The Saint Paul globe., 1897-06-06
FOR IZAAK An EDEN
THE LATE COMPLETE ANGLER
WOULD HAVE FOUND MINNIE
sofa A PARADISE.
LAKES OF THE PARK REGION
TEEN WITH FINNY CREATURES
GAME AS WELL AS FOOD
FISH.
ANY DIRECTION ON ANY ROAD
Will Bring One to n Retreat Fit for
the Pastime of Any POten-
tate.

1.-THE fine scenery of lakes, the open
groves Of oak timber, Of winding
streams connecting them, and beau
tiful rolling country on all sides, rem
ders this portion of Minnesota the gar
den spot of the Northwest" wrote Gen.
John Pope, in 1850, describing the lake
park region of Minnesota.
There was something besides a love
of scenery which aroused the warriors
enthusiasm when he penned the above.
1t was not only the sight Of the rivers
and
''The wide undimpled lakes. whose lucent
sheet
Reflects the bending forests of the shore"
which challenged the admiration Of the
noted soldier 1t was also what those
undimpled lakes and the tumbling
brooks contained. 1t was also in the
finny beauties which pleased his eye
and his palate, for Minnesota even at
that time was recognized as the Mecca
for hook and rod Fortunately for Min
nesota, however, there were at that
time dozens Of states which were yet
on the borders of civilization, and
whose lakes had not been "fished out"
As time rolled on, these states lost
their prestige, as the haunt of the
sportsmen. Gradually their borders
were filled up with people Their lakes
became the boundaries Of cities, and
their rivers and streams highways Of
commerce.
But nature and civilization has pro-
tected Minnesota from the fate of the
other states. There are two reasons for
First ba0anSo Minnesota has moro
lakes than any other state in the
Union; and, second, because the state
is so large that it will take years and
years to bring her lakes to that de-
plorable "fished-out" condition which
sister states have long complained of.
Minnesota is today the resort Of the
spOrtsmen of the Union. Unfortunate
1y, her deer and her black bears are
disappearing. Her plover and her
ducks return each summer in fewer
numbers, but her fish remain. There
are fish for the many.
OF course it cannot last always.
If it could, there would be no need
of game wardens and fish commits
sioners. Nature can not restore and
replenish as fast as the Vandal hand
OF man destroys. Fish commissioners
can postpone, but not prevent the in
evitable.
But statisticians say that the fish
supply Of Minnesota, if cared FOR and
protected under the rigorous laws Of
the state, can be perpetuated for many
years. When the children of today
reach the estate of manhood and
womanhood, they will find fewer iso-
lated lakes and uDexpiored hooks
within the confines of the North Star
state.
They say that Ethan Allen lived at
the foot of the Green mountains for
years before he climbed them; that an
engineer at the foot of Pixies peak has
never been to the summit that hum
dreds of railway office employees have
never ridden on the road which en-
ploys them. 1t is a safe bet then. that
there are hundreds Of thousands of
people Of Minnesota who have lived
within days ride of the wonderful
lakes and streams of this state with
out knowing the exhilarating pleasure
which they have daily passed by It
will take the people of Minnesota
long time to exhaust the supply of
fish in it's $4,000 lakes.
Starting from the upper edge of the
state, where the fishing is perhaps
more fascinating on account of the
wildness of the country, one finds the
Lake Of the Woods, Rainy Lake, Leech
Lake and dozens of other bodies
themselves Of immense size. A man
can retire in his sleeper at night in
ST. Paul, leaving the noise and the tur-
moil Of the city behind him, and at
another sun rise find himself, still
within his own state, amid the haunts
of the red man. He can get UP for
breakfast and see the Indian in his
birch canoe, quietly fishing.
Minnesota is not all settled and civ
dliZed by any means. There are hardy
men in the Northern portion of this
state who still have to blaze their way
through the forests if they wish to
tread an unknown path, and return by
the same.
Leech lake is situated sixty miles
north Of Brainerd. The gateway to
the Leech lake country is at Walker.
in Cass county, in the southern por-
tion of which is the geographical CEN
ter OF the state. Leech lake is the