The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-09-01

latter part of the month under the
auspices of the Legion Auxiliary.
Besides being an ardent admirer of
this section, he is also one of the
most noted violinists on the stage
today and has surrounded himself
with artists under the name of the
Konecny Concert Company. The
Courier says:
To profess the calling of a musi-
clan is synonymous, in this country
at least, with being person pos
sessed of a delicate body and, in
the case of an instrumentalist, of
still more tender hands and fingers,
wholly unfit for the more rugged
sports.
Josef Konecny, the Bohemian
violinist, has certainly shattered
this popular fallacy. From his
earliest youth he has been an ardent
lover of the great outdoors, and
devotee of it's various forms of
athletics, such as long distance
"hikes" boating, swimming, camp
ing, fishing, etc.
Part of each summer he spends
up in the northern wilderness on
canoeing, camping and fishing ex-
petition. This is his way of re-
naming mentally and physically
''fit", and gathering new strength
and inspiration for the following
season.
To start out on voyage of a
month or more into the trackless
region of lakes and forests of north
ern Minnesota, known as the land
of "Ten Thousand Lakes, with gun,
rod, canoe and packsacks, entirely
unaccompanied save for violin, and
his only guide compass and map,
is a task worthy of "he-man".
Even the hardy backwoodsmen
could not quite understand a man
who would attempt such an under
taking alone, and at first discour-
aged it, pointing out the various
dangers, and the ease with which
one may get lost. For here one
literally leaves civilization behind.
Barring the lumber company's rail-
road, there is nothing-not even a
wagon extending into this
maze of lakes. 1t is a country of
canoe routes and forest trails-the
country of the pioneer! But they
soon become staunch friends of
the SOLITARY violinist", for there
exists a comaraderie between those
who dwell among, and travel the
silent trails of the forest, that is
unsurpassed anywhere else for its
sincerity and open-heartedness.
Konecny recently returned from
such a canoe trip of five weeks in
the Superior National Forest of
Minnesota on the Canadian border.
He outftted at Ely, Mimi. Then
by truck to Winton, the terminal of
the D. & I. R. Railroad, and from
there, through the courtesy of Mr..
F. D. Carter, the Manager of the
Cloquet Lumber Company, by gas
oline "speeder" over the logging
road fifteen miles inland to Deer
Lake. Several weeks were spent
here exploring this interesting re-
gion of isolated lakes, seldom visit
ed except by the forest rangers and
lumber cruisers at long intervals.
7 h e n by paddle and portage,
through lake after lake, first to the
Canadian border, visiting the leg
endary Pictured Rocks in Crooked
Lake with one of the forest rangers
whose station is located there, and
finally landing back at Winton. A
total of eleven lakes were traversed
five of these twice., besides three
rivers. Part of the ground was the
same as covered on a similar voy-
age last summer.
Though the trip was one of the
stormiest and coolest ever expert
enced, it was nevertheless one of
the most enjoyable. Bear, moose,
deer and numerous smaller game
are plentiful, and one runs into
them constantly.
In speaking of the voyage, Konec-
ny mentions in particular one of
the ''high points,: During the
third W Elk, Mr.. Manning, my repre-
sentative, paid me a flying visit,
spending five days up there with
me-days full of action, splendid
fishing, and such scenery as few
are privileged to see. This was
made possible again through the
kindness of Mr.. Carter, who brought
him on his "speeder" from Winton.
At Deer Lake met him with my
canoe, and during the following
days we went through a chain of
five lakes which, for sheer charm
and beauty, it would be hard to
surpass anywhere in the world On
the evening of the fourth day of
his visit we were camped on Moose
Lake on a beautiful, sloping rocky
ledge. We were tired and hungry,
for it had been a strenuous day of
padding, portaging and lifting over
dams and rocks, that taxed every
muscle of the body. But a fine
supper prepared over the CHEEKY
camp fire, consisting of delicious
fresh pike, caught right off the
ledge, with sizzling bacon, potatoes
and piping hot coffee, soon put new