Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-08-17

OLD VOyaSerS engaged IN the fur trade
hundred years ago, we will find that those
adventurous spirits struck natural paths
for commerce in thatremote day. have
myself, on frequent occasions, threaded
| with canoe and Indians, the long stretches
of river and lake which lie between the
mouth of Pigeon river and the RAINY lake
| series. The uplift to the lacustirne region,
| by way of Pigeon river, is not greater
than by the st. Louis river route. But
the east and west lake stretches are most
| admirably formed for the water routes.
They lie embedded in the solid rock,
holding water like cisterns. The rain
/ falls are frequent, and there is no absorb
ton of moisture by abundant soils.
There are long stretches of natural
canals where romantic beauty struggles
with utility for mastery. This was the
track of the lordly Hudson Bay company
when the intrepid voyager pushed his
fortunes and his canoe to the Saskatche-
| wan, the Assindiboine and Lake Athabas-
ca. The route abounds in romantic beau
ty and gorgeous scenery. If once opened
to commerce, it would be pronounced the
most picturesque channel of trade in the
| world. This entire route to, and even
beyond the Height of Land, is permeated
| by mineral veins, which are rich in silver
and Astounding in undeveloped wealth.
The finest lakes are upon the very top of
the ''divide," and nature herself, has
almost provided for the transition from
ascent to descent.
THE vERNILLION ROUTE.
Still another route lies by the way of
the Vermillion lake, which would have to
be reached by the st. Louis, Pike and
Embarrass rivers, and the tran sltion is
comparatively easy, being an old canoe
route
| From Vermilllon lake to the Rainy
| lake, there is succession of large lakes
! admirably adapted to navigation. Upon
this route there are large deposits of iron
of great value, which would find, by this
canal, an outlet to the markets of the
country. These iron deposits, the quality
and quantity of which are now establish
ed beyond all question, abut upon the
very borders of Vermillion lake. These
deposits of iron extend from Lake Yer
million to Iron lake, near
the fourth principal meridian,
in Cook county. This lake was so
named by myself when making its sur
vey, because of the iron deposits upon its
shores. have myself travelled for for
ty miles from that lake towards Vermil-
lion, where iron was present nearly the
entire way. Other minerals are also
abundant in our state, in all the rocks
which encircle the lacustrine regions be-
lyond Vermillion. All these possible de-
velopments are fairly to be considered in
estimating the resources of these routes.
In either of these last mentioned routes,
connection would have to be made from
| To-, 1ol- 70 Po6 lob fha picr
Fork river, which, am informed, is in
every way feasible.
THE DAWSON ROUTE.
In this connection it should be stated
that our Canadian neighbors once
established what is known as the "Daw-
son Route" through this lacustrine region
we are considering. When the RieI in
surrection took place in Manitoba, Col.
Woolsey was dispatched with military
force on Canadian soil. It took him more
than three weary months to find his way
from Thunder bay to Fort Garry. To make
communication for military and other
purposes more easy, the Canadian gev-
eminent established on these great water
stretches the s'Dawson Route" This was
about 400 miles in length, and was the
first effort made to utilize for commerce
and travel these lakes and lacustrine
rivers. Tugs and barges were placed on
the great water stretches and OK carts on
the portages, and thousands of emigrants
were thus carried over the route by the
Canadian government at an expense to
the emigrant of $22 each. Reference is
made to this route, now abandoned, to
show the possibilities of these wonderful
water ways.
The greatest obstacle to the Vermillion
route, have proposed, is the Falls of St..
Francis, on Rainy river. But the Cana
dian government has already overcome
this obstacle by building the Fort St.
Francis lock. The fall is twenty-five
feet, and the lock is well cut out of solid
stone, and when | was there in 1878 it
was estimated that it would cost $3.50, 900.
1t was large enough for vessels of great
capacity, and could at once be turned to
account in the Vermillion route. 1t was
constructed for use in the dawson
route' by the Canadian government and
is all done but the gates. Thus it will be
seen that there is nothing new in the
utilization of these lake stretches for
commerce. The track of the early voy-
ager and that established by Dawson may
prove the forerunners of great and per-
fected waterway.
THE ELEVATIONS OF THE DIFFERENT
ROUTES.
1t is important to understand clearly
the elevations of the routes indicated.
The Winnibigoshish or Central route has
an elevation below Pokegama falls of
651 feet, according to the barometrical
measurement. The falls are twenty four
feet and to the head of Turtle lakes is
twenty feet more; making in all
from the level of Lake Superior to the
Height of Land, 702 feet.
The elevations on the Central route, l
have not received. But they can be easily
obtained from the levels of the North
Pacific railway.
The elevations of the Vermillion and
Pigeon river routes, vary but little from
those of the Central route.
In view of all which has been pre-
sented, let no intelligent man summarily
dismiss this project. No man can say
that one of these routes is not practicable.
Let us incite intelligent inquiry, and see
if this grand scheme be not only feasible
but desirable from the most pressing con-
siderations. Of course the skill of the
engineer can surmount all obstacles and
construct a route. But it possesses no
such difficulties as the canals oE the
mountains of Scotland, or those lower
than the sea in Holland. In character it
is not unlike the Wisconsin and Fox
river improvement, while in the range Of
| its grand purpose it Is incompatible su-
perior to them all.
NATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE ENTER
4 PRISE.
! This project betakes more of the char
acter of national enterprise than any
| internal one now receiving the fostering
care of the government, the improvement
of the Mississippi alone excepted. The
development of the last decade of years,
Il bofI, f1,a Trn,toI Cfofoo o-I