Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-07-23
TRIP ON FATHER OF WATERS
Mrs. Colt Sends Note on Some of
The Things Witnessed

A summer vacation trip is a fine
thing something to be planned for, to
save for and to be remembered. As
one sits b. CRATE fire in winter or in
lonely homes of long evenings, mental
pictures of river, bluff, lake and busy
city return to cheer and stimulate, as
well as beckon to places for future out
ings.
Leaving La Crosse at seven O'Clock
a. m. by steamer Morning STAR" we
set our faces northward. The query
comes to us why this busy city sits just
! here in the sand with its back to the
nearby bluffs. We remember the con-
dition of early days. and that here, the
La Crosse and Black rivers blend their
waters with the Mississippi. Prof.
Turner says: 1.-The fur trade was the
pathfinder of manufacturing and agri-
cultural civilization. To this point
down the river, the Indians and trap
pers brought their furs and got am
munition, etc, and so the nucleus of
this city was formed and named La
Crosse, because here the Indians came
to play the game of that name. Ware
houses were built to the waters edge
and now. at great expense, the bank
has been filed and beautiful water
front greets the passing traveller. The
beautiful bluffs are on every hand and
ever changing scenes greet the eye.
Government work is in evidence and at
one point sand dredge is pumping
sand from the channel out onto an
island.
At Wabasha, large auto, weighing
$500 pounds, from Bismark. North
Dakota, is brought on board our boat
over the gang plank, with very few
inches on either side of the wheels and
gives the watching passengers a thrill,
followed by cheers for its driver when
the feat is accomplished. Shortly after,
there pass by us three canoes, enroute
from st. Paul to st. Louis. The seven
men are stripped for the work, canoes
following in line and going much fast
er than we are travelling. Old-time
canoe and modern motor in contrast.
The canoeists expect to make sixty
miles day.
We go through beautiful Lake Pepir
at sunset and the orchestra is playing.
Now we are in st. Paul to see the cap
itol and other sights.
Reaching st. Paul, we go to the no.
/ tel, The St. Paul, which Is to be ouI
4 iioAiG AT ANSity 1puE HOutSs It's dp
| pointments are beautiful and convent.
emit. The cafe is decorated in Moorish
style and is gorgeous in gilt The root
/ garden, twelve stories up, is on leve
with the spires of the city, as the hote
stands on a hill. The altitude is toe
much for US and we are glad the eleva-
tor bears US swiftly downward. We
visit stores and cafes and return to ouI
\ room when a severe electrical storm
strikes the city. With flash of light.
ming and crash of thunder II seems as
| though the monsters Of the upper all
are battling with the clouds TO wrest
from them the life-giving water to sup
| ply the rivers that make so fertile our
Mississippi valley. One storm succeeds
another and the streets are flooded
We go to the theatre to see 1Ths
| Witching Hour" play founded OF
telepathy and containing sound mora
lessons.
| We fail to see the state capitol, which
| is st. Paul's pride, but we hope to q
again. This beautiful, busy city, will
wealth and enterprise, is the Mecca o.
many tourists, and with a map of the
city, the most unsophisticated traveller
can easily get about. L. II. G.