Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-02
INDIANA SAND DUNES.
Desert Wastes in the Northern Part
of the State to Be Opened.
ndence Imianapolts News.

'rsry correspondence indianapolis News
The heart Of Indianas sand dunes is to
be pierced by a gravel road An old
trail thirteen miles in length that once
linked Miller and Chesterton was last
used by the Detroit Chicago stage coach
line fifty years ago. The route will be-
come the roadbed OF modern highway
and before a year has passed automo-
hiles will speed over the stretch the post
horses once used.
Since the last stage went over the
trail. during the civil war, very few ve-
hicles have travelled over it. The trail
has almost been forgotten, even by the
old settlers. for the route leads through
1ndiana's most lonesome territory. In
the forty square miles between Miller
and Chesterton there are less than q
dozen farms Yet several hundred peo-
pie find their living in the dune country.
They fish, ship sand and pick berries.
trapping, for there is one place in this
part of the country where the smaller
fur-bearing animals abound.
To the north of the dune country lies
the lake. stretch of three or four miles
Of land and the meandering Grand Calu-
met river. the south bank Of which marks
the beginning of the black soil country
which extends southwark to. the Ohio.
|
river that is almost primitive in it's
character.
Part of 1t is densely wooded. Then
come almost impenetrable marshes, the
shores of some having sand bluffs two
and three hundred feet high. Nearer to
the lake are the sand dunes. . No road
will ever pierce them because of their
nature. Travellers have declared the sand
/ plateaus to be the nearest American rep
lica of the Sahara. On what little veg
citation there is nature plays queer tricks
The action of the shifting wind makes
valley of one spot today; tomorrow it
may be a small mountain. When the
sand whiris around the green spots and
stays there for a while a. dreary and
monotonous scene Is presented when 1t
is removed. There is nothing to be seen
but the uninviting area of sand wastes
and the skeletons of the blasted pines.
On summer days the region presents all
of the appearance of the Sahara. There
are the scorching sands, the merciless
sun and the paucity Of water. Occasion
al vegetation and scanty clusters of trees
give the effects of the GASES. Added
realism is also given to the scene, for
side by side with the launa of Indiana
there grows the cactus of the desert and
the Mexican plains. This anomaly in
plant life attracts many hotanists who
come to study the strange phenomenon.
The winter days present pictures none
the less interesting. In the vicinity of
Dune Park in January the scenes re-
semble the Alps. II one is able to make
his way through the dunes and risk the
dangers of the snow and ice crevasses he
will find himself well rewarded. AS the
lake is approached it's Whitened landscap pc
presents a striking appearance. The
shore line is ragged. for as the waves
dash against the now hardened sand
cliffs the water freezes. Out in the lake
there is to be seen vast snow fields,
broken here and there by huge cakes of
floating ice, some of which are large
enough to suggest icebergs.
Standing on one of the snow-capped
peaks the visitor will command a view
of many miles. The lake offers no va