St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-18

view of the lakes at the summit. They
will ali be reproduced in the report
which the historical society will issue
of Mr.. Brower's exploration. In the
meantime, to thoroughly demonstrate
the true source of the Mississippi. the
GLOBE reproduces the following Illus
trations from the photographs taken by
Mr.. RhOades.
The intelligent public can now judge
for themselves This is the mouth of
Elk creek-the creek, la Capt. Glazier,
which is the feeder of the Mississippi.
The stream is merely two or three feet
deep, and is now seen at its best. The
photograph was taken six weeks ago,
when the winters snow and ice had
melted and there was a steady flow into
the lake from the neighboring hills.
Dr.. Brewer passed up the stream in a
small boat, but had to call upon his at
tendants to wade in the water and pro-
pei the small craft. In summer this
creek-GlaZier'S source of the Mlssis
sippi-is dry. There is not drop of
water flowing into Lake Itasca from
whence the father of waters traces his
course to the gulf! The creek is but a
few inches above the level of Itasca
lake, and it is averred that Itasca and
Elk lakes were at one time one; that
the intervening tamarack has been
formed by the action of ice and snow.
In striking contrast to Elk creek is
Nlcollet's creek. This is constantly
running stream. 1t was located by
Jean \. NicOllet in 1886, and has fall
OF twenty feet into Itasca lake. DR..
Brewer and party padded from Itasca
Through the creek into NicOllet'S middle
lake, and he, in conjunction with every
explorer who has set foot in the ltaSca
basin. the redoubtable Willard GlaZier
excepted, testifies that it is the true
feeder of Lake Itasca-the infant Mis-
sissippi. A distance of two miles from
the confluence of this stream with
Itasca, the entire country is one mass of
springs, pools. lakes and streams. DR..
Brewer explored these and demon
strated their connection with Nicollet's
creek. There is long string of them
passing up the valley, until two large
shore line lakes are discovered.
These lakes, DR.. Brewer AYERS, folm
the real reservoir of the Mississippi.
They lie two miles south of Itasca on
top of the summit at an altitude of 101
feet. The lakes cover a large area, and
are fed from towering ridge half en-
circling both. There are no inlets nor
outlets. but. DR.. Brewer aSSeverateS there
is an underground connection with the
other lakes lying close below, from
, which there is connecting link to
Whipple lake. thence onwards to Nicol-
/ lets lake and stream into Itasea. The
lakes are the only shore line lakes
to be found in the Itascan basi. They
contain vast quantity of water.
Neither Of the lakes have yet been
| named, but they will be before the re-
| port Of DR.. Brower's is published.
These illustrations are alone striking
enough to settle in the minds of all sane
| inquirers which of the two creeks is the
legitimate source of the Mississippi.
The other photographs taken during
the recent exploration, add to the testi-
mony thus afforded. There is a
very pretty picture of Nicollet's
second lake. which the friends of
G1azier claim, is inclined to run very
shallow. On the other hand, it was
found to be imrpegnated with springs,
and that in parts it was over twenty
feet in depth. A photograph of Elk