St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-16

The SUBMITS of the Hauteur de
Terre delights of land) Immediately
west of fernando de Soto lake divide
the ultimate waters of the Mississippi
from those of the Red River of the
North
The first surface of dowage in the
greater ultimate reservoir is tiny brook
connecting Whipple lake with Floating
Moss lake. Down the incline from
Floating Moss lake the Mississippi
springs send forth surface channel to
Nicollet's Upper lake, while 800 feet
west and 20 feet lower the channel
again appears in a continuous surface
fowage to Itasca lake, which is $500
feet to the north. 1t might be we'll to
mention the fact that the head of How
ard creek, small and picturesque lit
tie stream, with. Several miniature water
falls, in connection with the Infant
Mississippi, constitutes the longest sur
face channel, shown as follows:
Feet. Miles
Gulf of Mexico to ltasca lake. 2,546 SO
Thence to mouth of Nicollet's
Infant Mississippi. 1926
Thence to head of Howard
creek OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1l.l26
29,O52 $50
From Gulf to head of Howard
creek. ...................... 2,552 OF
From gulf to head OF Mary creek. 2,55l .O2
From gulf to head of Boutwell, creek 1850. "A
From gulf to Elk lake $50. ..-..... 2,547 80
From the gulf to extreme limit of
the greater ultimate reservoir it is. 1855 .25
From the gulf to the extreme limit
of the lesser ultimate reservoiritis 1853 AZ
The great river having now been
actual measured in its entire channel
RI
tanceS given, for the first time, are GER
tainly more accurate than mere guess
work.
Since the greater ultimate reservoir
is the extreme limit of the Mississippi
basin, and the largest, longest and
most important stream above Itasca
lake takes its rise therein, as a peren-
NAL surface drainage, have reported
the same to the historical society as the
ultimate source of the MissiSsi ppi.
ELK Lake and Its Discovery.
In 1886 the scientist and astronomer.
NicOllet, laid down Elk lake as an estu-
airy of ltasca, but since that time the
alluvial stratum at the outlet of Itasea
has besn diminished by the constant
flow of the water current, until the lat
ter lake has receded from the form CT to
a lower level, and the two lakes
are now connected by short
creek. The original discovery of
this creek and of Elk lake
must be awarded to julius Chambers.
who, OH the 9th of June, 1872, while
encamped on Schoolcraft island, ex-
plored the shores of 1tasca, passed up
the channel of Elk creek In his canoe
to Elk lake, crossed to the southern
shore of the lake, aud, making a map OF
the lake, wrote:
Here there is THE SOURCE of the
largest river in the world in small
lake, scarcely one-quarter of a mile in
diameter in the midst of floating bog,
the fountains of which give birth to the
Mississippi" He found the lake much
larger than he at first supposed.
The world was notified by Mr.. Cham
bers of his discovery in the columns of
the New York Herald, page s, July 6,
1872.
Mr.. Chambers then passed down the
Mississippi, from Schoolcraft island to
the Gulf of Mexico, in his canoe.
The next explorer to declare Elk lake
the source was A. H. Segfried, who, on
the 18th day of July, 1879, reached the
lake. and. taking a photograph of the
same. declared it to be the highest
tributary to the Mississippi'' in the col
umns of the Louisville COurier-Journal,
August. 1879.
The lake and creek were also visited
in 1875 by Edwin S. Hall; in 1880 by O.
E. Garrison, and in 1881 by Rev. j. A.
Gilfillan.
Whatever significance may attach to
Elk lake as the source, Mr.. Chambers
must be awarded the honor of a first
and original discovery, to the exclusion
of all others, except Indians. known in
our history, and the name Elk" Off
cIaily promulgated by the authorities of
the United States, is the proper and