Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-06-16

in hospitality or courtesy. The
Mayor met them in the cars before
the train had reached the city, and
in behalf of the citizens extended a
warm welcome. The party was
lodged at two as elegant and CON-
Portable and spacious hotels as can
be found in the west anywhere,
and on Saturday morning before
! their departure, were treated to a fine
boat ride of sixteen miles down
the bay to Superior City, Wis.-the
; rival of Duluth-and back on the
lake, and to crown all deed in
regular form was made out and ex-
ecuted of valuable town lot, the
gift Of Duluth to the Iowa Press
Association. Henceforth every
Iowa editor has personal interest
in the future great city of the North
west. Every attention was paid
their guests by the live business
men of Duluth, who are too far
sightedto overlook the advantage
Of having, from each Of a hundred
or two editors, a paragraph or a
chapter respecting their town, the
result of personal observation and
contact with it. We have not the
present space to tell the half of what
we saw and heard, but will repair
the omission at some future time.
We are under especial obligations,
for attentions and information to J.
D. Ensign, Esq, formerly of Ashta-
bula, Ohio, and now established as
one of the leading attorneys of Du-
luth.
HOMEWARD BOUND.
On Saturday, about noon, the ex-
cursionists set their faces home
ward; the ladies with hands and
baskets full of agates, Indian curios-
tiles, birch bark and other souc-
e,airs of the trip, the gentlemen with
heads full of speculations respecting
Duluth and her prospects, and all
more than satisfied with the fund of
health, pleasure and information
gathered during their short stay.
No incident of unusual interest oc-
cured on the return trip to St. Paul,
where portion of the party took
beds for the night and the balance
went on to Minneapolis. We were
among the former, and on Sunday
morning arising refreshed and re-
invigorated from slumber, after
having partaken of a hearty break
fast, took carriage with pleasant
company for Minneapolis, via Fort
Smelling and Minnehaha. The
morning was fine, with a bracing
breeze coming over the prairies
from the west. Half an hour brought
us to
FORT SMELLING,
Now occupied by two companies of
regulars, under the command of
Gen. Sykes, an officer who won
fame and scars in the Potomac
armies. Fort Smelling is on high,
white sandstone bluff, at the juno
ton of the Mississippi and Mime
sofa rivers, and at a distance pre-
sents an exceedingly bold and pic
turesque outline, but its beauty
disappears on closer inspection.
No government post presents sor-
ricr picture of dilapidation and de-
cay. Old, tumble-down barracks
and stables, ruins of towers and
battlements, broken windows, litter
and confusion are It's characteris-
tics. Every thing betokens it's not
distant abandonment and sale by
the government, the advance Of set
Element and civilization having rem
dered it unnecessary for defense and
inefficient for purposes of offensc
against the wild Indian tribes. In
happy contrast to this scene of
Wondering decay and ruin was the
next incident of the ride, no less
than the Economically beautiful gem
of all waterfalls,
MINNEHAHA.
We have described the rushing
torrent of the St. Louis river as
sublimely grand and awe inspiring.
Minnehaha is the synonym of the
beautiful and romantic. A slight
stream, but a rod or two in width,
gurgling through field and forest,
suddenly comes to the edge Of a
rocky ledge, and with one silvery
bound of sixty feet dashes its spray
on the rocks below, forming rain
bows in the sunshine, and then goes
dancing over its pebbly bottom, un-
der rustic bridge and into the
tangle of the thicket. This is Min
nehaha, "laughing WATER" the in
spiration of generation of poets
and painters, and the ever fresh de-
light of thousands of returning ad-
mirers. The visitor fingers with
delight about the scene and climbs
behind the white veil Of the pretty
fall, and for once in his life if never
before experiences poetic emotion.
We are not poet enough to attempt
to describe
'tSweet Minnehaha,"