The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-03-19

cliff and boulder.
Gliding over these waters incom-
parable, one may paddle anywhere
that fancy dictates. Natures high
ways will lead to it's innermost
sanctum, sweet with the fragrance
of pine and bakam and filled with
the song of the hermit thrush.
Here is sanctuary for the canoe
ist 1t may be possible for him to
travel many miles, perhaps over
thousand or SO, without recrossing
his trail. A year, all the vacations of
a lifetime, or a crowded fortnight
may be spent here in this ideal lake
country wilderness, cruising through
it's Businesses in a canoe.
The Superior National Forest is
the supreme of its type of scenery
found in the country. 1t is as dis
tinctive as Glacier, scenic in its way
as Yosemite and on a par with the
Yellowstone or Grand Canyon.
There is, however, one difference.
Were we to lose the Yosemite or
any other of the famous western
Fairgrounds, similar mountain areas
of similar appeal could be SUBSTITUTE
ed The Superior is our only for
ested wilderness lake country. If
we lose any part of it, we cannot
replace it even with very inferior
substitute.
Of the 100000 acres included
in this tract, about $4,000 acres, or
one-fifth, are lakes. This feature
water-travel playground. 1t is in
effect a wilderness little disturbed
or altered from that explored by the
intrepid Radisson, du Lhut, Henne-
pin, de Noyan and Verendrye.
1t is within easy reach of the
Twin Cities, st. Louis and all the
population centers of the upper
Mississippi valley. 1t gives these
people most desirable national
playground close to their homes.
But little more than 600 miles from
Chicago's loop, it is destined to be-
come the major playground of the
five lake states, whose present popu-
lation of nearly 25,000,000 are now
forced to recreate in remOter re-
gions. This wilderness, chaste, vir-
ginal and irresistible to the voy-
ageur and wood ranger nearly two
hundred fifty years ago, has lost lit
tie of its enchantment in all these
years. 1t is the last great area for
the vanishing moose. Caribou are
sometimes seen. Beaver are there
in unaccountable numbers. Deer
inhabit it's glades and timberlands.
1t is a fisherman's paradise, its wat
ers being stocked with the earnest
of American fishes.
It's wilderness charm is ~incompar-
able and peculiar to the northwoods
lakes It's highest scenic value,
however, is apparent only when
viewed from its lakes and water
surfaces. Auto roads, if such were
possible and justified by the meager
scenery readable, would function
much on the order of alleys in our
cities, touching very small part
of the scenic high lights and the
| cost of construction would be monu
| mental and out of the question.
The introduction of motor highways
should only follow complete de
| velopment of the waterways, and
then only as auxiliary thereto, to
/ reach such points of Importance as
are inaccessible by water. Thou
sands of lakes with connecting port
| ages, however, make accessible the
major portion of the Forest by mot
or boat trunk Lines, supplemented
by secondary traffic lines and back
woods canoe trails
| The wilderness type of recre-
| ational development, water and port
ages, will make an appeal to all.
| The tourist thus may travel the
| water trails of Sieur du Lhut, alter
ed little from the days of this hardy
explorer, travel these in perfect
comfort, view the utter wilderness,