St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-25
THE MIssIssIPPI,s SOURCE.

The brief season of Yainglory enjoyed by
Can't. WILLARD GLAZIER, who has, with
some success, been trying to persuade the
world that he had discovered the true
source of the Mississippi. must now come
to an end. 1t had been intimated once or
twice that Capt. GLAZIER had been pre-
coded in the exploration of the Lake ltaSca
region, but until recently conclusive sum-
ming I'D of the evidence against him had
not been made Now, however, HENRY
d. NARROWER, in the interests of educa-
ton and veracity, collects all the data to-
gether and shows very concluSlyely that the
lake heraIded to the world by Capt. GLA-
zIER and his companions, one of whom was
until recently ST. Paul newspaper man,
as the true source of the Mississippi, and
named by them through right of discOv-
eIv'' Lake Glazier, has really been known
for wears under the name of Elk lake and
mas been accurately surveyed by govern
ment officials.
Can't. GLAsIER ''discoyered' the lake in
1881. but it had been accurately surveyed
by Surveyor EDWIN S. HALL, of the gen.
eral land office, in October, 1875. Even
before this Elk lake. which is at best only
small feeder of Lake ItaSca, scarcely three
miles in circumference, had been visited
and described. In the winter of 1S03-1S04
it was visited by an Indian trader named
MORRISON, to whom belongs the honor of
having first looked upon the MISSissippi's
source. Then in 1882 the lake was visited
by SCHooLCRAFT, who gave it the name
of Itssca and drew map of the region in
which Elk lake is shown. Four years later
A French explorer. NJ. NICoLLET, explored
the country to the south of Lake Itasca
and drew numerous diagrams, among them
being a complete and accurate delineatiOn
of the present Elk lake. such an accurate
drawing in fact. that the one made by
Capt. GLAZIER could easily be recognized
as a duplicate of it. III. NICOLLET
regarded Elk lake of small Importance and
considered it in fact simply feeder of
Lake Itasea. But even though other dis
coverers were lacking one is on record
whose Investigations would be conclusive.
In June, 1872, Mr. JULIUS CHAMBERS.
of the New York Herald, made a canoe
trip through the lake region of Minnesota
both Itaska and Elk lake, giving the latter
the name of Lake Dolly Warden. and wrote
an account of the trip for his paper. And
even so late as 1880. year before Capt.
GLAZIERs famous expedition, Mr.. c. NJ.
TEvoY made a survey of the water sys-
TENS of Minnesota for the state geological
survey, and infinitely described Elk lake,
but gave it as his opinion that being but an
offshoot, it could not be dignitied as the
true source of the Mississippi in opposition
to Lake Itasca.
It therefore looks very much as though
the ground was completely cut cut from be-
meath the feet of ambitious Capt. GLAzIER
and that there is nc basis whatever for his
absurd pretensions. Elk lake was the name
originally given by the Indians to Itasca,
and in the adoption of the latter name by
ScHooLCRAFT the former name was re-
tanned for the smaller lake on the south.
In the interest of historical accuracy it is
well TO have this question definitely deter
mined. even if the result is the RELOCATION of
Capt. GLAzIER and ''Glazier lake" to de-
served ObScuritI.