The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1901-05-02

~ uiiC JdiifAS - ~ lSCus a1Au III
places they rise to an eleyationof
us feet. "a mile or two back
from the river the surface is
liable to be lower. The soil the en-
tire length of the river is Al loa1n
witha strong mixture Of clay and
very sticky. II hardly need Be
added that this means a very fer
| tile soil, and we will not be sur
lprised if this territory should
later be found asecond Red River
Valley Of the North. The abund-
ance Of vegetation affords plenty
Of evidence Of the soils fertility.
Along part Of the banks, and
especially in the upper part, are
fine stretches Of meadow with a
rank growth Of red top and blue
joint grass, excellent for grazing.
The shores are densely wooded,
and Chief Fire Warden Andrews
in his annual report for last year
expresses his astonishment at
seeing the woods SO continuous
land dense, and covering every
acre that is not meadow. The
poplar redominates, both white
and balm Of gilead. Spruce, bal
sam, birch, cedar, ash and oak
come next. Every few miles are
growths of white and Norway
pine, always occupying the high
lest elevations. There is an abuId-
ance Of underbrush, mostly hazel
and alder, while the high bush
cranberry is il evidence. The
white towering kinnikinic from
which the Indians get their
| tobacco, also has 4 place. FL this
region the state has large hold
|ings Of school and swamp lands,
but there are many sections
marked on the map as swamp
lands which are not swamp.
On April is the Big Fork river
had its spring opening and it was
a spectacle never to be forgotten
by those who saw it. Ordinarily
| the river loses its ice by gradu-
/ al thaw and without disturbance.
But this year the ice largely
broke away and tumbled down
the river in one day. This after
noon the ice is as nnotionless as IT
has been all winter, with the
edges next to the shore worn
away BY the current. Butssuds
denly a line shoots through the
middle Of the icy surface, and the
line keeps widening Little waves
of water can be seem IN the broad
ening line, and up and below the
river can be heard the crunching
sound ais one sheet of ice piles
upon another and the whole plain
moves with a sudden start. Then
comes a boom distant but clear
like the surf striking upon q
rocky coast, and with the power
of inyincibility the whole surface
Of the river moves downward ir-
ristibly and terrible in Its grand
lieur. Crash follows crash as the
glacier thunders along, throwing
Iup hugh chunks into the air
when it strikes an obstruction in
the river, and forcing high on the
banks slabs of ice and driftWood
as it rounds a bend. The masses
Iof crystal continue to pile higher
and higher and that the river is
Ilaboring hard to rid itself OF it's
burden is proven by the awful
groans, which can be heard q
mile away. Covered with its
| grey and white and part colored
load, the river rushes at unusual
speed caused by the pressure
above and the river banks are
ploughed and scraped BY the
mighty caravan. In a few hours
the channel is nearly cleared, but
the current for several days is
full Of PARTICLES Of icebroken fine
| by a passage over the rapids and
| falls above.
Resolutions.
Whn,,aoss G117. HnavnnIv Father