The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-11-07

WASHINGTON, d. c., Oct. 29.-The
origin of the Father of Waters is deter
mined at last after centuries of dispute.
DR.. Elliott Coues has just returned to
Washington from Lake Itasca and the
sources of the Mississippi. He made no
discovery, sucn not being the purpose of
his trip, but his Investigations have def
nitely established the accuracy of the OBJ
servations recorded by Nicolet and Brew
er. The recent contention of Capt. G!azier
is set at naught, and much-vexed geo.
graphical question may now be Considered
as finally settled.
II nave stepped across the Mississippi
river said DR.. Coues yesterday. 1T was
easy, for the stream was only about eight
inches vide and two inches deep. l have
seen the Father OF Waters where he rises
literally out of the ground and starts as
an infant rvulet, destined to cut the United
states in twain with the mighty volume OF
his adult food. To reach the sources is
long and difficult journey. From Duluth
| went TO the terminus of the Duluth and
Winnipeg railway, at the little village OF
Deer Lake, ltasca county, Mimi. lhere
hired a birch bark canoe and a man to
paddle and proceeded up the river to Lake
Itasca.
81 reached the lake after 10 days pad
ding through painless wilderness. Hardly
any inhabitants We're to be found in the
region, save few Chippewa Indians in
occasional villages, chiefly iii the neiShbor-
hood of Cass lake and Lake Winnibigosh
lsh. Making my camp Schoocraft
island in Lake Itasca, l made thorough eN-
ploration of that body of water and the
surrounding country. My visit was in
spired chiefly by the circumstance that l
was about to publish a new edition of
pixies Travels, with critical notes, and l
1ouHd 1t desirable TO examine the sources
of TIE Mississippi Cor myself, particularly
in view of the recent dispute the sub
ject.
The whole of the Itascan basin, compris-
ing 80 square miles, has been set apart by
the legislature of Minnesota as state
park, in order that the natural beauty of
the region of the sources of the Mississippi
may be preserved. Timber and game within
the limits of the park are protected by law
from deproda tionS. Lake 1tasca IS lovely
sheet of water embosomed in the prmeval
forest, LILO feet above the sea. It used to
be called Elk Lake by the Indians, because
1t has three pronged shape, like the head
of an elk with antlers outspread. Compare
lively narrow throughout, it is about three
miles in extreme length. Almost in the
center is wooded island named after the
explorer and historian, Schoocraft. On the
north arm of the lake are few white set
tiers Lake ltasca is by far the biggest Of
several hundred lakes and pools N the
ltascan basin.
AT THE FOUNTAIN HEAD.
Lake ltasca is a mere expansion of the
infant Mississippi. Into it flows a small
stream, which is the veritable father of
waters-the Graded Achilles. Nicolet
called it., 1t rises from springs at 4 dis
lance of only half dozen miles from the
lake. The beauties of the region are likely
to attract tourists before long. Few per-
sons would care to make the canoe Journey
which ] undertook for 200 miles up the
river. but Lake Itasca be reached in
day by riding wagon from Park Rapids
which is terminus of branch of the
Great Northern railway. From Laiie Itas-
the voyage down the Mississippi, Is com
paratiVely easy.
ing into lakes at int rivals. Below Lake
ltasca its course develops into lake
mile broad; called by Schoolcraft Lake r.
wing, after Washington Irving. Then al
most Immediately it opens into Lake Be
midj five miles long and two miles Wild.
This lake lies across the river, the name
in the Indian tongue sienifying 'athwart.'
Leaving Lake Bemdji, the river is for
many miles a continuous stretch of rocky
rapids in which navigation is Impractical
BIZ except for very small boats. For three
fourths of this distance / waded.
AT the end of this stretch Of rapids the
Mississippi runs into Lake Nandermuelon
three miles broad Issuing from this body
of water, it expands into another lake
three mills long and mile broad, which
has been named Lake Elliott Coues. Just
below the growing stream enters Lake
Cass, five miles wide. Beyond this it runs
fourte II miles before reaching Lake Win
nibigoshish ten miles broad. This great
sheet has a reputation for treachery to nav
igators in small boats, owing to it's numer-
Gus currents and undercurrents and the
frequency of squalls 1t is very shallow
and is fed by mum arous tributaries.
THE government has recently constructed
a dam across the outlet of Lake Winnibi-
goshsh, which has entirely altered the con-
tour of the shore line. The backwater has
overlooked the banks. water-killing the trees
all around, that the scene is extremely
dreary and desoata. Dead trees stand far
out into the lake, and the shores are every
where piled with driftwood. The river not
far below receives tributary from l. ech
Lake. which is the largest body of water in
all that region, being considerably bigger
than Lake Winnibigoshish. There are many
thousands of lakes in Northern Mimi sofa,
and probably not one-tenth of them have
been located and named. If the whole of
that vast wilderness should sink a few
feet it would be converted into one great
lake. Travel in the region is almost wholly
by canoes through chains of lakes which
afford aqueous highways a wheeled vehi-
Gle is a curiosity.
The story OF the search Tor the source
Of the Mississippi reads like a romance.
After the discovery of the upper river in
1913 by Joliet and Marquette and the dis
rovery of the Falls of st. Anthony in
1880 by Hennepin, little more was known
of the Father of Waters for nearly a
century. In 1865 Capt. Jonathan Carver as
cended the stream far the mouth
of Rum River. In 1898 the famous Eng
lish astronomer and surveyor, David
Thompson, in the service of tha North
west Company, reached Turtle Lake. This
lake, which sends a tributary to the Mis-
sissippi, was for some time supposed to
be the true source
THE, FIRST WHITE MAN THERE.
1.-The first white man known to have
visited the neighborhood of the actual
source of the Mississippi was William
Morrison, fur trader, who was certainly
at Lake Itasca in 1903 or 1904. He never
published anything on the subject and
it is only very recently that his priority
of discovery has been known. The next
explorer of the sources of the river was
Lieut.. Zebulon Montgomery Pike He was
! the first American citizen to carry the
flag of the United States into Northern
Minnesota. He was sent by the govern
ment to treat with the aIndians and ston
the sale of liquor in that region Incl
dentally he purchased for $3.50 and some
whisky tract of land nine miles square
which included the present site of the CITY
of Minneapolis. Congress subsequently,
voted an additional payment to the In
dians for this tract Of 1900.
Lieut. Pike proceeded by boat to the vi
cnity of the present Little Falls in, Nov