Evening journal., 1895-09-19
A Deirware wanderers EOamings.


house decorations.
A Delrware Wanderers ROamings.
ADelsWare wandersr writes az follows
to friend In this city:
Fort Smelling is situated at the junct
nre Of the Mississippi and Minnesota
rivers, and at present Is Of peculiar inter
est on account OF It's sevsnty-fifth ami
versary. oR Tuesday, September 10, It
celebrated the laying OF the corner. stone
of the old fort in 1920 General Mason
made the addrsgs Of the day Sometime
in September, 1919, the Fifth Infantry,
under Colonel Henry Leavenworth, sr
rived from Detroit and encamped during
the Winter whore Mendoza now stands,
and was called Camp Cold Water. Josiah
Smelling succeeded 20 the command, and
commanded the building Of the fort
Colonel Smelling built the fort IN the
shape of lozenge to conform to the
shape Of the ground. To reach 1t from
the level of the river one must climb the
100 steps leading TO it on one side, bat on
the other, the electric cars land one Rt
the bridge. The fort at this time has
twenty-one officers, Colonel Page being
the commsndant. The old fort is in
ruins and is only occupied as barracks
the new fort and offcsrs' quarters being
mile below. But this old fort Is the
attraction OF the day and General Mason,
in his address, urged the restoration Of
the walls to be used as museum into
which SHOULD be gathered the relics and
meuentoes Of the frontier period.
The ruins OF the old towers and powder
magazines are very picturesque, and
artists as we'll as amateurs Tor many
years have frequented the spot, hoping
to immortalize their names By giving to
the world some soul-atirring picture Of
them aud the neighborhood. No where
has nature been more lavish with her
charms Of hill and dale, stream and
rivulet than at Fort Smelling and
Mendoza. The banks Of these rivers,
Mississippi and Minnesota, are made
unusually attractive by the immense and
extended layers Of creamy white sand.
stone underlying the rich green foliage
This sandstone is so soft that birds dig
holes In which to build their homes, but
way down under this is q layer Of
granite.
Just now though, laying aside the
seventy fifth anniversary Fort Smelling
ia of small interest compared with
Mendoza, the village Ia question, which
rivals the fort In more ways than one. it
10 pItuA lAlo DAnmcl III uaNlNt
awakened into new life The Art Club,
of st. PAul, having an eye for home
rather than foreign beauty, decided
that Mendoza should be the quiet retreat
for labor and meditation.
HendOts or as the Indians lovingly
call It. MInnedota (nseting OF the
waters) is the oldest town In minnesota.
No artist knows better than the Indian
the pretty spots in Gods creation, aud
TO this day he clngs 20 his Minnedota.
One quarter Of the town Is known as
the Indian Village. Here they are visited
by Iudians from other reservations
throughout the state Here they pitch their
tepees or smoky pointed tents, In warm
weather they wander far away to pick
berries which they sell TO the white
people for small sums just now they
are away picking wild rice which is a
choice article of food with them. 'Tis
only the old ones, who remain az home
but before the month Is ended they will
all be back to Mendoza, settled down to
their lace work.
This lace work is something for the
Indian to be proud Of and at some other
time / will tell you more about It and
Miss Sybil Carter's lace work among the
Indians. These Indians are becoming
civilized and industrious under the
teachings Of the Protestant Episcopal
churches of st Paul and Minneapolis.
But must get bsck to my art class.
Mendoza has been slumbering for many
years 'Tis but forlorn little village
when one robs it of with what God has
clothed &C. The whites speak French
mostly, being descendants of the old
voySgers. bnt few Germans, with tbs
Sionx Indians make tha lauguace a iargor