Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-08-24
LAKE MEyyETONkl.
L.Ks NiSSsross

Exc.lsior Holse. Aug ieth, 1865. !
Let all Who contemplate visit to this
quiet place bring with them an almanac or
dates sni Gays ~ill alike De ioreo'tsn.-
There in no excitement here. and how the
psonls manage TO exist is . question we
ihav. not dared to as>-tnat Is, the psople
vho l;vs here al the year round. A score
of houses back from the lake, oil told, is the
extent OF this burg. Travel it all over. and
olewi not end single man at work till
ing the soil CT plying any trads. The post
Office store is the great emporium Of trade.
Its clerk waits on two customers in the
forenoon aud three in the afternoon, pro-
viied they come, and should the number
exceed this they must wait until the next
day. Mott Of tho men Of the place have
boats - take visitors to the best fishing
grou lds for In equivalent. This, with an
are or two of corn, and a few scattering
bills Of Mlrphys, are oil the evidences OF
N iterial support .hss we have bean able TO
is:over.
There are noted characters here, and life
at the Excelsior House smacks Of royalty.
Maximilian stands frst-the very picture
Of energy. enterprise and alacrity, and he IL
our landlord. Next in Importance is TO
less . parsonage than Horace Greeley
Horace Is an Institution by himself-prides
himself on equality aud the ability to cook
. good dinner. The white haired, wander
ing eyed philosopher could not have select
! Cd = more ebony namssake. OF the visitors
here there are ministers. lawyers. doctors,
gentlemen Of leisure and Of pleasure +; gen.
usm,n By birth and by oecupation-all
fishing. hunting aud sailing. Such fishing |!
Ffsn ten to fifty picksrel taken in half .
day BY one boat. Everybody "trowls."-
Oar first day resulted in weeds and brush
wood. The second in fish, genui ne picker.
el-five--ten Founders. How they Topped,
slipped out Of our hands, and put .hsir del
icate teeth on to our fingers as We took the
hooks out Of their mouths-ministsr in
other end of boat gave US lesson on enc Of
the commandments. Trowling 10 our de-
light-trowlsd oil night-trowled:: Louis
out Of bed several times-ihought We had
hundred pound pickcrsl-had several
bites and trowled for them-nary pickerel.
Woke next morning and didn't recollsct
the locility. Opened the wrong door and
was told to git by pitcher with some
thing fast % the handle. We haven't
trowled any since, still fishing isnt 20 ex-
citing for invalids. Davsnporters arc not
unknown at Minnetonka. A company was
up here last summer. A residsnter said
something about sll-told him We didn't
know the party-guessed they were from
Rockingham, Ill. Eesidsntsr insisted on
Davenport said they were betty on fish
provision, ''benzine' and new preparation
against nusquitoes. Went little on the
strength Of their eputation--found it
vouldn'tpa and quit.
1t would, perhaps, be wearisome to de-
scribe oil the things ono does and thinks Of
in this beautiful place. replste with all the
elements of scenic beauty-ths happy ming
ling Of woodland and water, sandy beach
and rocky bluffs, forming . marked CEN
trast to the wild and picturesque scenery Of
the Hudson or tho more varied beauty OF
the St. Lawrence. None should come
here merely to satisfy that spirit Of cur;os.
ity or unrest" as it is called when ap-
piled TO western people, but for quiet en-.
IJoymsnt there is no place like it. Lszi-
ness is a virtue ani for o1ce We stand pre-
eminent-brevetted for letting our boat
f,at ashore one windy day, instead Of
rowing, and as consequence getting into
the swslls ard coming ashore on one Of the
;oars.
We we're a,reeably surprised this even.
ing on going into the Office to see the fami
lar face of . Davcnporter n. Lyter
who with car pet sack in hand WAS looking
for the landlord. We began to expa ,ats
on ths excellent fishing. sailing, etc., whsr
he informed ns ,ha, he had not eaten any
| ththe "i'Ie iO'iiuic. IL Ncuie
take Just two dollars and ahaif 10 buy tn,
raw material Of what ". had eaten einc,
tha. timca few pounds "f fish, broile6
venison, duck and the usual ct c.terds pu
him at ease with the whole world, and theI
followed pl lsssant row on the lake,
scramble UP one of the steep bluffs ant
back again to the hotel, and TO res, prep
aratory for tomorrow sport.
A day or two longer shall NC linge
around these waters, breathe this bracini
and refreshing air. away from the dust o
city life, away from i,s rush and hurry
then return to ST. Paul and soms Of tn,
river cities. and finally to duty. Glad ths
Ne came and sorry that our stay must ba
so short. Until then A rrsofr. j. ).