The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-12-02

visitors for one season of warmth reach
a total that could reasonably be esti-
mated as high as thirteen thousand.
Last summer eight trains stopped, at
Minneopa, those leaving Mankato for
Minneopa at 1855 and l0:45 a. IN. and
at l2:l5 and 8 p. m, and those leav-
ing Minneopa on the return for Man
kato at GAP a. IN. and 1928, 4:33 and
ESQ p. m. The round trip rate was
twenty cents. 1t stands to reason that
the railroad company will encourage
tourists in this manner next summer
and in summers following. just as soon
as it gets sufficiently warm, the people
may look for special arrangements and a
special rate to and from Minneopa.
| Vast numbers drive to Minneopa falls
every year for pleasure alone from
eighteen or twenty miles around, coming
from Madelia, Mankato, Lake Crystal,
Vernon Center, Good Thunder, Maple
ton and other points, and from all
through the intervening country. FIRE.
quently picnic parties from a distance
come by rail to this beauty spot to en-
i joy days outing.
Mr.. Hodge may have a little spare
time and if he has, he will be glad to
90 over to the falls with the caller The
creek runs only a few steps from the
station. In less than a minute the wat
erfall is reached. It's beauties are in
deed all that the pictures indicate. One
looks down from the brink of a sheer
precipice and his head swims as he
gazes into the water, rushing and gurg
ling sixty feet below the point where he
stands. The point where the stream
leaves the comparatively level land and
plunges down into the ravine is abrupt
and well defined. Concave walls of solid
sandstone rise on every side of the
abyss. These walls curve inwardly
from the waterfall as if scooped out by
SOlHc SISuHIlC loOis WI. CAplulho
this by informing the visitor that there
is layer of rock just above the sand
stone and much harder, forming a sort
of enamelled surface over which the
water runs. The sandstone, being soft
er than the enamel above, washes out
faster. Hence the concavity, the curv-
ing inward. For rod or two back above
the falls, it may readily be seen that
the water has washed under this hard
surface, cutting away the sandstone sup
port, and causing the surface rock to
crack and break of its own weight. Huge
chunks of those broken stone lie along
the upper course of the stream, causing
a series of rapids, which terminate as
one glances upstream in another water
fall, little one, just short way off.
The width of the ravine is far from
being uniform. In some places it wild
ems out to two or three hundred feet;
then again it will narrow down to fif-
ty. Irregularity is the characterizing
feature of the country. Hills, valleys,
plateaus line either side. The stream
meanders with all the twists and turns
that the most whimsical Imagination
could conceive of, and so does the ra-
vine, which it has cut by ages on ages of
neverceasing labor. The steep hill
sides are wooded, except where the bare
sand rock lies exposed, with most
charmingly haphazard growth of bass
wood, red elm, hard maple, hickory, IRON
wood, white and red oak, poplar and
birch. Lovers of nature, who have view
ed this varied scene, have become alarm
ed on learning that most of the real es-
tate is in the hands of private parties,
who might, if they should see fit, cut
away these lovely trees, and denude the
land of half it's beauty.
The Omaha railroad crosses Inc stream
just once between Minneopa and Man
kato, but between Minneopa and Lake
Crystal, where the creek is fed by the
body of water from which the village is
named, the railroad people have been
obliged to make nine crossings, so varied
is the channel. To follow Minneopa
Creek from the falls to the Minnesota
river one must traverse two miles. The
distance as bird flies is about half a
mile.
Fish come up the creek from the river
in the seasons of high water and are Of
ten caught in large numbers. There was
a time when there was splendid hunting
here, especially for deer, which had a
track across the stream, just above the
falls. The Winnebagoes knew this.
These red skins often observed the elks
frolicking about this place, so they nam
ed it "Minne- inne-opa, signifying
water where the-elks-play." Many peo-
pie regret that the musical old Indian
name was not kept, instead of being
shortened down to 'Minneopa."
Bathing is another pastime that the
stream furnished. just at the foot of
the falls is a pool, about twelve feet at
its deepest and varying from fifty to
thirty feet in diameter, according as the
water is scarce or abundant. 1t is an
ideal swimming hole in warm weather.
The water flows the year round. One
never failing feeder is the ever-fowing
we'll on the farm of William r. Will