Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-07-12
PROF. LOUIS P|NGEL
WRITES FROM NORTH
SPENDING SUMNER VACATION
In NORTHERN COUNTIES.
Spent the Fourth at Ashland and
Viewed Sights of City-Pdys a
visit to Madeline Island in Lake
SuperiOr-AISO Visited La Pointe
Interesting Description of Sights

Interesting Description of Sight:
Paul A. Schoechert is in receipt O.
a letter from Louis Pingel, teacher
in st. Marks parochiai school, who
is spending his summer vacation il
the northern part of Wisconsin anC
the upper peninsula of Michigan. The
professor writes very interestingly
of the sights there. Following are a
few excerpts from his letter, which
will be read with interest by many OF
the readers of The Leader:
Ashland, Wis. July 9th, 1907.
Dear Paul: AS l have decided to
make this a day of rest, thought |
would drop you few lines. l spent
the great and glorious day here in
Ashland, where the citizens enjoy ed
an old time celebration, as we had
years ago at Oshkosh. A great in
dustrial parade in the morning with all
kinds of contests in the afternoon
and grand fire works in the evening.
The day was spoiled some by rain.
We had time to see the ore DOCKS IN
the morning and the blast furnace in
the afternoon. will not tell you
much about this city, but will de-
scribe our trip Of yesterday to one Of
the most interesting and historic places
IN Wisconsin Madaline Isiandl, one
of the Apostle Islands in Lake Super
ior.
This place was visited by Father
Marquette in the early days, and an
Indian mission was established there.
The Oldest church in Wisconsin STOOD
there, but was destroyed by fire a
few years ago. In this church was
hung painting by one of the OLD
masters, which was supposed to pos
sess certain magic powers. Many
Indian tales and legends are told con-
corning certain places en- the island
and whole books have been written
about them.
When we arrived on the island yes
terday, we went at once to the .old
mission chapel, log house church.
very much dilapidated. Some festival
must have been held there recently.
as the interior walls where the plaster
once had been, was all covered with
cedar boughs. Adjoining the church
was a grave yard, very old and rank
with weeds.
From there we went to see the old
fort South Beach and Soldiers Rock.
If anyone should get cut there for
one day only, | would advise them not
to see these places, as they are not
worth the trouble. 1t was tramp
through the woods for about fifteen
miles and along Indian trails. The
old fort consists of two log houses,
one of them two stories, with the first
story and half, buried in ravine
Soldiers rock is a collection Of large
rocks which lie cut a few feet from
shore. In windy weather the waves
roll over them.
From the village called Old Mission,
we went to LaPoinIe, fishing settle
ment of Indians and summer resorts.
In place of Father Marquette church,
they have built new church. Another
cemetery is found in Old Mission with
many old graves, surrounded by a
picket fence and covered by small
roofs. These old graves have no writ
ing on them to show who is buried
there. Other graves are there that
have stones to mark the places. One,
if remember rightly, bore the date
of the death of the Indian, 1924, aged
II years, and was erected by the
| friends of the deceased to show their
respect and esteem.
From the island we We It to Bay
| field, across the channel, in d launch.
Bayfield, is all up and down, with
sandy streets. They have beautiful
court house and public school. From
WIidL L nave seen III hOl II
cities, the school houses are more
beautiful tnan the ones to the south.
Ashland and Ironwood have grand
high school buildings. Ironwood
already has domestic science school
and is nov building a very large man
ual training school.
The people in these towns to a great
extant are fureign born Swades,
Films, Irish, Cornish, Austrians,
Syrians, Turks are found all over the
range. One kind of people | met
every here and they are the best
people to meet. | mean WATERFOWL
people. Of course they are German.
All Of them, without exception, seem
to do very well, while some are even
r.ch. 1t does one good to see how
eager they are for news from the ole
home. They all have longing dowr
deep IN their hearts to see the ole
place again and the friends they left
behind. | am not surprised at this,
for, to NE, no city can Compare with