Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-09-19
ASCENDING NIT. II

lVAts VAb NH Lllk1s
From Wilsons's to the peak of Mitch
ell it is seven and a half miles; we
made it in five and II half hours. A
bridle path was cut years ago, but il
has been entirely neglected. 1t is bad
ly washed, it is stony, muddy, and
great trees nave fallen across it which
wholly block the way for horses. At
these places long detours were neces-
sary, on steep ilillsides and through
gullies, owe ~treacherous sink-holes in
the rocks, through quaggy places,
heaps of brush, and rotten logs. Those
who have eve attempted TO get horses
yer such ground will not wonder at
the slow progress we made. Before
we were halfway up The ascent, we
realized the folly Of attempting it on
horseback; but then to go on seemed
as easy rs to go back. The way also
was exceedingly steep in places, aud
what with roots, and logs, and slip
perry rocks and stones. it was a des-
perate climb for tho horses.
What q magnificent forest! Oaks,
chestnuts, poplars. hemlocks. the Gu
cumber "a species of magnolia, with
a pinkish, cucumber-like Gomez. and
all sorts of northern and southern
growths meeting here in splendid ar
ray. And this gigantic forest, with
little diminution in size of trees, con-
tinued two thirds of the way up. We
marked as we went on, the maple, the
black walnut, the buckeye, the hick-
ory, the locust, and the guido pointed
out in one section the largest cherry
trees we had ever seen; splendid
trunks, each worth a large sum if it
could be got to the market. After the
great trees were left behind, we en-
tered a garden of white birches, and
then a plateau of swamp, thick with
raspberry bushes, and finally the
ridges, densely crowded with the fune-
real black balsam.
|. Halfway up, Big Tom showed us
his favorite, the biggest tree he knew.
1t was a poplar, Or tulip. 1t stands
more like u column than a tree, rising
high into the air, with scarcely a per-
ceptible tapor, perhaps sixty, more
likely a hundred, feet before it puts
out u limb. Its girtn six feet from the
ground is thirty-iwo feet! l think it
might be called Big Tom. 1t stood
here, Of course, a giant, when Column
bus sailed from Spain, and perhaps
some sentimental traveller will attach
the name Of Columbus to it.
In the woods there was not much
sign Of animal life, scarcely the note
of Il bird, but We noticed as we rode
along in the otherwise primeval ST.
lince q loud and continuous humming
overhead, almost like the sound of the
wind in pine tops. 1t was the hum
ming Of bees! The upper branches
were alive with these industrious toll
crs, and Big Tom was always on the
alert to discover and mark IL boe-gum,
which he could visit afterwards. Hon
ey hunting is one of his occupations.
Collecting spruce gum is another, and
he was continually hacking off, with
his hatchct, knobs of the translucent
secretion. How rich and fragrant are
these forests! The ~rhododendron was
still in occasional bloom, and flowers
of brilliant hue cleaned here and
there.
The struggle was more severe as we
ncared the summit, and the footing
worse for the horses. Occasionally it
was safest to dismount and lead them
uD slippery a%scents; but this was also
dangerous, Tor it was difficult to keep
them from trcading on Il heels, in
their frantic ilnunderings, i'll The steep,
wet. narrow. Drior-.rcwu path. At
one uncommonly pokerisu place, where
the wet rock siopcd into q bog, the III
der OF Jack thought it prudent to dis
mount, but Big Tom insisted that Jack
would mako it" all right, only give
tim his head. The rider gave him his
head, and the next minute jacks four
heels were III the air, and he came
down on his side in a flash. The rider
fortunately extricated his leg without
losing il, Jack scrambled out with a
i'roken shoe, and the two limped
along. 1t was q wonder that the hor-
ses legs were not broken u dozen
tines.
As we approached the top, Big Tom
pointed out the direction, II half mile
away, OF Il small pond. y little noun
tain tarn, overlooked hy IL lodge of
rock, where Professor Mitchell lost his
life. Big Tom was the guide who
found his body. That day as we sat
on the summit he gave in great detail
the story, the general outline of which
is we'll known.--thar!cs Dudley War.
ner IN September Atiaatic.