The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-27
RED SKINS AND WHITE ALIKE
JOIN IN A GLORIOUS DEMONsTRA-
TION OF LOYALTY TO STARS
AND STRIPES.
CHIEF BEMIDJps TOWN SITE
Globe by Charles A. Forbes,
OF st. Paul.


of the city for breath Of fresh air
and seeks some amusement beyond the
regular lake resorts near the city, let
him take his direction northward and
visit the Northern Minnesota lakes.
1t was my good fortune to have bust
ness in that part Of the state and to
be able to combine both pleasure and
business in the same trip. so took
passage on the Great Northern for
Park Rapids, changing off the main
line at Sank Center. From there
north we travelled g. seemingly new
country, picturesque and attractive
with neat, f1ourishing towns built on
New England lines about eight or ten
miles apart, nearly every town indulg-
ing in liberty pole and public square.
While the houses in most cases are
purely white, the windows shaded by
green shutters. The whole village
scene, standing out In bold relief, on
account of the trees and beautiful
woods, serving as background. Ar
irving at Park Rapids by $3.50, we were
soon comfortably fixed with O'Neil, of
the Great Northern. Commercial men
say, If obliged to spend Sunday on
the road, they make for Johns on ac-
count Of its being so homelike. Hay
ing made the necessary arrangements,
we turn in. There being two windows in
the room, delightful and invigorat-
lngly cool breeze makes sleep perfect
and we are lost to the world, until too
soon, alas, the unwelcome knock for
breakfast, a. ms We just have time
to take it and a shy glance at the
pretty little town. when the stage for
BemidJi puts in an appearance. AS
had been over the road before,
Billy" the proprietor Of the stage
line and star mail route, were old &C
quaintances, but Billy concluded he
was entitled to spend the glorious
Fourth in the 'buzzom" of his fam
lily, SO sent relief man in his stead.
One cannot travel, however, contin-
uously for fifty or sixty miles, through
a pine country diversified by lakes, log
g1ng camps, block houses, stretches of
corduroy, ETC., without getting person
ally and intimately acquainted We
were scarcely beyond the village limits
when detected peculiar infection of
the drivers voice, and the fact soon
became apparent that John McDermid.
the driver, was Scotch Canadian from
Glengarry and as quaint as he was
stout and good natured. 5 Between the
Park and Lake George the road is in
clined to be rough; the indentations
on a wash-board would about describe
the length of the route. Clearing the
road Of stumps by driving over them
is slow way to get them removed
and, like the grader who tried empty
Ing his cart over an embankment by
dumping the whole thing, horse and
all over, but found it trying on the
baste." And it isn't at all necessary
for man to carry any dyspepsia medi-
cine about with him. Lake George is
reached by noon. A good venison din
ner, fresh horses and a good upland
road straight away to Bemidji, pass
ing first over the Schoolcraft river on
long corduroy, then by several log
girg camps, now through the finest
grazing and pasture land possible
Some man has taken advantage Of 1t
and enclosed about 900 acres with a
pine brush fence. Within that enclos-
ure we saw quite a large herd Of fine
locking young cattle. Just on the crest
OF quite an elevation we got the first
sight of several deer, crossing over
the road from Lake Plantagenet, and
as we wind down the slope near by
the crossing of the Mississippi on an
other long corduroy, a big brown bear
and two cubs trot easily out Of the
way, stopping a moment to look back
and take stock Of Uncle Sans mail
1 thought when crossing the School
craft it might be the Father of Waters
but found upon investigation that the
source and Itasca Park were some
thirty miles to the westward. Mus
Quitoes have been paying us consider
able attention, but 1t is really such
fine country you do not mind the last
thirty miles, and are .agreeably sur
prised to find yourself bowling along
by a settlement and crossing the river
again Just between Lakes Irving and
Remidji, past the old Carson trading
post, the first house erected anywhere
in that country, now Inhabited by
Chief Bemidji and his family, then
round the natural boulevard curving
about the lake, nowFto the left through
a new widely graded street, to the
Grand Central hotel, and the weary
traveller is in the town of Bemidji, des-
tined to be something of a town, most
beautifully located, it's streets rising
gently back from the lake, upon whose
tranquil waters the sun is beginning
to throw those wonderful shadows; the
brilliant red is mingled with the deep,
dark shade of the thick evergreen of
the pine forest, while away far over
toward the Eastern shore sparkles and
CLEANS the brighter lights, each mo-
ment assuming a more sombre appear
ance The whole scene could be Xix
ened to the lives of men, after having
passed through the bright sunshine and
the dark shadows, just before raech-
ing the other shore, they suddenly
emerge in a glorious light, soft and
subdued. and are beckoned on to the
bright and clustering shore beyond.
Here we are 900 feet above st. Paul.
on the watershed. in fact, the rivers
flowing from here to the four points of
the compass, surrounded by a fine agr1-
cultural country. pine In abundance.
saw mills near by, everything to tempt
the settler, and so the stage pulls up in
the center of a town Of 300
inhabitants, which practically began
its career last February, having per-
haps at that time fifty people. To
say the welcome was cordial doesn't
begin to express it.. Mr.. Remore, the
proprietor of the Grand Central, and
Guy, his son, are the, proper persons
to have charge Of a hotel. AS we had
practically been in al. the birth Of
city and become personally acquainted
with each citizen, Besides some of our
party of last winter appeared In pub
lie upon the stage for the first time
with the "Bemidji Dramatic Co." and
duction was needed. So in company
with the older and pioneer settlers, ex-
members of the dramatic company
and the Bemidji Boat club.
as we promenaded down Third
street headed by the genial
editor of the Bemidji Pioneer,
suddenly and in an instant 1t
was dark What cloud had suddenly
appeared In hitherto clear sky
Nothing but the scowl Of the rival
editors as they passed each other by
Down by Carson Brothers, then over
To Whites and for one whole block