The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-07-12
PRESS PEREGRINATORS.
The Excursion OF the Illinois Press AssOcia-
ton into the Great Wheat Regions OF the
Northwest.

NorthWest.
The two days spent by the association in
Chicago were full of interest and attractions.
s. p, Rounds, of the Northwestern Type Foun
dcrs' Association had made such arrangements
as enabled the members Of the press and thor
ladies to enjoy a ride on the Goodrich line of
sdewhee steamers, a carriage ride down the
boulevard to South Park, q view OF the famous
patrol building and the operation OF turning
out to fire, an evening at McVicker's and an
other at Haverly's All these entertainments
were participated in with azcst which no doubt
repaid Mr.. Rounds and the gentlemen asso-
ciated with him for their trouble in arranging
the programme.
On Thursday morning, June 10, about fifty
five newspaper men and their ladies boarded
a special train consisting of baggage car, two
Pullmans and the directors car, and started
northward on their longanticlpated trip of
,72l miles over the Chicago IL Northwestern
into the tar-iamcd wheatregions of Minnesota,
Dakota and Iowa. In charge Of the train was
the flln.loving and active \. +. Phillips, gen
eral baggage agent of the company, who had
TIE practical management of the "special,"
and to whom the party was continually lndebt-
cd for cheeriully bestowed favors. Then came
the afIabe and dlgntied Warren F. Fitch, gen
eral claim agent, the quiet and courteous Col
c.. +. Simmons, land commissioner, and the
ever-obligng and unobstrusive Samuel ).
Parke, travelling land agent and former pub
Usher of the Bloomington Daily 1rguS, who
were detailed to look after the social enjoyment
Of the eXcurslonI,ts and 10 point out the inter
eSting objects on the route The Pullman com
pany likewise despatched one OF Its most trust
ed and popular conductors Melvin Tarble, to
take charge OF the sleeping cars. Under such
chaperonage it is not surprising that the eX
Of tl,n dali phtf nd
profitable the J. p. A. has ever taken.
The first days run through Wisconsin was
most suspicious. The scenery was ever chang
ing and for the most part grand. The famous
DEVILS LAKE REGION
was passed through during the middle OF the
day and was source of keen delight to our
Illinois prairie people. This is one of the hun
dred and one popular resorts With which Wis
consin abounds. 1t is at the union of the Wis
consin and Baraboo rivers, and at the point of
conjunction the rock-bou bluffs rise to the
grand height of 600 feet. There are but two
entrances to this gorge where beetling crags
hang topping on the dizzy heights of the
mountain-one at the southern end OF the val
ley where the railroad steals into the quiet
solitude of the retreat and the other where 1t
energies upon the fertile plateau of the sur
rounding country from the lake basin. The
1t is situated in an amphitheatre formed by
the towering rocks which enclose ii on every
SIDE and which give it a resemblance of the
celebrated lake Tahoe, in Nevada. A fine ho-
| tel nestles against the face of the rocks at the
edge of the lake.
4 few miles below Devils Lake we crossed
the Wlsconse" on a lofty iron bridge which
cost the Northwestern 100000.
| At BARABOO
| q delicious dinner, IN honor of the Illinois
| Press Association" was served at the railway
eating house, and many were the praises which
were spoken of the proprietor of the house,
Mr. B. X. Cowles
Soon after leaving Baraboo we entered the
| hop growing region. Some of the ladies on
the train insisted that the strange vegetable
was beans"
| At ELROY
where we changed our course towards the Mis-
sisslppi river, there is a seminary supported
by the United Brethren denomination. Elroy,
which IN 1872 had 100 inhabitants, now num-
bers / 200 Fitting adjuncts to the wild seen
cry through which we passed during the day
were three long tunnels the most extensive be
ing thrce-quarters of mile long. The gloom
of these underground passages was made more
apparent by the sickly glare of the lights
which the portcrs had turned on in the cars,
and by the carefully closed windows and ven
tiators which made the atmosphere only less
oppressive than the smoke from the engine
would have caused had we not closed the APP
ertures
is another well-known summerlng place on
the Northwestern. 1t possesses besides its
romantic scenery, a number of mineral springs
which have medicinal qualities. We stopped
| Inn lnnnuh n drink pt fha nt nf
these springs, but there was nothing unusual
in the taste nor the effect. How much better
is mineral water than whisky!
More wild bluff scenery for a number of
miles; then crossing black river, packed as
tar as the eye could reach with pine logs we
emerge upon the bottom land i'm full sight of
Winena Mimi, beautifully located on the 9th.
cr side of the
| FATHER OF WATERS"
The hospitablc citizens had carriages in
waiting to convey us to several hotels where
we were to get supper, and after the meal had
been put where it would do the most good, all
who desired ride about the handsome little
city found comfortable vehicles and compan-
ionable drivers in waiting A fine normal
school building is located in this city of L 600
inhabitants, and all over the business and resi-
dence parts are seen indications OF thrift taste
and intelligence At early bedtime the weary
but happily entertained excursionists wendell
their way TO their tram, where the elegant day
cars had been transformed into luxurious
| sleeping apartments. Before starting west
ward in the morning we received pleasant &C
cessions to our party in the persons of ex-Gov.
Yale, his son, c. Il, Yale, and ii. NJ. Burchard,
land agent at Marshall A last sight of wild
and rugged scenery before entering upon the
great western prairie country was given us in
our ride up through the bluffs skirting the
Mississippi. The grade averages 30 feet TO
the mile and we were carried Slowly over deep
ravines spanned by trestle, around the
sharply turned face of some rocky bluff, OF
through deep cut in rapid succession for a
distance of ten or twelve miles then we emerge
upon the
| GRAND EXPANsE OF COUNTRY
which has been of late years known as the
comlsg farming region Of the United States
At halfp tive we halted at Kasota junction
the crossing Of the G. & n. w. and St Paul &
Sioux City roads, and partook Of the mos
elaborate meal of the trim The iunction is 4