The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-07-19
AN INTERESTING TRIP
The Editor and Family on Their De-
IiuhtfuI Vacation With National
Editorial Association.

Editorial Association.
The largest part of the editorial party
had been looking forward to the time
when they would start on the water
part of our journey with considerable
interest, for to them it would be the
first time they had been where they
could not see land, and The REPORTER
editor was among this number. We
were to leave the Rush street dock on
the palatial steamer Manitou promptly
at 2 o'clock, and after the luncheon and
reception at the Chicago Press Club
rooms it took some lively stepping for
all the party to get on board the steam
er, and as it had been announced that
the steamer would not wait minute
after the time set for sailing, there was
considerable of jam at the dock until
everyone had claimed their numerous
suit cases and grips and crossed the
gang plank and were on board the finest
steamer on the lake.
The Manitou is an exclusive passen-
ger boat which makes three round trips
each week from Chicago to Mackinac
Island, and this was the first trip of the
season of 1906. Built entirely of steel,
800 feet in length and forty-two feet in
breadth, she is vertible floating palace.
The main saloon and cabins are beautl-
fully decorated with white and gold,
while the mahogany finish OF the wood
word adds richness and solidity to it's
chaste surroundings. The main saloon
is about 200 feet in length and rises
amidship to two stories, fanked by
galleries, enclosed with polished copper
railing and reached by rich mahogany
staircases. All parlors and staterooms
are fitted with marble washstands, run
ming water, electric lights and call bells.
Slowly steaming out of the dirty Chi
cago river, we salute several incoming
vessels and as soon as we clear the
river the engines are put at full speed
and the boat rushes through the water
at uniform speed Of eighteen miles an
hour. The lake was smooth as glass and
the cool breeze and comfortable sur
roundings put all in a good humor. No
one thought of being seasick, for the
motion of the boat through the water
was hardly perceptible. A little less
than an hours run and we were out OF
sight of land, for the Manitou takes a
straight shoot across the lake, making
no stop until Frankfort is reached the
following morning, and to person who
has always resided on grass covered
land, there comes a feeling of awe as we
find ourselves on the broad expanse of
deep blue water stretching to the hori-
zon in every direction and blending
with the azure sky. We never thought
there was so much water and wished we
had small chunk of it located near
Leon. The boat ride was delightful
4l,o, vi l,,ct nf hn
railroad train, and it was cool enough
so that the ladies all wore wraps when
they appeared on the outside deck.
Along towards evening, just as we were
ready to go to the dining room, brisk
breeze sprang up and the boat com
menced to rock little although the old
sailors said the lake was still quite
smooth, and soon the fun commenced.
There had been wild scramble to get
into the dining room for all cannot be
served at once, but it did not take long
to make several vacancies at the tables,
the dining room being located in the
bow of the boat, the toughest part of
the vessel. Service was la carte, with
prices rather elevated, and everybody
seemed to want to order all there was
on the bill of fare for the first meal
Mrs. H. shortly after giving her order
and before even the soup had been
brought, excused herself and retired to
her stateroom, and little Dorothy wait
ed only until she took couple of spoon
fuls of soup when she wanted to go to
her mamma, so we were left with three
big dinners to pay for and no one to eat
them but ourself. We made up our
mind we would eat or die and managed
to get away with substantial meal
1t was the same all around us. At an
adjoining table six persons were seated
and one by one they departed before
they had finished eating until only one
man was left. The seasickness soon
passed away however after those affect
ed got into the open air, although there
were several who were sick all night
Our sympathy went out to one portly
editor from Oklahoma who was deathly
sick and vowed that if he ever set foot
on mother earth again he would never
venture on the water again, but after a
nights rest he took it all back and after
that he enjoyed the water trip as vel
as any of the party.
Our first stop was made the next
morning at Charleyoix, 2S1 miles from
Chicago, one of the noted northern
Michigan summer resorts, but we haC
no time to land as the boat ties up but
a few minutes in order to take on sup
plies and few passengers. An houl
later we stopped at Harbor Springs
another summer resort, and then are
away for Mackinac Island, where we
are to stop and spend the night.
Exactly on time our boat draws up a,
the wharf at Mackinac Island at 1:3(
o'clock, and the party is soon snugly
esconfed in the various summer hotels
Mackinac Island is famous as the great
est island summer resort on the CONT
nent. This beautiful island is rich will
historical associations and Legendary
lore of two centuries. 1t is the Niece;
for seekers after health and recreation
from all the central and western states
AS the ship draws near, the outline o
the old United States fort and the white
pillars of the immense Grand Hotel, be
come plainly discernable, and finally th'
walls that stand out in chalky white
ness against the green of the scragg,
pine forest mark the battlements of tn,
abandoned fort now hoary with age an,
crumbling with the neglect of peace