The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-08-11
(By LEO CHOSA)

Editor, Ely Miner:
In the July 18th issue of your paper
appeared an article entitled "Ofticials
suggest new dam construction at Prairie
Portage Falls" The information fur
nished you for this article IS so grossly
exaggerated and unfair to your readers
that it can only be classed as cheap
propaganda"
The construction of the dam by the
lumber companies as temporary ala
in the moving Of saw logs to their mills,
and the flood waters caused thereby,
destroyed what were chain OF ana
without doubt, the four most beautiful
lakes in Minnesota. Especially Moose
lake, a perfect gem, deep and clear
amidst a setting of beautiful hills, the
farthest inland and the highest. To-
day these lakes in a setting of denuded
hills, that glisten in the sunlight like
so many skulls, their shore lines lined
with dead trees, all forceful reminders
of privileged ruthless greed.
Through natural erosion the old dam
is crumbling away, the waters are re-
ceding back to where God intended they
should be. In three or four years all
the dead trees and StumpS, when ex-
posed to the air, will have decayed and
disappeared. Those lakes are on their
way back to their one time beauty.
Unfortunately all the ruthlesSnesS and
greed was not expended with the pass
ing away of the old lumber companies.
We have with us a few petty private in
terests who would rebuild this old dam
under the superstition that "a continued
wrong makes right"
Human nature is much the same to-
day as it was in the old logging days
only the tools used in the satisfying of
private greed, change with the times.
Today, instead of the ak and saw, we
have cheap and misleading propaganda,
built up of fictitious and mythical
reasons. Take for instance the infor-
nation passed on to the public in your
article, that Moose lake would drop ten
feet if the dams at the Falls went out.
At the time your reporter passed by
the outlet of Moose lake that lake was
down to ten inches of its original nor
NAL level and no lake can go below the
level of its outlet. Being the highest of
the four lakes requires flood level of
at least ten feet at the dam and the
flooding of at least seventy miles OF
shore line in order to raise the water
in Moose lake two feet.
If I digress a little, Mr.. Editor, it's
only to show you why it is so hard for
an Indian to understand at times, the
workings of a white mans mind.
Do you remember about year ago,
when few poor settlers on Eastwood
lake (not temporary summer resorters)
wanted short piece of road about 2 II
miles in length that connecting onto an
established public highway would elm
mate for them four mile portage be-
tween their homes and the outside
world? From the very first time those
poor settlers mentioned the elimination
of that four mile portage Cat their own
expenSe) that precious trio of small
time summer resort owners on Moose
lake were the first to send out the
loudest and longest Holy Howl" OF
protest.
Each and every one of them had good
roads to their door steps. Their baby
was strong and healthy; but for "the
other fellow" this was primitive area
a vast wilderness untouched by the
complexities of modern civilization
(even though there are $50 habitable
structures including a modern dance
hall and half dozen beer joints g
land of lakes and portages, land ii
which no form of "mechnized trans
portation" would ever be permitted lex.
cept their own and other cars, trucks
high powered motor boats and belong.
ing to few privileged intereSts)
With the aid of our Superior Nationa
Forest and through the expenditure o.
thousands of dollars of tax money, the.
were successful in blocking the road
Surely the Gods must get chow shall
we say ga kick" out of the turn of at
fairs in the lives of men. For the
strong and healthy baby of a year ago
now in its turn, has the measles. Tht
vaccination administered by Doctor
Forest Service to all especially priv.
ileged babies, a year ago, evidently
didn't take" The Holy Howls" tina.
were once sent out by those modern Sil
GalahadS in defense of the "Virgir
oro ,,1-,, ,.;foI,al -