River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-14
LEVEL NOTES.
CONTINUED.

and wanders away to the eastward,
winding along deep ravines and by
the sides of steep hills where the
mountains press so closely together as
hardly to leave room for the narrow
road which lneanders between them.
But the route of our party deserted the
highway and followed the more pie
turesque but far less convenient path
along the lake. We say path but the
word must be taken in its metaphoric-
al sense as for considerable part of
the distance there is literally no path
but we were obliged to llew our way
through thick woods or climb along
the sides of mounds sloping abruptly
to the lake shore at an angle of As de-
grees, or leaving the hillside we tray
eled on the beech strewn with the
skeletons of gigantic cottonwoods
bleached white by the storms and sun.
For three miles after leaving the
valley of the Isabelle the lake is
bounded on either hand by mountain
like bluffs whose sides slope steeply
down TO the beach. AT the base of
the hillside the water has washed
away the earth and rock to TIL e
heighth of from 20 to 40 feet leaving
a beach from so to 100 feet in width;
this beach is every where covered
with the debris washed up from the
lake or with water worn rocks which
have fallen from the ledge above.
Now we find the beach strewn with
tiny shells, now huge piles of rock af-
ford a lookout, here cool spring
gushing from the hill side affords us
welcome refreshment; but the beach
is growing wider; a wider ravine than
any yet passed opens before us and as
we turn around Il projecting point the
little hamlet of Warrentown comes in
to sight. This village lies at the
mouth of deep but wide and precip-
tous ravine leading by steep grade to
Der that during the late tornado which
inflicted so much damage upon the
eastern part of the county, a flood of
water rushing down this ravine swept
away the house in which the Brush
family lived and caused the death of
several members of the family.
From Warrentown the route lies on
level plateau lying about twenty feet
above the lake shore, but gradually
descending to high water mark to the
valley of the Rush River. We cross
ed the river some distance above its
mouth and took the road to Maiden
Rock. This village as is well known
is in sight of the far famed Maiden
Leap, a promontory projecting into
the lake about three miles below the
village and tabled to be the spot where
dusky maiden committed herself,
like Sappho of classic story, to the
gods of the air to soothe the pains of
unhappy love. Like all places famed
in romance the spot seems more beau
tiful from the very touch of human
sympathy even if we doubt the story,
and it may be true, certainly there is
rock there, and what more evidence
can be asked. We passed the Sabbath
at Maiden Rock, committing ourselves
to the kindly care of our host Foster,
the jolly landlord of the Lake View
House. And it was Sunday to be re-
ing as possible. A gentle breeze toss
ed the white caps on the surface of
the lake and caused the waves to roll
in long undulations upon the shore.
A tiny boat mOored short way into
the lake rose and fell in graceful mo-
tions and i'll the distance the dark
clouds of smoke arose from the steam
er Imperial as she plod her way along
the opposite shore. 1t was indeed to
us all, wearied with the toll of the
past week, a day of rest. No sermon
was needed that day, we could read
lessons of grandeur and beauty iii the
rolling waves. III the silent forest COW
cred hills or the long stretch of wa
tiers. There are few places in this
county more attractive, to my mind,
than the scene from the shore in front
of the village, the view combining in
harmonious proportion, forest, plain
and water, and in the distance the
beautiful grounds of the Frontenac
House add materially to the land
scape as seen through our glasses.
Monday morning saw us hOmeward
bound up the valley of the Rush Riv-
er, and if we found the valley of the
Trimbelle eXhausting our powers of
description what words can express
the varied scenery of Rush River. RI
valing in beauty that of the Hudson.
This valley seems level from the base
of the mound on one side to the other
so gentle is the grade, although in re-
ality the river falls about ten feet
in mile, and it varies in width from
its mouth to the junction with Lost
Creek from half a mile to a mile in
width and perhaps in some places is
even wider. This space between the
mounds is an almost level plain
through which the river flows in an
extremely tortuous course, crossing
the valley many times. AS the lands
next to the river are generally so low
as to be overlooked at high water they
have not been cleared off and so the
whole valley is divided by the belts
of timber universally found along the
stream into small parks as they may
be termed, which are either improved
farms or meadows clothed with abund-
ant growth of grass. AS we ascend
further up the river the land is less
improved and a part of the way is in
its native wildness. but for the most
part the better tracts are well culti-
waited and fine houses and ample barns
attest the prosperity of the in
habitants. a drawback which in
a -