Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-07-30
UPoN MANY HIsToRIc SPOTS
On River and Land Mrs. Colt OBJ
serves and Writes


On board our boat again at St. Paul
we watch the people. freight and autos
come on b0ard--130 excursionists from
the city to Saltwater, fill up the decks;
some have lunch baskets and some take
dinner on the boat. They are to re-
turn from Saltwater by interurban car.
AS We move down the river we come
70 Pigs Eye sand bar, q point where
thirty eight years ago we were in a
steamer that was held twenty hours In
the sand, and then the passenger
transferred iIi buses to st. Paul.
Capt. Blair tells Us that the first set
tier in st. Paul was Frenchman with
one eye and he was nicknamed ''Pig's
Eye" as he made trouble later selling
liquor to Indians and was driven out of
the trading post. He built q shanty
down at the sand bar and it was named
for him. The channel here is narrow
and 1t was at one time the head of ma
VACATION, but the sand has been pump
ed out of the channel, so passage is
easy for our boat. Coming down to
Prescott we enter the ST. Croix river
and go to the north again up this pref
" river through which the larger boats
do not go. Pretty Lake ST. Croix is
glorious in sunset lights and shadows
Reaching Saltwater at 8 o'clock one
st. Paul party leave US, and for an
hour we walk on the fine water front
on gravelled walks among flower beds
and shrubs, ard the throng of people
who come down to see the steamer
On the water are many canoes and mo-
tor boats. We now go south again,
and as it is moonlight, every body stays
on deck. But human nature is every
where the same, and at 10 O'Clock the
p1rser announces that there is a pair
of newly WEEDS in No. l6. A brass
band is on board going from st. Paul
to Keokuk They kindly take part and
No. 16 is bombarded with love songs.
band music, cat calls, etc. Finally the
bride and groom emerge and are asked
to lead grand march through cabin
and on deck, which closes with speech
by the groom.
We ask to be called at 4:3O a. m.
Mark Twain writes of the sunsets on
the Mississippi river, but frankly admits
he never saw a sunrise. We did on the
beautiful lake Pepin. AS the sun comes
above the horizon the clouds are shades
Of biue, pink and pearl, the water has
path of gold reaching from us to the
of brass and the entrance to the Heav-
enly city and we think of the text,
And He shall bring US into our desir-
ed haven" Perhaps we have not quoted
just right. All day we 90 southwark
passing points of interest. At Winona
we note the pontoon bridge (bridge of
boats) and as the draw opens we are
interested to see it open like a door
e. Ix 70 or nd hry he
current. We see upon the cabin en-
trance directions to be followed in case
of fire or accident and see the term
1.-THE Texas" We ask the captain
where the Texas is and why so called.
In early times there was but one deck
to the boat, as another deck was added
the idea came to put little cabins around
it, and these were named for the states.
A passenger was assigned to New York
one to Pennsylvania and another deck
was added to the boat about the time
Texas was admitted and as on it was
one large room for officers it was nam
ed Texas. Numbers took the place of
the names for the cabins, but the
name Estate rooms" is still used for
the private cabins, and the main room
is called the cabin.
Hawks defeat. DeSoto, Lansing and
at nine p. m. land at Prairie du Chen,
going to the Dousman House built so
years ago. Next mo. ing we take a
carriage and drive to Black Hawk tree,
now nearly gone by action of wind and
effects of the time, to ruins Of Fort
Crawford, where once my fathers
brother was stationed with Gen. Tach-
airy Taylor as Lieutenant in regular
army. We note the position as command
ing the river and also what was once
the parade ground with its bluffs as
rifle targets at the back, but we doubt
if they were very prodigal of ammuni-
tion in those days. We stand reverent-
ly before the statue of Father Mar
quette in the Convent grounds. The
pose of the figure is superb with one
arm clasping the cross the other out
stretched with appealing hand. The
sculptor has put in the face an express
ion OF beneficent love and sacrifice.
We see the old town and the new with
fine residences and pretty lawns. Re-
gretfully We leave the river of SO much
historic interest, but we are going to
the place of our birth with all its child
hood memories and to meet our kin