The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-29
IN ALL THE WORLD
NO TRIP LIKE THIS
Thomas E. Woodlock in ''Wall
Street Journal
July 18th.

Your correspondent is more
or less Of an Atlantic traveller, having
made some fifteen trips across the
ocean, and is more or less familiar with
this particular form of holiday. Its
strong points are:
0) Absolute rest for mind and
body.
(2) Unlimited fresh air.
And it's weak points are:
% Monotony.
(2) Bad weather-frequently
with, of course, the strong points much
the most important and entirely pre-
dominant.
Circumstances compelled the writer
this year to forego the usual Atlantic
trip, as he had to go West. Having
some detailed acquaintance with rail-
road affairs, he was aware that
the Northern Steamship Company =
owned by the Great Northern-oper-
ated steamer from Buffalo to Duluth,
making the trip in three days, and he
determined to try it.
He found magnificent
ocean, going steamer close upon 400
feet long, of 5000 horse power, devel-
oping a speed of 18 to % miles an hour,
fitted up in a style that he has never
seen surpassed on any ocean vessel,
whatever her size, furnished with large
airy staterooms, lofty saloons and
decks innumerable, the top deck being
something like 70 feet above the wa
ter. Brilliantly lit, admirably venti-
lated, most conveniently arranged as
to all appointments
Lake Erie is not especially pictur-
| esQue as to its eastern end.
When the ST. Clair river was entered
the scenery became beautiful.
From that time, with a very few hours
Of open lake, the trip to Duluth was a
succession Of changing pictures, any
one of which would make the fortune
! of an Atlantic route lucky enough to
possess it exclusively. Just above De-
troit there is Belle Isle Park, which is
surely the most beautiful public park
in the world, and it lies at the waters
| edge. Across the river is sleepy Wind
sor. The river is full of excursion
! steamers plying up and down to half
a dozen resorts, all on the river and
| all full of holiday crowds, and our
| steamer threaded it's way among them,
meeting all kinds Of craft, from ore
| carriers and Whalebacks to naphtha
| launches and rowing boats. ALI this at
| sunset after a typical summers day
! with the mercury standing at 70 de-
! grees, and no more!
| Next day there was Mackinac ISL
and, looking something like a little
! Welsh fishing village, the hill rising
| directly from the waters edge, dotted
| with summer cottages and here and
| there large hotel, and the bay filed
| with all kinds of sailing craft. Beauty
| enough for one days steaming, you
would think, but in three hours we
reached ST. Mary's river and passed
| the famous 800" canal by moonlight.
| You are to imagine a stretch Of river
| some miles long with campers at every
/ point, their tents lit up, and here and
| there remains of the Fourth's pyro-
technics in course of dissolution-all
| on a still summers evening, so still
that the voices on the shore could
/ plainly be heard on our steamer as we
! passed, until the roar of the 800"
| rapids drowned them as the town and
| the great lock came in sight. Finally
We came into Lake Superior and en-
| tered on the last day of the trip.
Once more variation in the scenery.
| The red banks of Lake Superior sand
stone topped with pine and cedar and
I a refreshing GOODNESS in the air marked
| the change and presently there was the
| Houghton- Hancock ship. canal open
! ing up with its twin copper cities on
/ the hills rising on each side and it's red
| waters. The temperature at the
| Houghton dock was 80 odd degrees,
4 with a strong southwest wind, but we
were hardly out of the canal when
| wraps and overcoats were in order for
4 the first time since leaving Buffalo,
/ and we were headed direct for Duluth.
s. The writer's purpose is to
1 bring out the fact that this lake trip
/ has all the advantages of an Atlantic
| voyage with the disadvantages elimi-
/ mated altogether. You will note, first,
| that the steamer itself is Of the ocean
| type, only more comfortable; second.
that the trip is three days long, which
| affords time for complete rest quite
| apart from the fact that round trip
| from New York City to Duluth with
| six days steaming can be made be-
| tween Saturday morning and the fol-
| lowing Saturday night, and
/ third, that there is no monotony about
| any part of it.
The emotion of surprise in
| it's ultimate degree is susceptible of
| change into other emotions. To find
the bellboys Cor cabin stewards) at
tentive yet unobtrusive, the walters
| courteous and painstaking, the ships
| officers genial and communicative, the
purser a gentleman and a diplomat Of
| the first water, the cooking absolutely
I f1rst-class, the staterooms clean and
| cool-and all this with the other ad-
vantages noted in the foregoing is
| enough to arouse the ire of a man
who only finds it out after it has been
| available nine years.
The Steamship North West
sails from. Duluth for Buffalo and in
| termediate points every Tuesday at