Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-08-04
DEVILS LAKE


thought it might be pleasing to your read
crs. to learn something of its scenery and /
attractions. No description yet given of it,
that have noticed, does anything like JUS |
tice to the grand, beautiful and picturesque
scenery with which it abounds, vastly ex-
ceiling any other in the State, if not in the
entire Northwest. I do not Aatter myself
that my pen is graphic or poetic enough to
give such adequate or perfect description,
but may be able to describe some Of its
most salient features in such way that some
faint conception may be formed of those
marvellous attractions thatinYite the tourist
and pleasure seeker. The lake, Of great
depth, abougfve miles in circumference ,and
somewhat paralellogram in form, is pure,
and clear as crystal, and usually as calm
and serene as q cloudless summer sky.
Without poetic license, it may be truly
called perfect mirror, rejecting the ever
varying lights andshadows. tints and coIors
Of the day draperies of the heavens above,
and the splendid embellishments of the deep
frame work Of rock and wood and mountain
scenery by which it is inelesed, as a fit set
ting for such a picture. Towards the north
and looking downward upon the beautiful
village of Baraboo, three miles distant, the
shore line is pure white sand, kissed By the
ever nndulating ripples, and is approached
by a naeandering road over rustic bridges
that span mountain stream, and level
sweep of ground half mile in width, orna-
mented by native forest trees, and here and
there with lawns and cottages, when the
lake flashes upon the view, guarded on eth
erhand b5 perpendicular cliffs FIVE hundred
feet in height, the mighty gateway to this
wonderful temple of ature, whose vaulted
root is the sky, its walls the lofty noun
tains, and its floor the CLASSY lake.
The first view from this stand point, on
tie green bank, o few feet above the sand
beach, fringed with scattered trees of oak
and birch and wild willow, is grand and
beautiful beyond description. Or the east
and west side OF the lake, rise from the wa
ter, mountains nearly six hundred feet high
whose SUBMITS are broken by irregular peaks
and columns of naked rock of every form and
shape, standing in bold relief against The
sky, and extending parallel and of equal
height three miles southwark, where they
abruptly terminate in cliffs. On the south
another mountain rises, of the same or
greater height, and stoops down at the
southwestern corner of the lake to meet and
mingle with the range upon the west, which
in the hazy distance, "that sottens down its
rude austerity' seems a perfect and unbro-
en- inclosure-an escarpment and mountain
fortress.
At the sonth east corner, opens another
lawn like level, wide enough for one of the
most beautiful and picturesque farm scenes
with meadow and orchard, grain fields an
and garden, laid out with taste and cultiva-
ted with care, producing fruits and flowers
and vines in rich profusion aud extend
ing eastward half mile or more, between
the south mountain and the one on the east,
that gracefully bend away at right angles
as if for the mere purpose of embracing this
| little farm that nestles between them.
This is faint outline of the picture.
The mountainssaround the lake slope down
to the water, and into the water in fact,
quite steeply-but these slopiEg sides what
pen can describe? They are not smooth
and grass grown, with pleasant ziggag paths
afording easy and inviting ascent. Millions
of human feet might step up and down any
one place on these slopes, and they would
never leave the least trace. A thousand
years of time and storm might pass over
them and not leave the slightest impression
on their rugged, rocky, jagged sides For
many centuries the beetling cliffs above,
have tumbled down towards the lake and
covered theseslopes with rocks ofevery form
and size, and piled and thrown them about
in such shapes and such terrible confusion
that they present the rudest and the grand
est aspects Of ruin and desolaton Rocks
! Va VI OOLio III nGLSiiG SLfsIlu IOl6GN
and balanced upon one corner point hang
| ing as it we're upon the verge of the awful
| precipice-
GAS if an infants touch might arge,
| Their headlOng passage down the verge"
Here in this tumble, tumble and confusion
OF the disjointed rocks yawnsa deep cavern,
there n crevice and terri bic gorge into which
a single slip or false step might hurl the IN
wary pedestrian to certain death Among
these rocks, might say out Of the very rocks
themselves, have sprung up and grown into
lofty height and massive proportion the
mountain pine, and by the silent and grad
ual, but resiStleSs force of expanding growth
the rocks have been rent asunder Trees
and shrubs and vines of various kinds
mingling their shades of green with the
gray stone and porphyry of the rocks adorn
| and partly conceal these rude and terrible
| feat ures to the distant eye, but render the
| ascent and descent still more dangerous.
may as well pause in this description, for
language cannot describe the grand and
magnificent picture. 1t is not gloomy and
horrible as the name of this place wouI d
seem to imply. To true lover Of nature,
| it is bold, picturesque, grand, beautiful. 1t
is terrible only by the thought of those re-
sistless and terrible forces ofnature that rent
this awful chasm and filed it with these
sparkling waters, and reared these fierce
mountain sentinc!s to guard it. [ know no
scene like it in the country. It is geolog-
zeal phenomenon This lake. in the tops of
the mountains, three hundred feet a5ove.the
Wisconsin river, but few miles distant,
without inlet or outlet, clear, pure soft
u, L.: