The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1907-10-10

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Baptising in Egg Coolee.
By w. H. Mann.
Where is Egg Coolee. What is
its origin? What are its environ
ments? What has been it's
fame? What Of its scenes ?
What is now its signific ence?
Running east and west across
the loop country Of the Mouse
river seven miles north of the
Great Northern Railway upon an
elevated section or ridge Of North
Prairie is located the renowned
Egg Coulee of which it is our
purpose to pencil this report.
AS to it's origin there is a d.
versity of opinions. Mr.. Austin
Semlar, a student of Minot High
school, gave it as his opinion that
the valley and lakes of it are the
lowest part Of the old lake known
to biologists as the Lake Agazlz.
Possibly he may be correct, but
we will for the present purp use
define it's origin to the melting
waters of a chain of icebergs
that stranded on the site Of the
valley or coulee which in our
opinion should not be called a
coulee because it is essentially a
valley proper. On the north side
of this valley are a number OF
egg shaped lakes a few hundred
feet in width by a thousand in
length; Their shape perhaps
gave rise to its name, as they
may have suggested it. How
ever, we never saw them but
once. Their location near the
north side of the broad valley is
t. us a clear indication of their
iceberg formation, as the sun
heat 10 the latitude of the coulee
being forty-eight north parallel.
The greatest amount of water
melted in a day on the west side
as the afternoon is by far the
warmest; thus forming the lakes
on that side which were dug by
the falling of the water downthe
precipice Of the small mountain
Of ice. As there are a number of
these lakes about one mile apart
each individual lake was formed
by a separate iceberg as a natu-
raj sequence that the troughy
part of the valley being near the
extreme southern side we ac-
count for on the hypothesis that
the bergs rested on the central
part of the valley and that a les
s r amount of water flumed away
from the melting. waters on the
southern side, aud that the I'M
DERIVING part was not removed
at Grst but was washed away at
the finish or end OF the flow.
The prairie Oh either side OF
this coulee as it is called, pre-
sents for a few miles, say thru as
far as we were able 20 perceive, a
section of pretty knolls once
hills OF considerable size and
height, that the tooth Of time
has worn away. Upon the top
of these promotories are indica-
lions to our mind OF ancient ar
chitecture and giant structure.
This we infer from the broken
mass Of fragmentary rock see,
upon every rise Of ground.
These masses of rock were for
the most part in squares or ellis
in shape. Some squares were
longer one way, all Of which cast
the hiItt and in their silent way
seemed to try to tell us some
thing mute and silent; things
have no way to make themselves
knewn but by their presence. so
we take it for granted that these
rocks reduced into fragments
from the large pliers they may
once have been and walls and
Garlic broken by the frost OF
more than three thousand win
tiers. For we relegate the city
that doubtless stood over the
valley and adjacent hills and
plain for a length of ten miles
witt a breadth OF six away back
to the days Of Thebes, Baalbeck.
Patria, Babylon, land Ninevah, ALI
,befsre Remulus and Romulus
folnded Rome.
This ancient city was we'll sup
piled with water and was thus
secure from the seige go far as
the supply of water was con-
yIcfefned az these lakes are velita-
Die. springs.
( That the inhabitants of it
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