The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-12-02

toes.
"Why don't you write up Campbell ana
that region of Minnesota where the o'tawa
people are" has been asked ne severa'
times lately, to which l reply that there
by hangs tale"
Lately have been taxing my memory
on the subject and with some particulars
obtained from lale arrivals from that re-
p,on, venture bret account of my wis.,
impressions and observations in the vicini'
ty of Campbell and Tintah.
There Is no portion of the great north
west that interests the people OF Ottawa
and La Sale county more than that section
of country, and no portion OF that vast Ter
r,tory has been 80 well written up and ad'
vertised.
It's not my intention to belittle the rosy
pictures that have from time to time ap-
peared IN the FREE TRADER and others OF
our city press. But as all cannot ace alike
and especially when personally interested
Il makes considerable difference how we
look at things. Therefore, | may be al
loved to give M views and pic.are the
place as it appeared to me. AS | have no
land to sell, and AM not DESTROYS Of pur-
chasing, while the prospects are dubious
of my ever becoming q resident OF that
treeless plain, can we'll afford to be I'M
partial In what l have to say. 1t is well
established fact that no two hold the same
opinion regarding the country, except IN TWO
porticulars-that it is the greatest wheat
growing region IN America, and that 1t beats
New Jersey for mosquitoes; that they are
larger, more numerous and blood.thirsty
in that vicinity than anywhere else on
earth! Every visitor to that country real
ICES this fact. and invariably has something
10 say regarding the festive mosquito. My
personal experience with the brutes de-
tail further on.
Campbell Is situated on the east bank OF
Rabbit river, 4. G., as every stream In MIN
uesota is called river and every pond
lake, we will, for courtesy, call this river;
but so as your readers may form clearer
idea of what this river IS like, / vii! illus
,rate by stating that Covel Creek, Big In.
dian or Somonauk might be called roar
ing rivers compared TO 1t. 1t 10 nothing
more than winding creek and crookeder
than the Red River OF the North, of which
1t 10 tributary. 1t flows in every direc.
ton, and in following its banks for less
than mile, one is liable to make all points
OF the compass.
The town of Campbell resembles Serena
somewhat, except that there is no such i'm.
posing edlfice ms the school house, and
with few exceptions none OF those preten.
t,ous structures that charscterizes the met
ropolls of the "nation." Without going
into details and enumeratlng the several
buildings that compose the town, may
briefly state that IL consists of q depot and
freight house, two elevators, two hotels (?),
q few general stores, several gin mills and
the residential portion scattered here and
there upon the prairie. The location OF
the town 10 ZOE miles from ST. Paul, on
what 10 called by the shores Of Mime
tonka line" of the 81. Paul, Minneapolis
IL Manitoba Railroad, some fifty miles
within the borders of the Red River VAL
ley, IN tract OF country that q absolutely
level or fat, and IL positively the most
dresry, desolste aud uninvitlng region OF
all Minnesota. am sure that were com.
mittee appointed to select the most level,
flat and dreary section Of the great north
west that Campbell and its vicinity would
be the Eureka" of their travels. Forty
miles IN any direction, except north, Is u
region OF rolling prairie, d,versihed by
woodland, lake and forest, and as fine land
a the sun shines upon. But here the sur-
face of this great extent reminds one OF q
sea in dead calm. II is apparently level,
and without elcvatng yourself more than
the heels Of your boots afford, you can take
in, with the naked eye, sweep of country
from % to 30 miles In any direction, upon
whose broad surface not a tree, shrub, or
scarcely al undulation is visible. Moth
ing dots the PLAIN save here and there the
homesteaders shanty, or the houses, barns
and hay stacks OF the new settlers, which
az yet, are like "angels' vlsits-few and
far between" No matter in what direc-
ton you look, the same boundless sweep
from horizon TO horizon meets the eye, and
the great plain spreads out before you, be
hind, 10 the right and to the left, as one
vast unbounded sea. over.arched by Hcav-
ems blue canopy. The eyes tire of search
ing for an end to the great expanse, and We
look in vain tor redeeming feature, oi
something to end the grand monotony thai
surrounds us, which is better told in Joa
gum Miller's ship Of the Desert"
1.-THE solemn silence Of the plain
Where unnamed tempest ride anu reign,
IL awes and 1t passes you;
A wide domain of mysteries,
And sigma that man misunderstands;
A land OF space and dreams; land
ar Mains of lakes and dried nm spas"