Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-11-29

"Clang-ity-clang! Clang-ity- clangW
went Pat Cassin's breakfast bcn
promptly at six o'clock on the morn
ing of November 9th. We bounded
from our beds and in a short time
were having our breakfast, prepar
atory to the day in the woods. It
has showed lightly during the night,
and a heavy mist in the air seemed
to indicate that at most any time
we might have more snow. The deep
green of the pines in contrast to the
white ground made a distinct inn
preston upon the writer. Never had
we been in a pine country like this
before, where real large pines were
to be seen in all their pristine beauty.
Perhaps the sight had awakened the
lingering memories Of the tales heard
in childhood Of the snow-laden ever
green forests in a land beyond the
seas and had touched chord Of
sentiment within.
Now We are off to view Red lake,
in the light Of the early morning. To
the north extends the great expanse
Of the lower Red lake. We w@lk
down the track. Two sidines extend
east and west running down a heavy
e4ade to the shore in either directi> D.
The main line runs right out to the
lake on an embankment and ends OIL
a trestle like arrangement. We walk
out to the end Of this in order to get
a good view. Due north We can see
the bluffs Of the wooded peninsula
which separates the upper and low
er lake on the sky line-something
on the order of Robbins Island IN
Foot lake, on vastly larger scale.
The distance across to it is about
twelve miles. Towards the north
west one cannot see across the lake.
The total shore line of both lakes is
not less than $50. miles. AS far as
our eyes can distinguish in both d.
rections are vast booms Of logs
along the shore. The railroad spurs
along the shore are for either load
ing or unloading logs. A number Of
streams empty into Red lake and
these are utilized to carry the logs
from the interior No logging has so
far been done on the reservation
which extends five and a half miles
south Of the shore-line Of the lake
and extends all around the lake ex-
cept on the eastern end. But lum-
bermen are using the lake for float
ing logs cut outside the reservation.
These are towed across the lake and
foated down the Red lake river. to
the saw mills in the Red river cities.
The past season has been. a bad one
for log drivers on the water. There
was not sufficient water to float the
logs down the river, hence they have
been accumulated in booms along)
the shore. The rains this fall have
barely suf6ced to start the tributary
rivers to some extent, but Red lake
itself is still very low. There are a
couple Of steamers drawn out Of the
lake for the winter, which ply the
waters Of the lake in the summer.
This must be a great place in the
summer time, and would make an in
teresting objective point for an ex--
cursion. The. Red Lake Indian Re-
servation is the largest area Of land
yet held by the Red man in Mime
sofa. There are about 1900 Ojib-
way Indians on this reservation, or
con the pay roll" as Pat Cassin ex-
pressed it. The agency lies about
five miles west Of the railroad land
ing. There, are hotel accommoda-
tons there for a limited number of
visitors. On the point between the
two lakes is an Indian village. Said
point, covering an area Of about SO
square miles, has the finest standing
pine timber now to be found in Min
nesota, according to our friend OPP
sahl. Our guide entertained us with
stories Of adventures he has had up
on this lake with various parties Of
surveyors and notable visitors whom
he had guided thru this country.
The first explorer to describe Rec
lake with any accuracy was Bel
trami, the Italian refugee who hat
accompanied the Stephen Long gov
eminent expedition Of 1923. (Tha,
:; was 33 years before anyone did {
, like service to Green lake in ou1
county, This expedition proceed
i; ed up the Red river towards tn
northern boundary. When at Penn
bina, Beltrami became involved il
some trouble and boldly struck gu
eastwardly up the Red lake river, alb
solutely alone except with what hel,
he could cajole from the Indians
explored the lake, found the mail
river leading south, camped at LAX
4 - 10 .1