Evening journal., 1910-10-13
RAINY RIVER
BY Z. h. Gurney.

on the continent for the study of hui
man nature, is the Rainy river dis
tilct, devastated this week by forest
nres. The name comes from the
RAINY river which forms the border
land between northern minnesota and
Canada
The Canadian side has been reached
by the Canadian Northern Railway for
years, and is fairly thickly settled
with farms. most Of the woods being
cut down and the land put into culti-
vauon. The American side is COW
cred with primeval forest, pines, oaks
ana cleaning white birches, with
thick underground. and intersected
with little s reams up which II Is a
hazardous delight to paddle in a birch
canoe, for it is only In the last three
years that the Duluth railroad has
penetrated to International Falls. II
is possible 10 travel for hours on the
American side without meeting a
human being, and when life is reached
It 10 likely to be a homesteaders
tarred paper and lumber cabin. an In
dian wigwam, or a lumber camp.
There are few crude villages,
much like the Canadian ones oppo-
zinc-covered houses, and always a
hotel with an ambitious name. which
serves bad coffee, and, during the
closed season. moose steaks under the
the name of "beefsteak" And there
are always telephones and souvenir
post cards in the tiniest village, and
at least three fancy modern houses
belonging to prominent citizens
The stranger notices Immediately
the youthfulness of the settlers. They
are brainy. sturdy, young couples
bound to carve a fortune out of the
4 wilderness, and the CITY Fathers" a
small western town is invariably a
city, look like schoolboys. The women
are equally courageous and ambitious
as the men. They take their share IN
the outdoor work. and are as trained
In woodcraft as the men. Every
/ Rainy river girl can handle a canoe
expertly. shoot straight. bake a pie
makes her own clothes. and stylish
ones. too, even II she is in the wilder
ness, keep accounts in her fathers
store. or run the hotel. Many Of the
young people are high school and col
! lege graduates. There are schools
and up-to-date ones, for the Rainy
river district pays high salaries.
Life Rough and Crude.
OF course the life is rough and
crude, and there are plenty OF unde-
sirables, drunkards chiefly. A mur-
derer, a gambler. may be tolerated IN
these communities, but a coward soon
| gets out. Women are IN small pro-
| protion to the men, and a respectable
woman is perfectly safe any hour OF
the day or night.
Between the high spirited pranks Of
the young people. and the hilarity OF
the heavy drinkers, the American
towns have gotten an awesome repu.
/ tation with the Canadians across th5
! border, and II is said the Canadian.
always get away from the American
side before dark
Smuggling Is the chief vice Of tn,
border. The American customs once
in International Falls was always In
vited to a social, banquet, or a bon
hre, when the young men in tow
wished to do some smuggling. and h
was wise enough TO attend. His pre-
decessor had lacked this wisdom, an
he ha1 been taken aside and told tn;
Il wa. not a healthy locality for a
tive customs Inspectors. people we
, shot down In the woods quite fr
quently by huutsmen in mistake Il
game. He resigned in a week.
The Indian women came into TOW
by canoe in the mornings. and d
g scrubbing by the day, leaving the
: papooses in their cradles. in charge
older children. somewhere out on Il
F, boardwalk. There always is a boar
walk in the Rainy river towns. AT
S the towns are always destitute 4,
;. frees. A citizen explained this
z saying that the homesteaders ha'
S little money. and have to use II
q trees on their land for fuel. as we'll {
S needing the clearings for farms. Tt
= Indians are looked upon with goo'
natursd contempt by the whites. The
are understood Chippewas. and dre'
mostly In cas'-off clothing OF II
b whites. One Indian girl went proud
{ around in a bright red bathing su
y given her by some white lady. and st
: had embroidered it all over wit
/ beads
r Low Value on One Life.
p A storekeeper once. in the Ca2adia
i town OF Fort Frances, had acciden
e ally killed an Indian while huntin
d His souaw came 10 his store and d.
+: manded three plugs OF tobacco,
o dozen sticks OF peppermint candy an
thirty yards of calico as a reparatio
o The storekceper finally gave her thr'
r. plugs Of tobacco, six sticks Of cand
and ten yards Of calico.
e When q social was given In az
American town, people came for mil'
q around and spent the night IN tow
returning 10 their isolated Homestead
in the morning.
Even the worst characters OF u
) town OF International Falls we're
Il generous-hearted set OF men. most
N them drifting to the frontier from 9
r even ful life all over the globe Or
i of them died In delirium tremens. H
I'll comrades we're so grateful to the mil
= lister. who conducted the funeral. thi
i they not only presented him with
richly embroidered Indian suit, bl
r. attended his next Sunday night Sc
> vice in a body. All the town WI
Al there. and 1t was a curious sight
Il see the summer tourists sharing Il
a same hymn book with town drunl
Y ards. They put FIVE and ten-doll'
= bills into the collection plates. to
The young minister talked plain
n about their ungodly living. and th'
Il admired him for It. and told him
K afterwards.
h Big game abounds through Il
A. Rainy river district, and 1t is not a.
visable to 80 into the woods witho
" a gun.
n Small forest fires are expected as
,f matter OF course every autumn. al
IS II is easy TO see how the settlers q
~ NOT realize the extent OF lue HIc5 "