The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-08-29
D \ A BIG !, RIVER !. |.
The Sights and Scenes of a Trip by
Boat Down the Father
s.=s of Waters. .
Miss Huse Writes Entertaingly of
Her Recent Journey w..
i
to the South.

Line 1lneIe1 t st. Paul at s P. NJ, Wednes-
day, July 81, with not far from her full
quot;a'7-((20O) of passengers aboard. We
who had special friends at the docks
fingered to watch them until the lut-
tering handkerchiefs were hidden by
the rivers bend, and then turned our
attention to the twinkling lig hts of the
receding city, the verdure-clad banks,
and crystal waters still rejecting the
gorgeous tints of a sunset such as is
Minnesota's pride.
Stars peeped out, lights burst from
submits of spectral bluffs, and Luna
appeared, her. silvery splendor light
ing the way as we foated down the
tide. The searchlight was thrown out,
revealing many little beauty-spots in
it's hunt for the channel-guides planted
by the government at regular inter-
walls along the rivers banks through
out its entire length, and we were we'll
started on our voyage toward the gulf.
Bys9 o'clock, the cabin was cleared,
the orchestra, consisting of two violins,
| two horns and a bass-viol manipulated
by some of the colored table-stewards-
was soiscoursing sweet strains and the
dance was on The ever-popular
two-step many times repeated, the
waltz, and one cotillion made up the
evenings program and this was en-
joyed until about 1920 when all ex-
cepting$the acknowledgements we're
ready to seek repose.
TWAS very cool, an ideal night for
sleep but we could not at once accus-
tom ourselves to the noises attendant
upon. night-travel and were semi.con.
scious when Hastings, Prescott, Red
Wing and other points were passed
during the night. Maiden Rock in the
"wee sma' hours" aud we arose at 6
A. NJ. just as the boat was taking on
freight at Alma W isconsin.sss -.
10 Mans Castle near Min
neiska, a curious, four storied struc-
ture built entirely of driftwood and
occupying slightly point upon the
bluff, was passed at breakfast time.
The Diamond 10 company has prof
|fered the owner quantity of white
wash for the painting of the ''castle''
which is said to have been erected in
fulfllment of a vow, or as a sort of
penance.
At eight o'clock, we touched at Foun-
tain City, a pretty village perched
among the Wisconsin bluffs with ter
raced gardens on the hill-slopes re-
minding one of the vineyards of the
rhine. Indeed, the upper Mississippi
bears points of resem blance to both the
Rhine and the Hudson. The castles of
the far-famed European river are re-
produced in the masses of turreted
rock frowning from their lofty perches
and the bluffs appearing in many
places in a regular succession, are by
no means unlike the palisades of the
Hudson.
At half-past eight, the ''swell front"
of Winona hove in sight; the railway
bridge swung open for our passing, we
hoated beneath the high wagon bridge
and landed at the fine, stone levee of
which the city is justly proud. A
pretty park skirts the river front and
all together Winona makes rather a
finer appearance than any of the other
river cities.
An engineer and pilot in company
with a couple of lady friends to whom
they wished to show the park and
water-tower, got left at this point and
were obliged to take the train to
Lacrosse in order to regain the boat.
The officials were off duty of course
but got laughed at 'sjust the same.''
Much of the prettiest scenery is
found through this region: the broad
ening river, the numberless islands
overspread with waving willows, and
the wooded bluffs, their bases skirted
by railways whore, ever and anon,
train appears, mirroring its sinuous
outline in the rivers depths. Trem-
peauleau (''mountain tramping in the
water,'' it was interpreted to me by a
French Canadian lady on board), Ores
bach, and other villages were left be-
hind and at Lacrosse with its palm
Garden near the rivers edge, we
made another landing. -. IA.
We saw manyiscampers'' during the
day, their tents cleaning white among
the trees, often with sold Glory" fling
ing its colors to the breeze about them.
Some Of these parties were ION pleas
ure bento but the great majority we're
employed in the clam fishing industry
and the piles Of shells upon the banks
told the results of their labor. It was
most interesting to watch them at the