The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-10-23
LAKE GLAZIER.
A Description OF the True Source OF
the Mississippi River.

III looz ilenry Rowe SchOolcraft leu
an expedition through the wilds Of
Minnesota and discovered what he be-
lieved to be the source OF the Missis-
sippi river, says the Buffalo Times. Be-
ing at loss for an appropriate name
to bestow upon the lake which consti-
tuted this supposed source, so the story
goes, he asked a companion what were
the Latin words signiiylng "true head"
and received in reply ''Uerita, caput."
This was rather ponderous name to
give moderately small body Of water,
even though the father of waters here
took his first start in the world. The
explorer therefore conceived the idea OF
uniting the last two syllables of the
first word with the first syllable Of the
second, thus by novel mode of ety.
mology forming new name which
might easily pass for one of Indian orr
gin, ltasca. A person versed in ety.
biological science would probably see
at once that the name did not belong
to the same family Of harsh Indian APP
pellations which have affixed them
selves permanently to many rivers and
towns in Minnesota and Wisconsin, but
WAS more closely allied to the softer
language of southern Indian nations.
But it has now been discovered that
Lake Itasca is not VeritaS Cdput, and
Lake Gazier, discovered in July, 1881.
by Captain Willard Glazier, must be re
garded by all future generations as the
true source of the Mississippi.
The Mississippi in its first stages
flows in northerly direction, the
whole system of multitudinous small
lakes which contribute to it being sur
rounded on the north and west by an
amphitheatre of hills. Lake Glazer lies
above and beyond Lake Itasca, and its
waters have an elevation of probably
three feet above that lake, being con-
nected herewith by a swift, small
stream. Lake ltasca is composed Of
three arms, extending in the form of a
trefoil, having length of five miles and
average width OF mile and half.
The upper or southern end of its mid
die arm apparently terminates in
swamp, which might easily have de-
ceiyed any one not familiar with the
country. But Chenowagesic, Captain
Giazier's Indian guide, who had for
years used the region of these lakes as
his hunting grounds, readily made his
way through the reeds and rushes at
the mouth of the connecting stream.
Lake Glazier at its outlet presents an
other barrier of reeds, through which
the party made their way in their ca
noes.
Lake Glazier is about n mile and q
half in length, by mile in breadth.
Its shores, instead Of being low and
marshy, as those of many Of the neigh
boring lakes. present finely wooded
slopes and surround the lake in what
would have been perfect oval had not
a bold, rocky promontory indented its
southern end and given il the outline
of heart. On the point of this prom
ontory is spring that flows ice-cold
water. The waters of the lake are ex-
ceedingly clear and pure, proceeding
from springs, some of them in the bot.
tom OF the lake itself, and others at a
SlCalCl VI 1883 sluutt lIOIu us SuOItS.
Lake Glazier has three small feeders,
one of them, called Elk creek, entering
it near its outlet, and taking its rise q
mile or so further south, in a small
marshy lake or pond, upon which Cap.
tain Glazier bestowed the name of Al
ice, after his daughter. Elk creek runs
nearly parallel with the western shore
OF the lake, little distance from it,
and the effort recently made to dignity
its insignificant, swampy course--some-
times completely dry during the sum-
mer months-as the true head of the
Mississippi, must prove futile one,
since the geography of the country
reveals that other tributaries of Lake
Glazier rise further up in the country.
Two streams two or three miles in
length, flow northward into Lake Ola.
zier at its southern extremity on either
side of the indenting promontory. Ex-
celsior creek, 50 called because it rep
resents the very highest water of the
Mississippi, is the longer and more
western of these. Eagle creek, to the
eastward, and rising a little nearer I >
lake, has been so named for the two
fold reason that numbers Of eagles
were seen in that vicinity, and, as the
eagle is our national emblem, it SEEM
cd fitting that it should be remembered
at the head waters of our greatest
river.
Lake Glazier is thus supplied by three
feeders, Elk, Excelsior and Eagle
creeks, now named in order Of their
importance; and, as uniting these wa
tiers in one common reservoir, this lake
is undoubtedly entitled to be regarded
as the veritaS caput, the true head of
the Mississippi.