Morris tribune., 1885-06-10
A Trip to Alexandria.

We had ride of some forty miles
to make through the counties of
Stevens Grant, and part of
Douglas, week or two ago, and
thought a description of the country
might interest the readers of the
TRIBUNE. The morning we started
Stevens county was enveloped in u
thick coating of rain, and as we HAD u
heavy load our progress was material
ly slow, and the residents of the
numerous farms through which our
road passed, looked inquiringly at us,
and seemed to say, "whither away on
such Il day" The ducks reluctantly
left their places Of lake and slough at
our approach, and when undisturbed
acknowledged their gratitude by n
quack. Everybody seemed to be
praying for rain, for it had been very
dry for some time, and the growing
grain needed it sadly. We did some
extensive wishing for dry weather,
| but it awaited us little, so we settled
down to the Inevitable, and to use the
language of Il noted horse jockey of
Stevens county, kept q getting"
Crossing the Pomme-de-terre river in
the town of Roseyille we took the road
for Holmes City, and after climbing
and defending some very steep hills
reached the Chippewa river where we
stopped for dinner and took a little
rest. After which we again moved
forward, and passing by a large
Lutheran church erected upon the
brow of high hill, which can be seen
many u mile off on the prairie, rode
EDWARDS for upwards of an hour when
we came to scattering timber. The
grain on either side of the road looked
thin, but as it is yet early in the season
we may yet expect good crop.
We noticed, in the town of Laud, q
handsome residence in process of con-
struction. Wcwere told its owners
was the Tompson boys. We also |
noticed marked Improvement the
prairie farms along the route.
About six o'clock in the afternoon
we arrived at the farm of Mr.. VIM. |
Mackenzie, in the town Of Holmes |
City. We found Mac as genial and |
we'll as of old, and received a hearty |
invitation to stop over night. This
we decided to do, OH being informed |
that the new hotel at Holmes City |
was not yet finished and we should |
not be likely to find accommodations.
In our journey through the woods |
wesaw the farmers busy at work |
grubbing stumps, repairing fences or
cutting fence-poles. On both sides Of
the road long rows Of cord wood of the |
finest maple greeted our gaze; enough |
to make the average Stevens county |
resident covetous. Large heaps of
brushwood thrown together in high |
piles to he burned to clear the land for |
crops of grain, and which would have |
been given away to any one who |
would have carried it away. What a
pity some of our farmers could not |
had it.
Nature putting Oh her new dress is
beginning to look beautiful. Violets
peeped out at us from amongst the
rather short grass, and in the low
swampy places, the cowslips turned
their golden faces towards the sun.
Columbine and the various forest
ferns are beginning to start, and in
some of the ponds the pond lilies are
putting fourth quite respectable look
ing leaves, promising an abundant
harvest of those fragrant beauties in
the near future.
During the night it rained quite
hard for something like an hour, and
we had misgivings that the roads
through the woods would be III de-
moralized state on the morrow, but
when daylight came and we were once
more on the road, after a good hot |
breakfast, we found them in very
good condition. A short drive of |
some twenty minutes took us into
Holmes City, a compact little inland
town of some 200 inhabitants, and
picking our way amongst the logs |
piled promiscuously in the street,
waiting for the saw-mill to start up,
stopped opposite the blacksmiths !
shop and had our horses shod, during |
which time we took look at the |
mill, which by the way is the prinois
pal feature Of the town. The town |
site is perched at the head of a beauti-
full lake and we should think if the
roads could be made passable, might
be turned into very respectable
summer resort. 1t is thoroughly
Scandinavian town, and is progressive
to that extent that IT has abolished all
its saloons. They make some really
good flour here, but do not do custom
work. The town boasts of one good
general store and has new and COM
modious hotel which will be opened
this summer.
On leaving Mackenzie he had told
us we would encounter no very bad
road until we arrived at the 1.-TWO
hundred dollar HILL" After a ride of
perhaps an hour we came TO the foot
of this hill: Stumps, stones and deep
sands we might almost call it quick
sand, together with the rain of the
night before had done their best to
render it impossible, and we thought
of the amount of good solid profanity
annually expended on this hill. The
hill gained it's name as follows: A
Norwegian was returning home from
Alexandria, whittier he had been and
purchased $500 90 team of horses.
He had celebrated the event of his
purchase Of the team and was return
ing home In decidedly tired oony
dition. Arriving at the top of the
hill, instead Of proceeding slowly to
it's base, as he would have done under