Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-09-21
BEFORE any railroad had been built

before any railroad had been built
ID along the upper Mississippi, all
traffic in the summer was by steam
boat. which carried also the mail. In
the winter everything was carried by
stage. There was a line of mail-stages
between st. Paul and Prairie uu Chen
or the southern terminus may have
been La Crosse at the time of which l
write. These stages followed the river
how much of the distance on the ice
] cannot say, but in my neighborhood.
where the river expanded and became
Lake pepin. the route was all on the ice,
and most of the way far from the shore,
Lake repin is some three miles wide
and ~ miles long, and although IN re-
atty only a widening of the river IT is
IA true lake, in which the current of the
river is almost lost. There is no other
such nody of water in the whole length
Of the Mississippi. The upper Missis-
sippi is worn far below the level OF the
country: con seqrentIy Lake Pepin is
surrounded by high bluffs, with bold,
fiat tops. Leading down to the lake. on
both the Minnesota and Wisconsin
sides, are many ravines or coulees.
worn by the w-atercourses and wooded.
Even now there is much wild land
among the bluffs.
IL was in the latter part of January
years z that I found myself at
Hawks Landing. on the Minnesota
Side of the river just below the foot OF
the lake, whittier | had gone with an
uncle. He found that his business
,.,,.1J Iat.;n him lnnnar than he ax-
pected, and lie decided to send me
back alone on the stage. 1t should
have left the Landing at one o'clock.
but it was delayed somewhere down
the river. and did not arrive till nearly
three. IL was Il full afternoons drive
To Lake City, hut the driver said he had
q good team, and promised to get
through on time. Notwithstanding the
late start. He was a rough and dissi-
rated man, but he had the reputation
OF always keeping sober till after the
days trip had been completed. But the
delay may ave upset him. and think
he began drinking before we started.
although no one then noticed it. lie
certainly had provided himself with /.
large bottle of liquor, as ! soon had oc-
casion to know. | suppose | cohid not
have been more than ~ or - years old.
although life in a new country and on
a farm had given me ability to take
care of myself beyond my years.
When we departed from the War
Eagle house on the levee, ard swung
along up the road under the shadow Of
Wabasha Bluff, with the horses at n
gallop, | felt a sort of admiration for
the driver, Notwithstanding his rough
ness. We slackeneu somewhat when
we got beyond the line of houses along
the single street. and Don rounded the
bluff and kept along the edge Of /" lank
above the frozen river. II WI. i..ro that
the driver took his first drink fro-2 his
big. fat bottle. This alarmed me-. be-
cause | had already seen much of the
effect OF liqror On the class Of / IN to
which he belonged. He passed the bot
tie to the passenger. who ooh "a very
small sip. ! thought more because he
was afraid to refuse thai because he
wanted il.
We Soon came to the lake. and turned
down fond In Lac point and out upon
the ice. where the road was marked by
little cedars. The diver h..d alrea6y
taken several more drinks. and on the
lake I found cause TO be alarmed at
something else. This was the state of
the weather. The wind had frcshencd
Il great deal and the snovr was drifting
rapidly. II was not sufficient to shut
out from our sight the row of ever
greens. and we could see even the bluffs
on either side of the lake: but the fine
snow was sitting along over the crust
like streaming hair. and rapidly filing
the track. This made ourprogresss slow,
but the condition of the driver was soon