The Press., 1892-01-14
(Correspondence) 'a AT THE DELLS OF THE WIS
 CONSIN.

| CONSIN.
 Last Independence Day we made our first visit to the Dells of the Wisconsin river, and it was repeated later in the sea- son, when the view was taken from the deck of the little steamer that runs con- tinually from Kilbourn City during the summer time and until pic-nics and ex- cursions have an end.
 tS Kilbourn is small city of about one thousand souls. During the last decade 1t has not grown in population, although 1t has many natural advantages and might be thriving manufacturing town. There Is splendid water power, which has never been utilized to any extent and now it is not used at all. Kilbourn City has good class of people, and her store trade is considerable. She has good churches fand schools, and prints very respectable Epapel of republican politics and strong local coloring. Its editor, Christian gentleman, "writes his own editorials" In the tourist season the city is usually filled up with visitors, ,-some who come for few days and some for the warm term. The past season every available room was occupied, notwithstanding more accommodations had been provided than lever before. The Dells and surrounding natural attractions, such as Devils Lake, near Baraboo, are drawing an increasing Ivolume of travel each year this way; and no doubt the increase will go on with i'm. Iproved facilities for the visiting peoples.
 Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and many
 lesser towns send excursions here all through the summer time. One day, the
 last week in July, we happened in Kill
 bourn when an excursion came in from
 Madison. It was estimated six or seven hundred strong. The party was for the IDells, and no sooner was the train at the
 station than the excurtionists began to
 drop from the cars, and there was mad
 rush for the Dell Queen, the little steam
 CT that was moored at her dock just above the bridge that spans the river here. The water was very low and the Queen could carry but about two hundred, or that number plus fifty, and it required some
 three hours for the round trip. With , these facts before him one can appreciate
 the mad rush of the excursionists. The first on the boat, the first to the Dells. The boat was soon loaded and slowly on
 her way; but there, on the long, narrow landing, with every inch of plank covered, !, sat or stood another crowd, in the hot , lsun, determined to hold the landing , against all corners and be the first on the { Queen on her return. Not one stopped to consider that she must first hG ilil1nu11
 before she could load
 I barking crowd mu
 o the landing. Othed
 ists, sometipI Iai9
 al Before all this crow
 the Delis. heavy andy
 came rp, sd6inu . IlllIll i 55Ese who failed to go with the steamer
 took carriages. The distance is notgreat, and the ride, unless the sand is deep from
 dryness, is pleasant one. The course of the boat is about five miles, and the
 drive between three and four. A good way to visit the Dells is to take the steam CT up and row boat, usually in charge of guide, (and of these there are a num- Der of efficient ones) back. Or this order can be reversed to advantage; but few
 guides care to row up the stream on ac-
 count of the swiftness of the current.
 The Dells, however, should be examined s in row boat, because that can wind in
 and out the many openings in the rocks I wherein many beauties lie concealed from the steamer tourist.
 The Dells arc two, upper and lower, f those above and those below the bridge. v Those above the bridge are the ones us- v ually meant when they are spoken of. f Below the bridge there is dam, though
 now 1t Is washed out, and it forms some
 thing of barrier between the two. The e upper and lower bells together form an I irregular gorge some ten miles in length. a The sandstone rock, which walls them in, l rises from thirty to hundred feet in
 height. Out of this rock nature has made many beautiful designs and still she is at a work. Tributary to the river and &C., , cessable by the steamer, unless the water
 Is too shallow, as it was the past season f and Is now, are some half dozen ravines,
 the most important of which are Cold ? }water Canon and Witches Gulch. The
 Gulch Is above the Canon, and seems to
 have been at one time long, low cave. f It has roof, for the most part rent open,
 from seven to twenty feet in height. The lt Assure in the roof extends upward to the
 surface, some fifty or sixty feet, and Is in width from few inches to several f lyards. The walls of the cave proper are ,- arched, but the sides of the break are V shelved and futed, and there are many lgeometrical figures, such as profiles, hol- q low globes and semi-domes, which the thoroughly interested tourist has pointed Q out to him by his faithful guide should he l not be able to discover them for himself; ,, and we confess our inability to discover h at first, without help, the Witch's Face.
 The face is there, however, and an arti n flcial arrow points directly to it. If one a has little imagination and looks just to i. the right spot on the wall he will see 1t.
 Nature must take better care of that face
 or it will be gone in few years. Ascend
 ing the Gulch you are landed from the
 steamer in a broad wooded ravine, whose n sides are precipitous and high, and we'll Ioovered with 8 forests growths. Through it runs a winding stream, which is fed by F: numerous springs. As you thread your
 way along place Is come to where the