Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-06-22

the sentrles pacing TO and tro, il
would have been hard to associate
battles and sieges with the peaceful
scene. Having but little time, 70
waited only while the different build.
lngs were pointed out, then turned
and went away. There is but one
COMPANY garrisoning the fort.
Proceeding up the river, the coun.
try unfolded new beauties continual.
ly. Broad smooth roads, substantial
buildings and fences gave an air Of
thrift and prosperity to scenery
which, for qniet grace and gently
flowing outlines could scarcely be
excelled. While our eyes were still
resting on quiet rural scenes, we
drew up at the gate Of an unpretend-
ing building which, we were inform.
ed, was the lunch house at the Falls
Of Msnneha ha. Crossing the door
yard and bit OF green sward, our
path bends downwards through
shrubs and trees till it rests on lit
tie ledge, where, so suddenly that we
stand in mute surprise, the wild
sweet beauty of Mime ha-ha breaks
upon US. Pouring over rough and
jagged rocks, the water breaks at
once into foam and spray, and, do
scendlng. .wreaths and curls into .
thousand shapes OF beauty. Reach
ing the water below it springs once
more into graceful curves, then flows
TRANQUILITY away. Only forty feet Of
fall, they tell US, but, in that short
space, the river is etherialized, and
water glorified, in our eyes, forever.
Scrambling down the rocky bank
we viewed it from below; crossing
the little bridge we viewed 1t from
the other side; but, from whatever
angle seen, 1t IS unehangable in its
loyliness; still the ralnbows span its
feet and the sunshine gilds all its
quivering foam with silvery sheen.
| We can hardly be thankful enough
tor the good taste which has left this
beautiful scene in all its natural wild
ness. Excepting the little wooden
bridges above and below the falls,
every thing is as it was when first
discovered. No ugly wooden steps
; facilitate descent, and no chisellcd
notches mar the rocks. We tread
; the same winding paths ard Chamber
over the same rough Eccks the In
dians trod before us. Clinging to
trees and shrubs we wind along the
shelving shore to where the river,
again interrupted, breaks into rapids
, and miniature cascades. A lovely
: spot, but, to be appreciated, should
be seen before the falls are visited.
by this time, we have climbed and
slid and tumbled and run rntil we
are tired and hungry, and quite ready
for the Delicious lunch Of wild straw
berries and real cream which awaits
Us in the pleasant farm house by the
} Falls The driver warns us that we
have many more things to see, and
after one moro look at the beautiful
gem lin its wildwood setting, we
hurry away. After this we shall no,
care to see pictured views Of Mime.
ha-ha, for memory can, at any mo
ment, show us moving form of in
tangible grace and delicacy, permeat-
ed with the music Of roaring waters
and rustling forest leayes-a scene
that mo pencil can picture nor pen
| portray"
A few miles farther, aud we arrive
at Minneapolis, thriving city of PER-
haps $4,000 inhabitants; and here, in
the thickest of the city, whore great
stone buildings crowded upon each
other, we found the Falls of st. An
thony. Very grand aud beautiful
they must have been at some time,
years ago, before the white man came
to medd!e with its natural beauty
to patch aa1 mend and mar it all.
Fhere Is, however, some excuse for
mans interference here. The rock
over which the water pours is SO
I friable that it wears rapidly away,
and the falls have rcceded 20 or 80
rods in the last 25 years. The city
became fearful that their excellent
water-power would go up stream and
leave their mills and factories in the
lurch. To prevent this calamity they
have planked the incline with heavy,
bolted timbers, ,aud down this inclined
plane the river rushes like "rain uron
the root" but with a volume and
force that fills one with awe. We
think that no where can the resist
less power of rushing water be bet
Ter realized than here. The current
is impeded IN many places by huge
masses of rock, broken by the action
OF the water, and these scattered
about in wild confusion form harbors
and coves in which are lodged slabs.
boards, broken timber aud all the un-
couth debris Of saw mills aud facso-
rles. A scene, full, perhaps. Of Ger
tain wild beauty, bat too expressly