The Republican journal., 1869-08-19

lconildent that there IS no nan-eVen him OF
the most comprehensive mind-that has taken
la Just measure OF the future greatness OF this
lregion.
Many of those who, pcrchanec, may read
these lines have visited Illinois and seen the
wheat and corr fields and cultivated lands OF
that State reaching ON and on in boundless
eNpanse-have heard the music OF the reap
ers gathering the ripened giain-llave beheld-
led the harvest fields in all them glory. Think
now of those fields extended rs far Us it is
from Boston to Omaha, over tract as wide
as from Montreal to Philadelphia, and YOU
have the area of the wheat fields lying north
west Of Chicago.
1t is region presenting features different
from the country along the highway opened
to san Francisco by the Union Pacific road.
The plains of Nebraska and kansas-mag-
nticent in eXtent-are traversed by no great
water courses. The streams are lew-and
when the summer heats prevail, they dwindle
to rivulets, and become wholly dry; but here
there are ever-fowin@ streams and lakes OF
pure fresh water, fed by nevcr-tailmg springs.
Ride where YOU will over this vast territory,
land YOU are always in sight OF 4 river, Il
lcreek, or a lake Of pures water, where the
waves break on pebbly beaches, and where
thousands Of Waterfowl rear their young be
meath the oaks and NAPLES that fringe the rip
|
lplng streams.
Beautiful as are the prliricS OF Illinois and
Iowa, nature has been even more generous in
her adornment Of the Northwest. The larger
lakes are bordered by parks and groves, pre-
lsenting landscapes Of indcscrbable beauty.
Many Il pioneer on this Northwestern verge
lof civilization, may look out from the door OF
his log cabin on scenery aS enchanting as amy
in Old England. True, there is no back
81 I'll nl1a
and tortuous deflles but there are undulations,
sunny slopes, gentle swels. rounded wood
crowned sllmm.lS looking down upon lakes
and ponds dotted with emerald islands, OF
clear waters dancing in the sunlight, OF re-
Ihecting from the CLASSY surface the transcend
ant beauty Of the landscape.
This region is attractive not only because
lit has a productive soil and genial clime--not
because there is great prospect of material
Iwealth--but here nature has done much TO
promote that csthetic culture, without which
a community never can reach thc highest
lplane Of civilization. Here, in coming years.
on the borders of these lakes, costly mansions
will be reared. Where now the pioneer feeds
his pigs will be seen parks and lawns: where
now the ground is encountered with wrecks
of carts and slcds, or is heaped with manure
from the stable, will stand by and by works
of art chiseed from finest marble.
WHITE BEAR LAKE.
Would that You could look down upon
White Bear lake. and see il rs | saw it day
before yesterday, from or camping ground
on a hill overlooking its northern shore. Ii
stretches southwark a distance Of twelve
Imiles. indentcd here and there hy a wooded
promontory- sandy beaches sweeping
in magnificent curves; with wide patch of
woodland on the eastern shore ovel spreading
the slope; with a green fringe OF stately oaks
and elms and limitleSs fields, whose verdure
lchanges in varying hucs with every passing
lcloud-wanting only a background Of high
lands to make ii Us lovely rs Windemere-thc
most enchanting of all the lakes Of Old Eng
land. You see at your feet the little village
of Glenwood. which in coming Years will be
the resort of tourists. artists and seekers al-
ter pleasure.
If YOU arc fond of fishing 90 out upon this
sheet of water. with the same strOngalmod
Norwegian who pulled the boat for ne yes
Iterlav morning. There are piclcrel in these
ponds Of Minnesota such rs we arc not &C
customed to catch in New England. \ four
FOUNDER is q large fish 10 pull from the waters
of Wnnipesaukec, bat hauled up Il fifteen
FOUNDER yesterday, and the people here say
that they catch them weighing twenty-five
bounds. | dare say that the very thought OF
lcatchine such fresh wator shark, viii quicken
the heart of many boy, ana perhaps some
of the old folks would Ike to drop 4 line in
l 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
| have said that this inheritance of the American
people reaches 14OOm northwest of Chica-
got is that far io the Rocky Mountains-n
British America, and that callie2us onlytothe
lisothelmal line Of s. degrees mean summer
Temperature. You may &c on 500 miles fun
Their to the north branch Of the Saskatchewan
before reaching the northwestern boundary OF
4 the wheat field.
TIE MoI NrAlNS.
All of this territory lies north and east of
1.-THE Missouri and this side Of the Rocky
Mountains We have spoken Of it a> 4 wheat
field and have said nothing of its other Re
sources, but here are the supplies of timber
} from which the people of more southern see
tions are to receive their future building ma
terials Looking out from my tent toward
the northeast | can see, on the horizon the
dim blue outline of the tinbcrcd region
around the streams forming the head waters
of the Mississippi. If we travel west We
shall find cxhaustless supplies of coal Be
tween the Red River Of the North and the
Rocky Mountains lies the great coal fields of
this granary of the Continent. On the streams
fGot find t],ar Ura1~ INF I al SuOprinr and on