Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-09-21
VIEWING IA. BY AUTO
BY AUDUBON SHELLEY

DI AUUUDUu On[L[I
Three auto loads of Audubon
County people-all relatives of mins
on little sight seeing trip
a few days ago up about the lakes
Of northern Iowa and few miles
into southern Minnesota. / was
along and acted as pathfinder on
the way up there, and coming back
I acted as rear times
so much so that the pathfinder and
the second car were clear out of my
sight. do too much looking around
to make very good time on, a trip
of any distance or on a new road.
1t is perfectly proper to speak of go
ing UP to Spirit Lake for that is
the highest point in the state. If
a pipe were Laid from Spirit Lake
to any of the high hills of Audu-
bon County we could have the lake
bon County we could have the lake
water right at home for it would
run down here of its own accord
On getting little ways from
home one of the first pleasing
things that met my eyes was the
liquor signs along the road. Not
that the signs pleased me, but that
they brot vividly to mind the fact
that this, the greatest of all
states, is dry and to stay. And in
a few years the signs of Hayner,
Pabst, Schiltz etc. will be crumbled
in the dust and coming generations
will never be permitted to read the
enticing advertisements of these
great agencies of evil.
The first material change in the
lay of the country is noted at the
town OF Wall Lake. There between
the two depots are hundreds of
acres of swamp land which is grown
up in needs, rushes and swamp
grass. This presents nice appear
ance on fine summer day, but L
| understand it is quite worthless as
! yet. l believe that one of the great
obstacles in draining this land is
that the water backs up on it. 1t
seems to be worth but little for
pasture and for a time yet at least
it will make home for the musk
rat nd a stopping place for the
Wild fowls. We made brief stop
at Storm Lake where father Wis
tied forty years ago when that re
gion was almost Wilderness 1t
recalls those lines of the old school
reader;
And kneeling down to take a drink
| Dear Tom, l started so,
To think how very much I've chang
I Since forty years ago.
! Storm Lake has been we'll named,
for when we stopped there the day
was calm and fine, yet the little
waves We're pounding the shore
that the water is pretty rough in
the time of storm. The lake has
beautiful high shores, some places
so stteep that you can scarcely get
down to the water. Ard while it is
a fine body Of water the absence
of timber around it detracts its
beauty to some extent. 1t has one
nice resort which was practically
closed when we were there. LAS
the natural scenery of Iowa grows
less AID less it is probable thai
Stern Lake will be more fully ap-
pl leciate d in future days than it is
at present.
We passed on nearly the length
of Buena Vista county to the pic
turesque town CT Sioux Rapids OIL
the Little Sioux river.
And say, the next time you go
up that way just take a look of.
to the northwest of town. An artis
in all his gloly could not exec
tl.at scene of beauty. suspec
} that the Indians almost worshippet
that region i'll the old days of 10
) wa But | must close for this time
| and in some future issue viii give
: q few moro oLssryatiors of rorth
ern Iowa as L see it today.