Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-17
NO. 1873.
ROAMING ABOUT.
Notes of Trip Through Northern Min
nesota.

Notes OF Trip Through Northern Min
nesota.
AT HOME, May 5, 1SS0.-My last letter
left me at Breckenridge, but 1 had made
only an incidental reference to Fergus Falls
and vicinity, where had spent day and
half. L will now go back there, in imagina-
ton, and say mere of that enterprising,
beautiful and growing village.
FERGUS FALLS
is situated upon both sides of the Red River
of the North, % miles east from Brecken-.
ridge, 23I northeast from Campbell, and 81
southeast from GAINESVILLE, and is, of course,
on the Fergus Falls division of the st. Paul,
Minneapolis & Manitoba railway branch
line. The village now has
population of about 1,400 or
1900. 1t is we'll laid tout and the princi-
pal streets are graded. Two bridges besides
the railroad bridge span the river and make
communication with each side very conven
lent. The United States land Office for that
district is located here and it is also the
county seat for Otter Tail county. Good
graded schools are kept up and there are
plenty of churches for the population.
THE WATER POWER
is one of the best in the State, the river
within an air line distance of about six miles
having fall of 200 feet, and the volume of
water flowing is more uniform than any other
Western river that l know of. 1t varies
but little during the year. There are three
dams across the river, upon two of which
mills are in operation, and negotiations are
now pending for the purchase of the other
(the upper one) with view to immediate.
improvement.
PINE AND HARDWOOD TIMBER
grow within reasonable distance of the
mills, and can be readily foated to the dams,
and that without the enormous expense at
tending similar operation for our Mime
apolis and st. Paul mills. There is some
hardwood timber in the immediate vicinity.
The railway company are expending a
good deal Of money here, the managers being
shrewd enough to see that q good deal of
traffic will be obtained here. They have a
large elevator, and are going to put up per-
manent buildings for repair shops, side
tracks for the handling of freight, good
depot building convent ent Cor passenger
traffic, etc., etc.
Having said this much of the water and
railroad facilities possessed by this place 1
will speak briefly of the
FACE OF THE COUNTRY.
In Fergus Falls, and for several miles
around it, the surface of the land is quite
uneven. in fact, it may be called very rolling.
High elevations abound, from the tops of
which extensive and delightful views are to
be had of the beautiful rolling prairies in
the distance. From the top of one or these
''lookouts," had Breckenridge twenty-five
miles west) and Campbell (twenty- three
miles southwesD pointed out to me. Equally
good views are to be had from many other
elevations, or hills, if one chooses to call
them by the latter name. These elevations
do not usually create or have ravines
between them draining the surface water in
to the river, but are so arranged as to form
basins, which generally contain beautiful,
clear little lakes, which give to the land
scape charm seldom felt in travelling over
prairie country, and when once felt is long
remembered with delight by all who have
love for the beautiful in nature. Another.
peculiar feature of these "hills and
dales' is the frequent occurrence Of large
granite boulders, even in the lakes, and one
is almost lost in the contemplation of the
power that brought them SO far
from their native beds at the
distant north and deposited them
in their present resting places. Could they
tell US the history of their long pilgrimage
hither, of the ages upon ages, perhaps, re-
quired to accomplish it, of the irresistible
and inconceivable forces of nature which
lifted thsm from the mountains as they
we're but feathers, ground and rent them as
If they had been egg-shells; could they tell
us all this what thrilling story it would be.
The land all about here is immensely
rich, even these hills, and we'll repay the
husbandman for his toll. The soil here is
probably just as good as it is on the fiat
prairie, and is much less monotonous to
look upon. Visited
WALL LAKE,
among good many others. 1t is about seven
miles from the village, in south or south
easterly direction, and is quite large body
of water, we'll stocked with fish, as indeed
most of the others are, and presents an in
teresting study for the scientist. 1t has evil
IDENTIFY at some time been very much higher
than now, and was apparently separated,
either from another lake or possibly ths
river, by high earth wall or embankment
twelve to fifteen feet high, curved like an
earth dam and about the width of railroad
embankment. But by some strong force
break was made in it, through which Its
waters flowed, reducing it to its present level,
and which still serves as an outlet for its
surplus to the river not far distant.
| must cut this short off, or / shall not get
home at the appointed time, 80 / shall leave
Fergus Falls and the "Park Region" (Which
| title is peculiarly appropriately to take care
| of themselves while take the night train
| for GAINESVILLE, thence to Breckenridge, and
down the main line to st. Paul.
1 left Fergus Falls on the Saturday train
for GAINESVILLE, arriving there at midnight.
Left GAINESVILLE for Breckenridge at 4:50 on
freight train, arriving there at $50 A. NJ.
Sunday.
Breckenridge is situated at the confluence
of the Red River of the North and the Boise
de Sioux river, and is, in point of popula-
ton, O small place-otherwise, q large one.
The prairie on which it stands is large
enough to accommodate a city as large as g.
E. Brott's check.
wAAPEToN,
on the opposite side of the river in Dakota,
although less than year old, has about as
large population, and will soon have one
much larger, unless Breckenridge wakes up.
On Monday morning, May 2, / took the
train for st. Paul. There are several nice
looking towns along the line, among which
l can only mention few, to-wit: Morris,
Benson, Wilmar, Litch6eld, Delano, and
Minneapolis. My notes call for mention of
every town on the line, but they will call in
vain, for my allotted space is
already filled. will, however, say
word or two more, under the head of
GENERAL AND PERSONAL.
The face of the country along this line is
similar to that on the other, alternately