Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-07-11
WRITES ABOUT TRIP TO
RED RIVER VALLEY
Jno. A. Forde Home From q Trip
Trip Through Minnesota and
North Dakota.
TRAVELLED MUCH
VIA AUTOMOBILE
Visited Alexandria, Minn., the Home
Of United States Senator
Knute Nelson.

The following sketch of trip thru
the Red River Valley is written by
Jno. A. Forde, who recently return
ed from a visit to the northwest, and
will be found very interesting by
Public Opinion readers:
From Minneapolis 1 took the Great
Northern and skipped over some of
the finest farming country in central
Minnesota. Passing Detroit I was
struck by the rapid growth of this
prominent city, a1d by the fact that
but few years ago there was hardly
any Aouses on the site worth men
tioning.
saw a lot of buildings under
construction, and I think that De-
troit, some time in the near future,
will be great city.
Naturally there were many Indians
both on the train and the small towns
about the reservation, blended and
mixed with all the shades of civiliza-
tion.
AS we thundered along, the small
towns and villages swept by like a
streak and We saw lake after lake
coming to view, glItering il the sun
and bordered with fragrant vegeta-
ton, profusely variated, welcoming
the lonesome wanderer, beckoning
everybody to stop and rest and re-
create by their pebbly shores. But the
great flyer had swift wings, pound
ing along at the rate of SO or 60
miles per hour to our destination and
we could only drink in the sights,
swiftly passing US without the privil-
ledge of stopping.
At Starbuck, Pope county, Mimi,
about 10 miles from Glenwood, / stop
ped off to visit my brother Rev. N.
Forde. Between these towns lies the
beautiful and renowned Lake Min
newaska, al ideal spot for tourists
and anglers, where beautiful sum-
mer resorts, white painted cottages
can be seen peeping through the
wooded shores everywhere.
Here are the fish hatcheries oper-
ated by the state of Minnesota and
some private concerns of smaller di-
mentions. Fish, fish, fish, big and
small, water full of them and the
season just opened. 1t is the finest
sheet of water imaginable.
We also struck Alexandria while
enroute to Warren, Marshal county,
Mimi, the home of our distinguished
statesman and Norwegian, who, it is
said, lamented the fact that If his
birth could have been detained or
postponed a few days longer there
would probably have been a possibil-
Iity to become the President Of the
United States. So the story goes.
Some years ago Decorah was listening
Ito this stout republican from Alex
andria, Knute Nelson.
1t was dry at Thief River Falls and
the surrounding country. saw lawns
in the city and fields very much at
fected by the, drought. l stopped al
DR.. Melby's who is married to my
neice, daughter of Judge Grindeland
who treated me very nicely and hos
pitably in every way. The next day
(Sunday) the Hon. Judge himself
came up from Warren with his new
Buick car, distance of 80 miles to
convey us to our final destination.
1t was on this trip l experienced
the most interesting scene. l ever was
up to. OF all. the automobile rides
I have had, this reached the climax
The weather was fine and the roa(
like a city boulevard.
"Now," said the Judge. 1--WE are t.
climb the great divide with an alti
ltude of 200 feet" / thought: Arr
you trying to ridicule an Iowan
talking about hills and divides
where as far as the eye could reacl
lno visible trace could be identifies
of either elevation nor decline any
where. But the Judge was right
eWell, you will see", he said, and
lsaw. The auto made turn AID al
of sudden we hit the Divide, an
we hit the old, o,d, the historica
lold Winnepeg Trail, stretching wes'
ward hundreds Of miles. Yes, the an
cient Winnepeg Trail winding 1t
way like a snake on the ever quiet
ed shores of the great Lake Agazi'
1--we were zigzaging this trail OF tn
old fur traders and trappers, u
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