The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-08-19
Just measure Of the future greatness a

JuSs mossuko VI tue 1utWe &Io8tnesS
this region.
Many Of those who, psrchanoe, ma,
read these lines have visited Illinoi
and seen the wheat and corn fields ant
cultivated lands OF that State, reachiol
on and on in boundless expanse-hav'
heard the music Of the reapers gather
ing the ripened grain-have beheld til
harvest fields in all their glory. Thint
now of those fields extended as far Al
it is from Boston to Omahs. over {
tract as vide as from Montreal to PhjlA.
delphia, and you have the area of the
wheat field lying northwest Of Cbic@-
60.
It is region presenting features
different from the country along the
highway opened to San Francisco BY
the Union Pacific read. The plains Of
| Nebraska aod Kansas magnificent in
extent-are traversed by no great Wa
ter course. The streams are fev-and
when the summer heats prevail, they
dwiadlc to rivulets and become wholly
dry; but here there are ever-fowing
streams aud lakes Of pure, fresh water,
fed by never-failipg springs. Ride
where you will over this vast territory,
and you are always in sight Of river
or creek, or lake of purest water,
where the waves break on pebb|y
beaches, and where Thousands Of water
fowl rear their young beneath the oaks
and naples that fringe the ripping
streams.
Beautiful as are the prairies Of ILL.,
nois and Iowa, nature has been even
more generous in her adornment Of the
Northwest. The larger lakes are bor-
dered by parks and groves, presenting
landscapes Of indescribable beauty
Many pioneer on this Northwestern
verge Of civilization may look out from
the door of his log cabin on scenery
as enchanting as any in Old England.
True, there is no background Of noun
tains, no rocky crag, Or deep and tor
turous de6les, but there are unduIa-
tiops, sunny slopes, gentle swells. round
ed wood-crovned SUBMITS, looking
down upon lakes and ponds dotted with
emerald Islands, or clear waters dancing
in the sunlight or rejecting from the
CLASSY surface the transcendental beauty
of the landscape.
This region is attractive not only be-
cause Of its soil and genial climate
not because there is great prospect of
material wealth but here nature has
done much to promote that aesthetic
culture, without which community
never can reach the highest plane Of
civilization. Here, in coming years, on
the borders OF these lakes, costly man
sions will be reared. Where now the
pioneer feeds his pigs will be seen
parks and lawns; where nov the ground
is encumbcred with wrecks Of carts and
sleds, or Is heaped with manure from
the stable, will stand by and by the
works Of art chjselcd from the finest
marble.
WHITE BEAR LAKE.
Would that you could look down up
on White Bear Lake, and see it as [
saw it day before yesterday from our
camping ground on hill overlooking
its northern shore. 1t stretches south
ward distance of twelve miles, indent-
ed here and there by a wooded prom
ontory-with sandy beaches sweeping
in magnificent curves; with a wide
patch of woodland on the eastern shore
overspreadins the slope; with a green
fringe Of stately caks and elms and lin
itless fields, whose verdure changes in
varying hues with every passing cloud
only background of high
lands to make it as lovely as Winder-
merc-the most enchanting Of all the
lakes of Old England. You see at
your feet the little village Of Glenwood,
which in coming years will be the re-
sort of tourists, artists and seekers after
pleasure.
If you are fond Of fishing go out up
on this sheet Of water, with the same
EARNED. Norwegian who pulled
the. boat for me Yesterday morning.
There are pickerel in these ponds Of
Minnesota such as We are not accus-
toned to catch in New England. "A
four-pounder is large fish to pull from
the waters OF Winuipesaukee, but 1
hauled up 6ttecn-pounder yesterday,
and the people here say they catch
them weighing twenty-five pounds! 1
dare say that the very thought Of
catching such fresh water sharks will
quicken the pulse of many boy, and
perhaps somc Of the. old folks would
like to drop line in these waters.
But to return to the subject from
which We have strayed-and it is not
the FIRST time we have played truant by
going fishing. We said that this iu-
heritance of the American people
reaches l,400 miles north of Chicago
1t is that far to. the Rocky Noun
taios-in British America, and that
carries US OILY to the isothermal liue Of
IS degrees mean summer temperature.
You may go on 500 miles further. to
the north branch of the Saskatchewan
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