The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1900-07-27
ON LAKE NIPISSING.
Callander, Ont, July 18th, 1900.
Free from the daily struggle;
Free from the cares OF earth;
Dreaming the days and hours away,
EniOVinn the cream of rest

Free from the daily struggle;
Free from the cares or earth;
Dreaming the days and hours away,
Enjoying the cream OF rest,
and lots of other things that 60 tC
make up jolly good time.
And it would be person with a good
deal less poetry in his heart than have
who could not enjoy what nature in
these wilds has so profusely provided
'Tis true that nature has played some
queer pranks, and what she is going to
do with some of her handiwork is not
yet apparent. The old dame must have
been in a prodigiOus bad humor when
she belched forth from her stomach
such tremendous piles of bare and rag
ged rocks. We would be inclined TO
make faces at her,if she had not relent-
ed and scooped out great basins, into
which she poured her tears of repent
ance, for wasted energy no doubt; thus
forming the lovely lakes that adorn
and relieve the landscape of these high.
lands of Ontario. And while in this
mood, she must have conceived the
idea of furnishing clothing to cover
the nakedness of some of her cOarses {
offspring. In this she has been no mig
gard, for the beauty in which she has
is almost beyond the description of hui
man pen, and must be seen TO be appre-
ciated. Some of her rocks and hills
have not been dressed yet; but these
only serve by way of contrast to en-
hance the beauty of their more favored
kin.
Since writing the last letter rainy
days have set in, Wednesday being the
first day fit for tourist to get out.
started at $50 III the morning by G.. II
railway for North Bay, the northern
terminus, and near where it forms q
junction with the &. Z. railway, where
lines extend from the eastern sea board
to the Pacific in the west. From North
Bay | took the G. p. railway for visit
to Sturgeon Falls, 20 miles west. This
is town of 1000 inhabitants, has elec
trio lights, and is quite busy place
and has some charming sights in It's
vicinity.
The town takes it's name from the
fact that millions of sturgeon come uI
this river from the lake to the falls ev
cry spring, and are caught with hooks
in large numbers by many men who
make that business, and who also
make a good deal of wealth out of it
Sturgeon river is quite large stream
about one-eighth of a mile in average
width, and very deep, say from 30 to so
feet. 1t takes its rise almost 100 miles
north and east, being supplied by many
other streams in its course. The falls
are located at the village, and one gets
fine view from the bridge above. Al
this point there is deep gorge, the
bottom being strewn with huge bould.
ers, some of the size of an ordinary
dwelling house.
Over this bed the waters from ten OF
fifteen feet above, descend with tremen
dous force and velocity, pell mel
against the rocks below, which dash
them back in fury to meet another on
slaught of descending waters in mighty
battle; then swiZZling round on each
side, dancing, bubbling, foaming, still
descending for another mighty plunge
and another stuggle against other
rocks that bar its progress, until finally
at the base of the falls about 300 rods
distant, it sweeps out into bay about
three-fourths of mile across, and then
passes peacefully and sluggishly down
to the mouth four miles below, where
it empties into lake Nipissing.
L hired boat and couple of kids to
row me down to the mouth of the river
Sitting in the stern of the boat gliding
down stream, was where the dreaming
mentioned at the beginning of this let.
ter held full sway for a time. Over
this very same route, on this same
stream, many moons agone, the cele.
brated F'renchman, Champlain, piled
his birch canoes when he descended
from the waters of the lower Province
on his mission to the Huron Indians
who then roamed these wilds as lords
and masters, having undisputed pos
session.
Alasl how are the mighty warriors
fallen. A few old toothless squaws on
one of the islands are all that is left oi
that once numerous and powerful tribe
The rest, some being merged in some
other tribe, and the great majority
gradually yielding to the inevitable
slipped away with their dogs, bows anC
arrows, across the Great River, where
according to Indian lore, they are now
hunting moose and bison, i'm hunting
grounds illimitable, under the eye OF
the Great Spirit.
Near the mouth of the river L step.
ped ashore to visit an old Indian bury.
ing ground, located on its banks. II
must have been very ancient, for large
trees and dense underwood now covers
the spot. More dreams here. Fierce
Indians in their war paint going out tC
meet their foes, returning with glory
and scalps; dusky lovers signing out
thasr lova oor,rro 20 that~ ac,,oll..