The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-01-28
;. e DIT o II / A l. -.
MINNESOTA


of America and note the states forming the west
shore of the Father of Waters you will see the old
gentleman in all his glory. He is of some size and
Importance From the sOles of his boots to the
top of his helmet he measures about 400 miles
in height is in the best of health lives the fat
of the land, has plenty to drink and bright and
sunny disposition.
The state of Louisiana represents the feet and
lower limbs, Arkansas the thighs, Missouri the
trunk, Iowa the head and face, and Minnesota the
helmet or crown; and crown it may we'll be, for you
can travel far and wide and not find an equal area
that has within its limits all that is good and so
little of what is bad. as the domain under the
name of Minnesota" This state occupies po-
sition unique. Her domain covers the crest of
North America, since the sources of three great
water systems are within her boundres One
flows north through the Red river to Hudson bay;
to the east, to the Atlantic ocean, via the ST.
Louis river and the Great Lakes, and the other to
the south, to the Gulf of Mexico, through the
Mississippi river.
Besides the three above named rivers the ST.
Croix the Minnesota and Red Lake rivers are
navigable. They are used commercially to some
extent for carrying freight and passengers, al
though they do not seem to command the attention
for transportation opportunities as they do for
water power. Many smaller streams besides these
just named furnish fine water power, some of
which among the finest in America
The Minnesota river first navigated by
steamboat in 1850; the first permanent improve
ment for water power was in 1847 at St. Anthony
falls for use in grinding four the first bridge to
be built crossing the Mississippi river, was sus-
pension bridge built in 1885, connecting St. An
thony and Minneapolis Although the state is in
distance about 200 miles from either the Atlantic
ocean, Pacific ocean or the Gulf of Mexico she
possesses lake port which ranks second of all
ports in amount of tonnage shipped. This is &C
counted for by the immense shipments of iron ore,
grain and other commodities to eastern Great
Lake ports.
Minnesota ranks tenth in area with 80 858
square miles of land and 6,33S square miles of
water surface 4OS miles in length at the longest
part, 357 miles at the widest, and about $50 miles
at the narrowest. The highest point of land is in
the Msquah hills in Cook county and is 1920 feet
above level; the lowest is 6O2 feet, the shore
of Lake Superior Of the 81, 749 1870 acres of
land, about 28. OOO, 900 covered with for
ests in 1S47; and of these, perhaps II million
acres will in time become cleared for farming,
leaving about 16, 100000 acres of forest covered
land or an area larger than New Hampshire, YER
mont, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined
or nearly as large as Belgium, which covers about
100000 acres. The two forest reservations
within the state occupy 100000 acres of the
aforementioned forest land, an area considerably
larger than the state of Delaware
Minnesota stands in first place in regard to the
number of her lakes; of which there are more than
10000 scattered over her vast area In no other
state you find lakes of such clear and pure
water, with sparkling and dazzling brilIiancy be-
yond description! The lakes are beftting gems
in the crown. Their value cannot be estimated in
dollars and cents. They not only contribute to the
landscape: but furnish food and water for all ami
NAL life which abounds in such untold numbers in
our waters and forests are reservoirs of power
for manufacturing, afford means of cheap trans
portation and much pleasure to the inhabitants
and one of the modern necessities of life--ice of
the greatest purity in vast quantities; the crop
that takes the least away from the resources of the
state and the cheapest to produce
In 1900, the area now embraced within the
boundres of the state was or less owned and
controlled by two great tribes of Indians-the
land east and north of the Mississippi river by the
Chippewas; the land to the west by the Sioux.
Their title and interest in the land has been ac-
quired by the United States government, and the