The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-07-28
UP THE MISSISSIPPI.
Another Day of Sightseeing.

SD0c1N1 COrrenl1Os1drrrsn ~ tl1A Courtar 81 Sd
Sr p.rr M,., Inlr TX m
' "
EDITORS COURIER: r., ,Gsomlng down
this morning from Minneapolis, /
found that / shonld have tho fnll dav
t0inss =, ! oaX,,,,oy;n salbb,ftdr 3 lb,aftdre tho boot
-
woulu ieave, upon Wnlcn ,htenueo
eoa ..1sDo s' Instance uown inc 'l river.
accordingly planncd 70 make the
most Of the time. From st. Paul up
the river, is d beautiful walk or drive
The road runs near the river; you
have the bluffs on either side, rising
bore abruptly, ard there gradually,
their sides and SUBMITS clothed with
the dark green Of young forest trees,
save where at their feeS Sthe river has
worn thcnf away, leaving only the
ghttering white sandstone in view.
On your right, for q long way after
yOu leave the heArt Of the city, the
binhs are ornatnented With fine resi-
dences and grounds, that tshow to the
visitor that st. Paul is not without
both wealth and taste. ss
Two miles down the river, and
little off Of the road is the celebrated
Fountain Cave. It is In a quiet,
beautiful dell, and is quite a curiosity
TO travellers. It's o caveof consider
able SIZE, apparently followed out of
the white sandrock, by the clear
stream of water that runs through
It. The guidebook will toll you athe
visitor can explore it for several
hundred feet, with candle. There
are two or three spacious and lofty
rooms; the principal one being twen-
ty-fve fl. wide, twenty feet high, and
one hundred feet in bngth." I'm
fortunately, I'had neglected to take
acandle With me, and 1 had to con-
tent myself with exploring as far /
could with tho aid Of the dim light
that came in at the entrance. 1t
we'll repays Aevisit. The sides and
ceiling of Che clcan white sandrock.
the stream of pelluc,d water-here
dark in the shadow. there briobt in
the reflected light-alr combined
make a pleasant resting place of it.
Unnumbered names are cut into tho
rock on every side, I'had taken the
precaution, before leaving the city.
TO have some luncheon pnt up. and
as it was about noon. I n1adot the cave
my drning-room. l6
Lunch finished, having vet the
whole afternoon before mo. I made
nav ways towards Fort Smelling
which ia four miles farther This
Fort occupies a most plctcresaue and
commanding situation at the conflu
enoe of the Mississippi and Minneso-
ia rivers. 1t stands on the point OF a
high promontory, can be seen for
miles around. and from it a fine view
can bo,had of the Mississippi and Min
nesota Valleys. This Isl tho oldest
settlement and first government post
in Minnesota. 1t was Commenced in
1920 by a detachment of troops
under Col. Josiah Smelling; was first
called "Fort st. Anthony" but after
Gen. Scott's visit to it, and at his
suggestion, in compliment to Colonel
Snelling's judgment in the selection
of the site and construction OF the
Fort, it was given this title. Beside
the company that constitutes the
regular garrison of the Fort, found
there were two or three companies
OF recruits waiting to be sent to the
front, which now means, l suppose to
fight the Indians
made my stay brief at the fort
because | found that only three
miles farther on were tho celebrated
"Mlnnehaha Falls famous almost
the world over "Perhaps no water
fall on the, continent, excepting
Niagara has been SO much writ
ten OF as Minnehaha, nor so
trequentlyphotographed and painted.
Its classic, quiet, attractive beauty
wins all to its enthusiastic praise. and
scarcely one OF the thousands of
travellers, who como to st. Paul and
Minneapolis returns east without
paying it a visit" Of course | wish
cd to see them, especially as Long
fellow, in his "Hiawatha," has
thrown such o charm over the whole
scene. The road from the fort is
across level prairie, keeping the
river IN almost constant view; and
you are soon AZ the interesting spot.
beaut,iul and charming as had ex-
Pectea TO ma u, after Longfcilow's
description, II iullY met my expecta-
tions. ihefe is not q large volume
OF water as az Niagara, but tho
wafer seems an nsed 70 the pest ad-
Vanoage. snouia say that there is
M NOT more water IN .he stream than
coulu run in a cnannci ten ieet across
ana from ionr 10 SIX feet deep
Mnero tne iail occurs there IS a bold
limestone rock, l9tting out, concaye
IA lorm' prooaoly ABOUT nfty feet
across. me stream, which has ITS
Im;laa ahova b,rr;as olono sn.aaas
ont nva,.ths - ,aaL "a S' .hS sp,eaGs
Suddanl,, ahnrl.d darn I VIZ s;,s.'. $50 IS, -
sauanty foat haln,r hroat,;a.,,s
foam and s,,rar 'rh;s a; - anab I
an impetus that for long way it
hurriea and rushes and nonts 90 ;f
1 -. - l..,, - - p.s - -
i ouV Va orcatH 1hu caSSer w Set lnto
the river. t"a- ~ I'VE
ii rrh a,.,.Es.s .,t