Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-07-26
OFF FOR THE DELlS.
Annual Pilgrimage from Grand Rapids to This
Famous Resort Begins Today.

Annual Pilgrimage from Grand Rapids to This
Famous Resort Begins Today
Every year has witnessed an in
creaSing number of Grand Rapids
DeOple who resort for a summer outing
to trip down the Wisconsin river to
the famous Dells near kilbOurn City.
Jas. and Garry Mason. VIM. Nash,
Jesse Hopgood and Jas. Chamberlain
have constructed boat especially
adapted to this trip and start today
Thursday OF camping and fishing
expedition down the river that will
last for week or ten days.
This is one of the finest trips for
summer outing in the state of Wis
cOnsin where beautiful resorts on
lakes and rivers are the rule rather
than the exception. The distance
from Grand Rapids to the DellS is
about 100 miles and is perfectly safe
journey for families in row boat, as
the river is a very placid and smooth
| flowing stream, after passing the last
of the rapids at NekooSa, s miles
below this city. The current from
that point to the DellS runs from two
| to three miles an hour according to
! the stage of water in the river. Many
ladies and gentlemen have made the
trip and more are doing so every year.
Good, safe camping grounds are to be
found almost anywhere along the
| banks of the river for nearly the
| entire distance. No troublesome
snakes or reptiles frequent the river
sides to frighten the timid or endanger
the health or lives of the little ones
or older members of q party The
east side of the river is the best side
for camping purposes, as you get the
benefit of a good breeze from the
west, driving away mosquitoes and
other insects. The most of the family
groups that have made The trip camp
out and get their supplies OF fresh
| berries, fruits, vegetables, milk and
| butter at nominal prices from farmers
along the route. Those however, who
do not care to camp anG have an idea
of making the trip in two or three
days, can find good, clean, respectable
quarters with many of the farmers or
at few hotels that are accessible
The river is from 500 feet to one
| half mile wide and very crooked. 1t
| is dotted here and there by many
beautiful islands and its banks are
| lined with timber, some of the groves
| being OF an open, park-like growth,
very pleasing to the eye and magnifi-
cent for camping purposes. Out
groupings of POtsdam sandstone ap-
| pear at many points, and the river
sweeping around immense bends
between banks Of this sandstone from
so to Is feet in height, presents most
picturesque appearance. These sand
| banks because of their color are COM
monty called yellow banks. One of
| the most interesting points enrOute is
at Pete-Enwell where the only bridge
| that spans the river between here and
| the DellS is located. This bridge is
, three and One-half miles east of
Necedah and near it is the famous
Pete -EnWell rock, massive sandstone
| rising abruptly from the water on the
| west bank of the river to height Of
100 feet, with an area ~ about one
half acre on top and y, 4ssible only
| from it's west side.
After leaving Nekoosa the voyager
enters a wilderness appar-
emily. where no sound of Screeching
whistle, or roaring train, or rumbling
machinery breaks in upon the sublime
solitude of the primeval forests en-
closing the river, and only an
occasional COW bell or distant farm
bell calling the hands to dinner will
be heard. No daily papers or other
necessary cOnvenienceS in civilization
are accessible here and if you wish to
shave or black your boots, you must
take along the tools with which to do
the act or go unshaven. An occasional
farm house is seen at distance where
there is break in the timber or the
banks are sufficiently low to permit
of a view of the surrounding country.
Many creeks, emptying into the
river from either bank afford excellent
fishing at their mouths where quite a
variety of the finny tribe can be
found in great quantities. Small
mouthed black bass, a very gamy fish
weighing from one to five pounds,
with many pike, pickerel and a few
muskalOnge will be found.
The Dells are probably familiar to
nearly everybody living in the Rapids,
as their beauty and peculiarities have
been admired and told by thousands,
even by the red man before the white
man ever set eyes upon them. hence it
is unnecessary for us to attempt a
description of them here. Suffice to
say that their great natural beauty
and peculiar construction can be seen
again and again with undiminished
pleasure.
This outing is available to nearly
every family residing in this city.
You may not be able to afford an ex-
pensive trip of week or two to dis
tant parts OF the country, but you can
afford weeks respit from toll and
take your family in boat and &C
camping down the river to the Dells.
The expense is no more than you wish
to make it, and the pleasure you will
get out of it will be greater than any
trip you can make for anywhere near