The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-07-15
ON THE FATHER OF WATERS.
Beauties of a Trip Down the Missis-
sippi River to Camp Lakeview.

Beauties of a Trip Down the Missis
sippi River to Camp Lakeview.
Any resident in any city, village Oh
town along the line of the Great Western
from Mankato to Red Wing, who did not
think that the cheap excursion Offered
by the railroad company to Camp
Lakeview and back last Sunday was ar
opportunity of getting the fullest enjoy
ment out of life during one long day al
an inconsiderable expense, must be q
person woefully lacking in imagination
and sentiment To some, the precipi.
tous hills along the shores of Lake Pepin
may perhaps produce no other ideas than
those of masses of earthly substance
differing from what is seen in other To-
calities merely in form. Some may take
mere glance at the shores between
which the steamer plies and turn their
attention to something else.
Such people are to be pitied. Few in
deed, it may be hoped, were among those
seven hundred on the steamer Saturn
and barge last Sunday, who could not
stand and gaze in awestruck contempla-
ton of the grandeur of these rare works
of nature. AS the boat moved down
stream from Red Wing, shortly after
noon Sunday, it was still upon the riv-
er, the point where the Gather of Wat
ers" widens into lake not having yet
been reached. To the left could be seen
the picturesque bluffs among which the
city lies, city largely built upon a
slope of land inclining down to the river.
Red Wing indeed has some very hand
some buildings, and the natural beauties
of the place are remarkable. Yet, it is
nothing to compare with Mankato after
all. 1t lacks the general air of cleanli-
ness and culture, which strikes every
stranger who visits Mankato's residence
and business centers.
AS the boat glided down the stream,
the hills on the Minnesota side could be
seen rising higher and holder and more
precipitous. Before long, the specta-
tor had to turn his face upward in order
to see the SUBMITS of the majestic
bluffs. On the lower slopes grew a
covering of vegetation, of grass, bushes
and stunted trees. Higher up the sides
rose nearly or quite perpendicularly,
and the walls of sand and lime stone ap-
peared as if some mighty instrument had
cleft off the upper portions of the hills
and left the great fiat sides facing the
river.
Of to the left was low, long, dense
ly wooded island. An occasional glimpse
through the trees revealed another
branch of the river flowing parallel with
the one that the boat traversed. By and
by this island was no more to be seen.
The boat was now moving down broad
and ever broadening stream. The cap
tain was asked where the excursion
was and he said it was at the upper end
of Lake Pepin.
Lake Pepin, as everybody knows, is
proverbially treacherous- Storms come
up suddenly and with very little warn
ing. Yet no untoward incident of the
weather marred the happiness or disturb
ed the peace of mind of the merry-mak-
e-s. A few of the passengers did in
deed express some dread of Lake Pepin,
and told some CHASTITY stories of the
lives that lake had swallowed up. Yet
nobody was scared The sightseers kept
on enjoying what they saw, and the
dancers kept on promenading ON the
barge.
The dancing floor of the barge was GER
tainly q center of interest to large
portion of the crowd. Fine music was
played BY the orchestra of the Unity
Outing club of st. Paul, and all who
could dance could not fail to be attract
ed. AS is usual on such occasions, the
people grew more and more familiar.
Hundreds who were strangers in the
morning wern acquaintance in the af-
ternoon and old friends before the sun
set. Il was indeed a gathering picked
up from many places. The Mankato
train had started out with forty-seven
and had taken passengers on the way to
Red Wing until it brought about two
hundred to the boat About hundred
of those on the boat had come from
Rochester and vicinity; about two hun
bred from st. Paul and fifty from Min
neapolis; and the rest from Red Wing.
| Wider and wider the lake seemed to
grow, until il lost its semblance of a
stream altogether. Wisconsin seemed
proud e the kingly rock-ribhe1 chains
Of hills with which her side of the lake
was faced, similar indeed = those oE the
Minnesota side, but higher, nobler and
more picturesque. Maiden Rock was
passed, with its perpendicular declivity
The pathetic tale of the Indian chiefs
daughter, who ieaped to an mtlmeiy
death from the edge of this precipice, be.
cause her father would not consent te
her marriage with the young hunter she
loved, was wildly suggested.
| Practically the entire day was taker
nm in cno;uo IN and coming home from