New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-06-27
Letter from Devils Lake.
.MINNEwAUKAU, June Is.

ate translation Of the Indian word
(Minnewaukau, which means mystcri.
Gus water, but now the name is SO
we'll established that any effort to
change it would be vain. The Indians
show great reverence or felr for this
sheet of water and it is said that none
Of them has dared to launch his canoe
upon its bosom. During stormy
weather the waves of this lake show
a violence That, if ain not m;stak en-,
is unknown to other bodies OF water
of equal size, and this, together with
the bitter taste Of the water, has
probably led the Indians to suppose
it in possession Of supernatural
powers. The scenery around the lake
is picturesque and the whole sur
roundings as far as the eye can reach
are beautiful The soil close to the
lake is sandy, but rs you go north it
turns into a very rich black loan, in
termixed with little sand, and has
clay for subsoil. In many places it
is literally covered with gopher
mounds, making it rather nconveEient
TO: breaking.
There are several towns on the
north shore of the lake. at the east
end is Jerusalem, which contains
nothing but a postoffice and perhaps
one or two stores. Odessa, so uamed
after the Russian seaport of that
name on account of similarity of stu
alton, is situated at the narroWs.
This town has been great in print, but
in reality is but. very small. 1t was
generally thought 20 be deac until
about two weeks ago when it doomed
up as formidable aspirant for the
territorial capital. Devils Lake City
is-the county seat and. is situated on
an elevated plain giving tia command
ing view Of the lake. The Devils
Heart, which I took to be close to the
lake, is twenty miles distant. The
dark forest in which Iron Heart, the
old Indian chief of the region, holds
his camp, is seen far off to the east.
Creel City, SO named after Col. Creel,
is situated at the head of Creel' bay.
Col. Creel was formerly in the United
States service at Fort Totten, but re-
signed his commission and took ad-
vantage of the golden opportunities
presented by Uncle Sam on the north
shore. He has indeed already reaped
golden harvest. This place con-
tanned about half "a dozen buildings
when 1 came here, but since the rail
road was surveyed it has grown so
immensely that were I in possession
of the facts and should state the truth
1 fear your Brown County readers
would think my description highly
colored. Grand Harbor is situated at
the head Of Six Miles bay and is yet
in it's infancy. Where the leading
town of this region will be located is
yet an unsolved problem. General
dissatisfaction is expressed about the
slowness Of President Hill in making
his intentions known.
The steamer Arrow has at last been
hauled up from Bartlett and is now
making her daily rounds on the lake.
She looks excellent with her stars and
stripes floating proudly from her
head. Piers have been built at sew
eral places for the accommodation CT
passengers. The captain has now def
initely mapped out his schedule. On
his trial trip he found but one obstacle
on the whole voyage and that was a
sand bar at the mouth Of Big Coolie.
The boat that is being built on Rock
Island is not completed yet, but will
be so by July 4th. The "iron horse
is also expected here by that time.
The grading will be finished in about
two weeks. The road passes a little
over half nile south of my place,
and here we have some hopes Of get
ting station. This, however, is
nothing but speculation, as there is
hardly man along the whole road
that does not expect q station on his
land.
About six miles north Of Devils
Lake City is a chain of lakes called
Sweet Water Lakes, They have re-
ceiyed this name undoubtedly in order
not to be misjud ged, rs one would
naturally, on account of their nearness
to Devils Lake, suppose their water
to be salt. Across these ferry is in
operation, at the expense of Ramsey
County. Northwest of Devils Lake
lie the Turtle Mountains. Rev. Father
J. F. Malice, I. Catholic missionary
among the Turtle Mountain Indians,
who is probably the best informed
white man about that section Of the
country was interviewed by the Fargo
Argus on his return from. an eastern
trip. The Argus says: she describes
the mountains as being about forty
miles north and south by sixty miles
east aud west, two-thirds of them be-
ing on the American side and one
third on the Manitoba. He says the
entire district may be called timber
country, with oak, ash and elm pre-
dominating. There are numerous
streams coursing toward the south and
west side Of the mountains, having
their sources in the interior, with
numerous water powers sufficient for
all saw mill and HOnrinr nnrnococ