The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-02-28
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the car and spouted into the barges,
or vice versa.


Maj. Newson's sturdy band Of
gold-seekers were at last accounts
thirty miles from the goal of their
hopes and dreams the rich gold
fields of Vermillion lake. But those
thirty miles are through dense,
unbroken wilderness. The major has
organized a pioneer corps of axmen,
who, headed by Col. Joseph King,
led the van, and trees and stumps
gave way to the indomitable will
and vigor of this advanced party.
Still another party, with the train,
had to bring into requisition other
axes to allow the animals to proceed.
Men and cattle have to dodge trees
as they pass over hills, round cor
ners, through ravines, until the
time to camp for the night.
The road is described as a figure
8, with an S on top of it and cord
wood in abundance. This is the
daily experience, with only about
three miles per day. One big Sec
ton of land was covered with acres
of trees blown down by a fierce
hurricance. These had to be cut
through to make room for the long
train of carts, wagons and the big
sleeping car" all of which were
still intact at the latest accounts.
Sixteen miles out Of Duluth they
passed the Davis party; two miles
further on the Dodge and Williams
party was left in the rear, and four
more miles brought the Newson
company up to the Sibley party,
which up to this had been in the
lead in the grand free-for-all race
to the coveted mines. The Sibley
party was also soon left in the rear
and now the doughty major and
his men, who are nearly all tried
veterans of the war and used to
i long and forced marches, with the
accompanying hardships, are the
first company, and are determined
to hold the advance into Vermillion
lake.
The city of Duluth! A place of
great possibilities and with an as
suredly brilliant future, according
to its present proprietors, who are
anxiously waiting for the arrival of
the railroad from St. Paul and
the opening up of the rich mineral
regions to the north. On paper,
its promoters will show you splendid
wharves, elevators, warehouses, fac
tories, with unlimited peat beds, to
be used for fuel, hotels, commercial
houses all this and more they free
ly predict for the near future.
But the Duluth of to-day, as
viewed by the writer is a different
picture. AS we neared the place on
our way across the bay from Su-
perior the hills seemed to be about
500 feet high, and covered with bal
sam frs, spruce and similar trees.
There were just five houses, two of
them log. To attempt to build a
great city on this steep and rocky
cliff seems sheer nonsense. There
is no harbor here. Vessels could
not remain near the place in storm,
as they would almost certainly be
blown on the rocks. By cutting
channel through Minnesota Point
the waters of Lake Superior, the
bay of Superior and the St. Louis
bay and river would unite, and by
this means vessels could enter Su-
perior bay and safely ride at anchor.
~
A great many of our citizens are
preparing to go to Montana in the
spring in search Of gold If they
go we wish them good luck, but we
have never advised any one to i'm
migrate to the gold mines, except
to those of Vermillion lake.