Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-01-12
MiNNEHAnA FALLS.
An English Estimate Of lEinuesota's Most


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An Eneiish Estimate Of 3in.essta's Most
Picturesque scsae.
Travellers visiting The Falls of Min.
nehaha will do well no. to expect to
see too much. The waterfall is in no
respect gigantic or imposing There
arc in many parts of the world others
which fully equal it in their attrac-
tons. AS a matter of fact. it is Ger.
tain that the Minnehaha wOuld never
have attained to any thing like its
present fame had not Longfellow
brought it so prominently into notice
Gy naming after it the bride of his hero
in the Song of Hiawatha," wherein
he speaks Of the 'tiark-eye.l daughter
az the ancient ar"Ow-makcr." who
was
Maynard as the Minnehaha.
With her mood Of shade and sunshine,
Eyes that smiled and frowned alternate,
Feet as rapid as the river.
Tresses flowing like the water,
And as musical as laughter.
Nevertheless we do NOT for a moment
wish to deny that Minnehaha is All cx-
ceedingly beautiful and picturesque
waterfall. On the contrary. we assert
that it is so. The stream. on arriving
at the edge of the overhanging preci-
pee, throws itself over it in broad
unbrokcn sheet. which. after falling
some sixty feet or more in 4 graceful
curve, reaches circular pool below,
the sides of which are kept perpe,ually
wet by the stcamy spray that's for ever
rising from beneath the falling water.
After dashing itself into this pool. the
water gl;d,s rapidly away along
narrow channel. occupying the bot
tom of the valley and closely hidden
by dense growth of bushes and small
tree laughing and chuckling to itself.
rs though pleased with the graceful
feat it has just performed. A Sc
cIuded pathway runs for mile or SO
along the bank of the little stream.
through the thick brushwood. until it
suddenly reaches The bank of the broad.
saw-dusty river. Fastening rapidly on
ward towards lis far-distant ocean
home. over two thousand two hundred
miles away in the Gulf of Mexico.
From this spot the visitor must return
to the falls, as no path can be made
along the foot of the nearly perpen-
dicular bank. formed of fine white
sand. which rises almost straight from
the waters edge. But the Minnehaha
we'll deserves another visit. Its diff
ferert aspects are too many to be all
taken in at one glance. Oie OF its
NJ ost notable pcculiaritics lies in the
fact that visitors may walk
right round beneath it. from one
side to the other. BIZ 4
passage which is. we believe. partly
natural and partly artificial. 1t gives
n strange sensation to walk the length
OF this passage. with n solid wall of
limestone rock on the one hand and
torrent of falling wafer within arms
distance on the other. pouring down
with ihunderous noise into pool
some thirty feet below. Certainly
the waterfall has about it much that
is calculated TO fascinatc and charm
the beholder l. is impossible to enler-
tain any bat pleasant thoughts
AS one sees the Minnehaha.
Cleaning, CHANGING, through the branches,
AS one hears the laughing water
From behind its screen of branches.
But Mnnehalla is not always thus. At
times when the icc-king has laid his
grasp with unusual severity upon the
fair face of nature. he builds the
Of the Falls Il splendid
palace of ice, of which the noble hall
is floored. curtained, columned. archcd
and walled withice Chaste staiactitcs
Of ice arc hung within. and without the
massive walls and roofs are added to
and th;ckcned till the whole forms n
huge dome Of ice. which has been
called 1.-THE .cc-wiSwam of
In this. so says the
legend Of the red man. Minnehaha
sings the long cold winter through. At
The time of our visit, however. it is ale
most needless to say that the maiden
wore her summer garb. Good Words.