The Portland daily press., 1870-08-08
Letter from the NOrthwesf-No. XIX.
STEAMER "KAsoTA," ST. LOUIS RIVER, ,
Aup I 1870


nection with the South and West"
Letter from the NOrihwcsf-Ns. XIX.
STEAMER "KAsoTA," ST. LOUIS RIVER.
Aug. 1, 1870.
To the Editor Of the Press:
In closing my last letter suggested that 1
might write again from, or in relation to, the
new city of Duluth. II you look upon any
recent map OF the United States, at the head
or extreme west end of Lake Superior will be
seen small black line indicating river that
finds its outlet in the lake at this point This
is the st. Louis, and small as it appears on
the map, it is a stream of no inconsiderable
proportions; quite as large as the Penobscot,
and navigable for steamers of light draft TO
Fondulac, sixteen miles from Duluth, which
is situated directly upon the shore of the
Lake. Having been to this city, which, the
present season, has occupied larger place in
the public eye than any city of its size on this
or any other continent, it may not be without
interest to your readers for me to fill small
space in your paper with an article descriptive
OF that famous locality, the methods of get
ting there, and its probable future.
Duluth is reached by two different routes,
during the season of open lake navigation,
though the frosts of November will effectual-
ly seal up one of them for at least six months.
Large steam propellers from Chicago, Detroit
and Cleveland navigate the great inland sea OF
Superior, touching at all the harbors on the
south shore, and terminating their voyages at
Duluth; and this season the arrivals of such
vessels have averaged five or six week,
freighted with railroad materials, and mer-
chandise and articles of subsistence for the
people on the lake shore. By these boats Du-
lulh is kept we'll supplied, in summer, with all
articles OF necessity and many of luxury, al
comparatively cheap rates; and large numbers
Of pleasure-seekers and tourists, from the
Eastern, Middle and even Western States
take the same route, to witness the romantic
sights scattered along the way from Mack
inaw, through the Sault st. Mary and the COD.
per and iron coast OF Superior, aud to enioy
the profoundest OF Natures solitudes,-few of
them returning by the same route, but max
ing a land tack to st. Paul, and from that
point turning their faces by different routes
homeward.
The other route 10 Duluth is from st. Paul
by rail, horsepower Tor on foot) and boat
Leaving the sanity city at seven fifteen A. NJ
by the Lake Superior and Mississippi Rail.
ROAD, for $6.65 the traveller may 60 to the
present "end of the road," known to baggage
smashers and ticket agents as the Getty oi
Thompson" though little sign of the city yet
appears except on paper. This point is one
mile south of the "Dalles" of the st. Louis
river, and is reached at six P. Ma distance
OF one hundred and thirty miles from St.
Paul, over new, and for this reason, very
rough road, which passes through one of the
dreariest and most God forsaken regions to be
found between "the rising OF the sun and the
going down thereof" Stopping over night in
tie woods, surrounded by disease-breedine
svamps and desolation, accommodated with o
t,lerably good meal and an intolerably hard
bed for a reasonable price, you can resume
your journey in the morning OF foot, and by
walking nine miles along the graded track
reach Fondulac in season for dinner, and a
two p. NJ. take the small steamer for Duluth
reaching your de,tination at five o'clock, an(
paying one dollar for the trip of sixteen miles
Those indisposed to tax their. pedestrian
powers may stop at the Junction" so-called
three miles back, take the siage-and such {
stage!-a mere ponderous, numbering mud
wagon with four horses attached, and for fce
dollars reach Fondulac by going fifteen miles
around, stopping over night at a log shanty in
the woods, arriving in season for the boat, go
ing every inch of the way at snairs pace
aud often at the risk of ones neck, with moth.
ing but jolting and tipping and pitching and
swearing from one end of the route te
the other. Pleasure-seekers, who obiec,
to the walk, take this route, but before
making one-fourth the distance they wish
they had foregone the pleasure and taken the
trip on foot.
What renders the nine miles of pedestrian
Ism particularly uncomfortable, is the deep
ravines across which the track is to pass, but
over which the bridges or trestles are not YET
completed. There are five of these in dis
tance of three miles, the canons having pre-
tpitous banks Of forty-five degrees, varying in
perpendicular height from ninety five to one
hundred and twelve feet and when the foot
sore and leg-wearied traveller, broiling be-
meath July sun, with the mercury at ninety
in the shade, has accomplished the feat of let
ting himself down one side and climbing up
the other of one of these terrible chasms, the
remaining four seem to him like "Alps on
Alps" over which his weary road inevitably
leads.
But one of these trestles was completed the
other day when passed over the route, and
over that, at the dizzy height of more than a
hundred feet, ventured to walk, not DARING
to look down through the cross ties. but bv
keeping my eyes fixed most unsweryipclv and
clrcumspectly on the line of travel about ten
feet ahead, managed to keep quite steady.
headed, but when my feet touched solid
ground l experienced sensation Of relie
such as do not care to enjoy oftener than
once in a lifetime.
Iv.n f.xx.- -