The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-06-17
FOREST MUST Be SAVED
so SAY MINNESOTA CLUB WOMEN
AFTER TOURING LEECH
LAKE REGION
NOT M0LEsTED BY INDIANS
But Mrs. w. e. BramhaH Says 1t Is
Foolish to Discredit the Seri-
business of Squaw Point
Gathering.

Fifty Minnesota women have spent the
past week roaming mid the murmuring
pines that border that great sheet of
water in the northern part of the state
known as Leech lake, and fifty Mime
sofa women have come back more con-
WINGED than ever that it will be perfectly
horrid' if anything but park is made
| out OF the beautiful tract Of land they
have explored.
The clubs of ST. Paul had but one rep
resentative on the trip, Mrs. William Ely
Bramhau, but the state was well repre-
sented, and there were a number of
women from other states, one coming all
the way from far off California and an
other from Maine to view the forest
primeval.
Mrs Bramhau arrived home yesterday
afternoon, quite as enthusiastic over the
beauties of nature that she had enjoyed
as any of the visitors.
cit vas a wonderful trip she said last
evening to the G o b e. 81 only wish
that everybody who has any doubt as to
the wisdom of our park project ight
have taken it with US, and am certain
he or she would have come back con-
vert. We left, as you know, Monday.
There were over fifty in the party, ali
congenial and all anxious to explore the
Leech lake tract thoroughly, but there
were few who were not surprised, not
only at the beauty Of the country, but at
the immensely of the territory.
Before l tell you anything about cur
trip" continued Mrs. Bramhall, Il must
relate very curious occurrence. 1t was
known at Walker two or three days be-
fore our arrival that we were to make
the trip. 1t was known also that we de-
sired to explore the tract thoroughly,
and to do that, of course, boats were
necessity. At this time of the year,
when visitors are expected, the four boats
on the lake are always in readiness. But
We We're unfortunate. The day before We
arrived one Of the boats had been sent
away. Then another was sent away off
out of reach. The third disappeared
mySteriOUSly. Somebody had made a fire
under the boiler of the fourth so that
she was partly disabled. But it was this
boat We used. The boiler was repaired
trip she took in considerable water. 1t
certainly was a peculiar occurrence.
However, said Mrs Bramhall smiling
ly, fifty women set out to explore that
tract and we explored IT.
mo" she said, eve We're not alarmed
by the Indians, but it is foolish to di-
credit, as some people have, the facts
concerning the gathering at SquaW point.
There was not a day passed that we
didn't see canoes filled with families and
their household effects making for SquaW
point. The Indian who represents himself
as Messiah is fanatic, apparently pos
sessed of an undying hatred of every
white person. He claims he has had a
message from the Great Spirit saying
that terrible storm will be sent to de-
stroy every white man, woman and
child: The Messiah, of course. will be
saved, and with him all the Indians who
are wise enough to take his counsel and
gather with him at SquaW point
There is no particular excitement at
SquaW point, but the Indians are dane ng,
some of them are painted, and, of course
no one can tell into what frenzy they are
1t was rather picturesque sight watch
ing the laden canoes as they glldsd silent
" down the river toward the point. One
day party OF us caught glimpse of a
canoe coming around bend. A squaW in
the boat held pappoOse up to attract
our attention and one of the members CT
the party got ready her kodak to take a
snap shot at 1t. Quick as a flash the SIN l.
ing face became scowling and the pap
pOOse disappeared behind the SquaW We
visited many of the wigwams and We
on little excursion by canoe from Wal
ker and tie party | was with employed an
old squaW as guide. She seemed very
old, almost hundred, but in spite of her
years she was remarkably strong She
padded the canoe ard afterwa DIS helped
use with the luncheon. While we ex-
p!ored the premises she produced a very
black pipe and was soon putting away
cont entedy
There were no very thrilling adven-
lures encountered by any Of our parry, or
POI AhSep9 OI5ill " say lildl ever Gay
was so filled with adventure that it would
be impossible to specify. We made our
headquarters at Walker. Our long st
trip from Walker was sixty miles We
went by boat and reached a very wilder
ness of pines 1t is impossib 10 describe
the peculiar beauty of those great trees
They grow so thickly that their anches
interlace making a verita be twilight of
the brightest day. and the ground about
their roots is carpeted TIL XII VIII pine
need es: The air was delightful We were
particularly fortunate In the weather IT
was cool, in fact the nights Were cold,
but it was bracing. just the kind of
weather for long tramps.
There was not the elightest accident TO
mar the pleasure of the trip. We did
come across a rather wickRd-lOoking
snake one day and for while thee was
considerable excitement but Mr.. Snake
was one to our fifty. not to mention the
guides. 50 of course he got the wcrst Of
zone thing is certain. Fverv women
who took that trim tn Leech lake viii
work more energetirallv than ever FIR
the preservation of tho tract as park. /
Tt is imnnesib'e to think that re-p'e ran
he so hind TO their own interests and the
Interests of the state as TO let that
ma@nifine~t forest be DESTROYED II 4
worry rrONa he that tho cl1rh woman of 81
Paul and Minneanolis will hola a ma 8
meeting carly In tho fol- to give the move
ment a NV impetus"