest He captured one two-pounder, an
several that weighed a pound each and over
one lot OF twenty weighed fifteen pounds. Hi
best fishing was on Tuesday, the 26th, when
with a woodnan friend to carry the fish and tn,
landing net, he filed tweuty-fOur pound baske
in about halfa-day. There we're ffty-one trou
"a very good average, as any trOut-hsher ear
testify.
1t is glorious sport to stand at the foot Of on
of the rapids OF Rush river, and casting lonl
and light line into the surging pool below, Il
see the CLEAN OF the beautiful trout as he dart