The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-06-30
IT'S A LAND OF PLENTY
MORT HERN MINNESOTA DESCRIBED
BY A CORRESPONDENT.
Itasca County Set Forth in All lis
SpIendor and Glory; Ma
lures HandiWOrk.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Northern Itasca county is described
as follows by a correspondent OF lhe
Free Press, writing from Laurel, Mimi:
"Itasca is bounded on the north by
Rainy lake and Rainy river, which
form the boundary between the United
States and Canada. The Rainy river
runs west into Lake of the Woods
Many people get the idea, when glancing
at the map, that Rainy river runs east
into Lake Superior, on account of the
chain of lakes along the Canadian bor-
der 1t was even stated in a story in
The Youths Companion that the Rainy
river runs into Lake Superior. If Rainy
river did rpm into Lake Superior, north
ern Itasca would have been settled up
at least twenty years earlier and the
Apipneer, struggle would not have been
nearly SO hard f,s.
"About the year 1880, the Canadian
government, performed a great deal of
work to connect Rainy river with Lake
Superior, building locks and dams be-
tween the lakes along the border. Then
a new party was voted in. which aban-
doned the canal work and put its energy
into the Canadian Pacific railway 1t
makes any one feel like crying, while
looking at the fine work of cutting a
canal through the solid rock along the
side Of Kooehinching Falls on the Rainy
river, to think that a good work like
that should be stopped, when SO much
was already done, but that is the way
the railroad people have managed in
many other places.
''While the Canadian government was
working on this canal, the banks of the
Rainy river were settled on the Cana
dian side by Canadian homesteaders.
Each ,homesteader was allowed a quarter
of a mile on the river only, and their
ed
homesteads would run about one mile
back from the river This was done to
give as many as possible river front,
and bring the settlers close together on
the river in case of trouble with the
Indians. The river was their only road.
The girls as well as the boys that are
raised here can keep up with any
squaw or Indian in padding a canoe,
peterblTo or any kind of a boat. 1t is
pleasant sight to see the healthy-look-
ing young girls of the north managing
canoe with skill over the waves or
Swimming along the smooth water in tne
twilight on pleasant summer eve
ming.
"The Canadian steamboats, used to
supply these people. These steamboats,
would connect with the Canadian Pacific
at Rat Portage on the north side of
the Lake of the Woods. They would
run up the Rainy river as far as Fort
Frances, which is built on the Canadian
side, right at the Koochiching Falls.
Here the steamboats, on Rainy Lake
would connect with steamers on the riv-
er, and all freight would be carried or
hauled up around the falls.
'Fort Frances is hundred and fifty
years old. The Hudson Bay Fur, com
pany had its trading post there for
long time. Their store burned lately
and they did not start again.
"These homesteaders were expecting
a railroad to come along, where the
people of northern Itasca use in spite of
ever since they settled there. The Can
adam Northern is the railroad which the
people of northern Itasca us in spite of
all its disadvantages. Freight is shipped
in bond around by Winnipeg or Port
Arthur, with lot of fuss and bother
with the custom house officers.
"There are four principal ways to
get into northern Itasca. There are two
ways without travelling all over Cana
da. but that is not by rail. One is to
walk or drive with team north from
North Home in winter, but in the
summer you must wade in the swamp
or muskeg over your knees, and horse
q