Daily globe., 1883-05-26
THE PARK REGION.
BEAUTIFUL LAKES-NATUR1L FOR
FSTS-RICH ME4DOWS.
The Land for Diversified Farm ng-Con-
dition of Crops-A1exandria.
Special Correspondence of the Globe.

1
ALEXANDRIA, Mimi, May 23.-Your COR
respondent, in passing through the famous
Park region, on the line of the Manitoba
road, between st. Cloud and Barnesville
on the Fergus Falls division and
having transient Iglimpses of
the chain of beautiful lakes
on either side of the railway, has frequently
been impressed with the idea, that possibly
this part of the Manitoba road was
made to wind around and meander
the shores of these thousands of lakes,
to give the traveller the benefit of
the contrast between the Park region and
the broad expanse of the renowned Red
River valley, just beyond.
1t was partially to solve this doubt in
my mind, and at the same time to get an
insight into the problem of "diversifed
| farming" in the Park region, that board
ed the Manitoba train, the other evening
at the Union depot, st. Paul, and selected
Alexandria as my destination.
The sleeper, the st. Hilaire,
was on her maiden trip, and suffice it to
| say that she is thing of beauty, and will
no doubt be a Joy for long time to come
to travellers.
Alexandria was reached by early dawn,
and she was fguratively in the arms of
Morpheus, but by o'clock there was
quite stir around the Letsen house, and
the occasion was the gathering of a num-
Der of the business men and sportsmen,
who came each with fishing outft-hav-
| ing two fine row boats-on wagons, and
all started for some of the adjacent lakes
to make catch of specimen fnnies to be
forwarded alive to the railway exposition
at Chicago.
The morning was not very propi-
tious, as dark clouds were
lowering in tho west. and experts did not
feel very enthusiastic as to the result of the
days venture.
Your correspondent was invited to join
the party but being a novice preferred to
GO on his own hook. The expedition re-
turned in good season and the count
stood 100 fine fish, consisting of pickeral,
pike, cropies, black and rock bass, several
weighing upwards of TIN ee to four pounds.
Accompanied by the Hon. L. K. Aaker, who
knows the geography of this country by
heart as it were, your correspondent saw
more of lakes, woods, highlands, valleys,
fields and farms, than ever before in a sin
| gle day.
Alexandria is situated on the beautiful
|
east, within two miles, are lakes Victoria
| and Geneva. To the northeast LIE Homme,
and to the north Darling and Carlos. The
| last five named are connected by streams
large enough to admit good sized steamers,
and this season several pleasure steamers
are to ply on these lakes.
A summer hotel is in course of erection
in beautiful belt of heavy timber, on the
bank of Lake Geneva, and this is a most
romantic and enchanting retreat, where
the weary and careworn may commune
with nature in her richest establishment,
free from artificial adornment.
A natural park, surrounded by lakes and
rich in beautiful scenery. Sailing
on and through these lakes,
there Is constant change
of wondrous, beautiful landscape. The
drives around the lakes are picturesque
in the extreme, and many high knoll
gives grand views of near and distant Park
regions. To any one who prefers the sa-
cred seclusion among the hundreds of lakes
to the fashions of the modern summer re-
sorts, lonely Alexandria and the entire
Douglas county has no superior attrac-
tions.
The spring crops in this section look re-
markably well, and the prospects for an
abundant harvest were never more favor
able, although the farmers in the Park
region do not depend on wheat alone, as
they are beginning to pay considerable
attention to stock raising, for which this
county is pre-eminently we'll adapted,
abounding in natural meadows, and plenty
of water, besides laying claim to being a
corn county. The quality of stock is being
materially improved by the importation
of higher grade and blooded animals
Creameries are being established, and the
! day is not far distant when the husband
men in the Park region will be in easy
| circumstances.
Manufacturing enterprises woul3, 10
doubt, do we'll here, as fuel is CHEAP and
cord wood selling, delivered, in the winter
season as low as $1.75 per cord. Good
| quality of hard wood is plenty, and w CONS
aud farming implements can and should
| be manufactured right here in the district
where there is great demand.
| Something about Alexandria and her
people:
| Alexandria is quite On old town, or
rather city; present population about
| $500, as the term implies in new countries
where towns six months old are no longer
infants, and where frequently their eye
teeth are cut before they are year old.
Alexandria is probably eight
Or nine years old and has long
ago sobered down and settled
down to regular work and business-in
fact it is questionable if she ever enjoyed
those early frolics so much INDUCED in by
| sister towns elsewhere in the exuberance
of which it is something doubtful whether
the young aspirant ever emerges full
fedged metropolis, or deserted village"
Alexandria is one of those quiet, un-
assuming, modest, but nevertheless
agreeable and beautiful places, rarely
seem and of course the village is a reflex
of the character of her people-who are
entirely oblivious to and ignorant of the
art of booming, or noise making.
They know nothing about making ad-
dit1ons of lots 25x14O, and selling them
each at price which might be considered
| fabulous for whole acre.
In the first place the streets in Alexan-
dria are just an even 100 feet wide. Busi-
ness lots from fifty to sixty feet front and
$50 to 175 deep, and the streets are scrup-
ulously clean, and no artifcially prepared
race course can rival the streets of Alexan-