The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-04


of Able and Enthusiastic Eriends
on the Floor of eOngrcss--Trea1y
Tangles to BE Taken Upssat the
Next Session.
The expedition into the lake region of
the northern part of the state organized
under the auspices of the Minnesota
National Park and Forestry association
came to a close yesterday. The special
train in which the members of the eX-
petition have spent four days pulled into
the union station at clock in the morn
ing with the st. Paul delegation, the main
party having remained in Minneapolis to
spend the day and evening as the guest
of the Minneapolis club A special train
over the Burlington last night took them
back to Chicago. The four days outing
in the northern woods goes into history
as the only one of it's kind in which a
party of twenty-one members of congress
participated. The wisdom of the eXpedi-
ton became evident before the members
had been in the woods one day Infor-
nation was gained concerning the object
which Minnesota people have in view,
which will make the contest which will
come when congress takes up the matter
much more fair and much more fntelli-
gent than could have been otherwise
expected
There is not a congressman who went
on the trip, with the possible exception
of one, who will not support the move
ment on the floor of the house or senate,
either by giving it his approval on the
ballot, or in maintaining a non-committal
attitude. Many of the national law
makers returned yesterday enthusiastic
over the beauties of the most magnificent
forest region OF the country and over the
opportunities for pleasure which are found
there. There was every opportunity for
gaining complete information concerning
the resources of the region, the Indians
in their home life and in their relation to
the execution of the project, and the
attitude of the settlers of the territory
included within the proposed park bounds.
Capt. Mercer, government Indian agent at
Walker, Mimi, personally accompanied
many Of the party to the agency, supplied
statistics regarding the pine, agricultural
lands and streams and lakes of the reser-
vations which it is proposed TO set
aside for park purposes, and assisted to
his utmost ability in making the intricate
workings of the governmental ward of
the Indians plain to those not well in
formed.
1t will be impossible to estimate the
amount of support which the expedition
has aroused until the fight in congress
comes off There can be no doubt that
the fact that forty-three members of
the national executive body accepted in
vita tions with words of praise for those
who have inaugurated the movement,
bears some relation to the ultimate
chances of success. Members of the con-
gressional delegation preserved silence
regarding their attitude and were ac-
corded the courtesy by others who ac-
companied them of retaining their opin-
ions in the inner recesses of their minds.
Several gave unsolicited tribute to the
work of Col John S. Cooper in advocating
such a park and made unofficial state
ments regarding their attitude. 1t was
generally understood that those who went
on the expedition were in no way COM
promised by the fact that they had ac-
cepted invitations, and the political phase
of the situation was left alone, Isolated
from the general round of pleasure and
sport; to be taken up at future time
and decisively considered.
EVERYTHING concerning the trip was
carried out on a magnificent style winch
astonished and amazed the visitors from
the more conservative East and South.
The guests were rendered the freedom OIL
everything in sight from Indian WlgWams
+o summer hotels At every point visited
tba civ officials were on hand the instant
of arrival. rendering Inequalities OF the
most hearty description, services, their
goods. moneys, chattels; anything to give
their guests a good time and send them
home satisfied Walker gave a reception
which could not be surpassed IN any city
If the entire northwest Tne pdnouel'
was pronounced by Senator Allen as being
as good as the best obtainable in wash
ington. merrier than any the East coast
could furnish, yet dryer than anything
he had ever seen before. The complaint
ogainst water as a beverage was regis
tered bv the citizens, who saw to it that
the worthy citizen from Mississippi left
town with a few small packages of the
hest and wettest that the country pro-
iluces.
The timber wealth of the reservations
was q subject of considerable investlGa-
ton. Many side trips were made from
Walker up Leech lake and from Moose
lake to a number of points in the big
woods, giving the visitors an accurate
idea of the forest primeval. The ques-
ton of the disposition of reservation
timber will be one of the first factors
in the settlement of the park matter,
after which will come the question of
the settlement of agricultural lands The
Cass lake reservation contains hundreds
of acres of rich loan which, cleared Of
underground and jack pine, would he
come a source of revenue without in
terfering with the completion of the
national park scheme. A decided feel
ing was evinced on the part of a number
of congressman that if legislation favor
able to the park is enacted, restrictions
must be placed, throwing open to settle
1nent all lands within the reservation
fit for cultivation. Regarding the
pine the probable course will be that
forestry measures will be enforced, the
timber placed under strict warden sys-
tenn and such amount as can be annually
marketed without impafrin;g the aggre-
gate of the forests in course of time
will be sold, the profits going to the
government for a maintenance fund.
developed that this will be the. probable
course if the government sees fit to
act
The expedition was unique in many
of its features and utterly unlike any
similar junSet ever held in Minnesota.
In the party were four men-Congress-
men Clarke, of New Hampshire; Allen,
of Mississippi; Cochrane, of Missouri,
and most powerful of ALL Cannon, Of
Illinois, chairman of the commi tee on
appropriations-who, if united, could by
their personal influence decide the fail