Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-01-17
Down the Mississippi In Household.
rBy I. E. sTAPLEs.]


rBy I. E. sTAPLEs.]
We left Reeds Landing, Il small
village situate at the foot OF Lake
Pepin, Friday, Nov. 8, at 2p. NJ.
with the steam launch "Petie b.
having in tow our houseboat 1.-The
wellington. The "Petie B" was
built by John A. Berkey, Of our city,
some five or six wears ago for Ills
and family's use. She is q trim IT.
tie launch 26 feet long. with seven
foot beam; motive power. steam
two horse engine and boiler. screw
propeller. The mechanical work up
On her was done by Capt. L:Y.
Lenhart, Of Lake City, who has been
in charge of her ever since and Is
still with her. The house-boat, the
hull of which was formerly part III
what is called among lumbermen ID
the northwest, wangan, ts II 1eet
wide and a. feet long. the hull ~
feet deep Is made Of 2 inch pine,
STAYED with natural crooks, 4 feet
apart. The house frame extends
above this 81 feet with two large
windows on each side and doors IN
each end. She is built strong and
warm with ehingle roof. The inside
has u small bath room in one corner
the rest is subdivided by curtains
and draper1es. She was built by
practical lumberman and boatman,
Chas. August Staples. at Still
water. MINI. On board we have
ARRANGEMENTS for five beds and can
comfortably carry and keep ten
people, upon pinch, twelve.
Among other equipments we have
an organ, violin, mandolin, guitar,
two bicycles, and last but not least
two shot guns, a Winchester rifle,
and three revolvers. We can run
when there is no wind to bother.
from forty to seventy miles day,
that ia when we use the "Petie" to
tow with and when floating we
make from fifteen to forty miles per
Gay. Our party at the start con-
sisted of Mr.. and Mrs. j. +. yelling
ton, OF hammond, La; Mr.. and
Mn. Isaac f. Staples. Celia Staples
and Master George Wellington
stay 3es, OF Little Falls, Mimi; Miss
May Staples, Of Howard Lake,
Nina: Benjamin Buckminster and
Capt. Lerris X. Lenllart, Of Lake
City, MINI. The Wellingtons left us
ut st. Louis to go to Morrison, Ill.,,
to meet us further down river. We
were then joined by Mr.. and Mrs.
W. Il. Tubbs and daughter Hazel, Of
Duluth. Mimi.
Talk about your trips to Europe
with many transfers of yourself and
baggage, crowded cars, cold state
rooms and musty hotels. There can
be no nicer and more interesting
trip than down the grand old Mis-
sissippi.
From Red Wing, Mimi, to Graf
ton, III, a small town at the mouth
ri the Illinois river, there is con-
tinuOus chain of bluffs, rising 800 to
GOO feet above the river and an aver
are of three tf these stately old fel-
lows to each mile, with deep ravires
cunning back into the country.
Once in while a wagon road lead
lng up one of the ravines, connects
the farms on the plateaus} above
with the river towns below, which
are invariably built in tho side al the
hill, close to the river. Nice cot
tages, with beautiful grounds have
hsen built along between the towns
IN the eide hills for summer Occu-
Gany. About two miles below Min
Minn.. some riverman has
built a mixture of q castle and a
steam boat. 1t has q weird effect In
TIE early morning from the river,
With it's little turrets and winding
afairs, the whole painted white.
Often we see the, old log, cabins OF
1rly; settlers. now decaying fast.
bluffs are mostly lime stone,
uhowing itself here and there. Up
The river from Dubuque, Iowa, this
Unknown as the slower magnetism"
Z, The upper .magneeian,
N'lead bearing beds, begin at that |
E3tv and extend southwark until !
they run out In q sort Of shale or
aaty formation. Chutes upon the
bluffs above connecting with lime
kilns below, are frequently seen. OF
sil;the, towns upon the river Winona,
IRE think, has the most beautiful.
1eanly and business-like appearance.
Her streets are paved mostly with
red BRICK her buildings ere good
md her dock the best on the river,
il far as we have gone. There are
lour large saw mills at this place,
Two of which are owned by Messrs.
Laird & Norton, who are interested
ii our Pine Tree company. The citi-
Eens of Winona may we'll be proud