The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-09-10

Within that area which is now known
as the Superior National Forest.
For centuries without number, so II
is said, that wilderness has been
place of peace.
So long as their legends run. the
Chippewas have been in possession
of the district, it's forest businesses
secure from invasion by the Sioux,
both from the fact of its defersi-
bility and also because the south
ern tribe cared not Tor the dense
woods.
In an earlier day French traders
and missionaries are said to have
used the lakes of the region for
canoe routes from settlements at
Fond du Lac and other Superior
points in journeys to the westward,
but no clash ever interrupted their
association with the Chippewas.
Later, with the coming of the
British and American domlalon,
these same canoe routes yere used
by factors and employees of the Hud-
sons Bay company and the. trail. by
boat and portage, became famous in
pioneer days as the Dawson route.
British "Army" Marches,
Once, before the war of 1872,
what has been described as British
army but which probably was no
more than a regiment commissioned
for an exploration expedition In
force, disembarked somewhere In
the neghborhood of Fond du Lac and
travelled overland by half forgot
ten portage path and canoe route
well into the region of what is now
the Vermilion range, but Its march,
too, was accomplished without a
| hostile demonstration.
h later years, over the same
routes taken by those French priests
of centuries ago and by the only
| British army ever to have stood on
| Minnesota soil, summer vacationlsts
paddle through the paradise of a
| nations playground. For the sec
ton now has the oIII.-- protection
of two nations, former President
Roosevelt designating the area from
Ely on the west, the Canadian
boundary on the north and Lake
| Superior on the south and east as
Superior National Forest and the
Canadian government at the same
time setting aside an adjoining tract
on the north as the Quetico ProVln-
cial Forest.
Thousands of tourists in recent
years have taken advantage of the
| forests vacation attractions. And
virtually all of those who visit there
outfit for the expedition at Ely.
In Ely they redured the matter of
Quitting adventurers to a science.
Such a task has been one of the
principal businesses in Ely for many
years in fact, for long before the
mineral wealth of tn Vermiilon
range was discovered Ely was the
dumping off" place in the fall-time
for logging crews. Then later came
mine explorations and the rush
through Ely and its sister city of
the range, Tower, for what had
been described as the gola fields of
Northern Minnesota.
Still Stepping OFF Place.
And today Ely is still the STEP
ping off place, this time the gateway
to the wilderness. A dozen stores
in the city specialize in equipment
for vacationists who would explore
the Superior Forest. And, strange
to say, the clerks at these places
have their difficulty, not in inducing
tourists to buy enough of supplies
to last them for their journey, but
in persuading them to refrain from
encumbering themselves with toe
much.
A few years ago, they say, when
mostly men took the canoe tips
Through the wilderness, there was
not this difficulty but now that wo
men comprise a third of the amateur
explorers, it has become a virtual
impossibility to devise pack that
does not contain weight superflu-
Gus of garb to give variety to the
ordinary knicker outfit, a change OF
hats, compacts, even parasols, which
some feminine adventures insist il
must contain.
The question of what rout= to
take through the forest from Ely is
determined largely by the time 9
tourist party has to stay. w. F. Bar.
ker h IF the forest service de.
partment at Ely has the entire for.
est area, both America and Cana
dian mapped, with possible routings
drawn and numbered. Some trips
can be accomplished in two days
Others would take month and
more. 1t is up to the amateur voy-
ayers to choose.
| And over whichever route they go
according to Mr.. Barker, they will