Year: 1869

Minnesota strikes hands with Vermont.


Minneapolis sends greeting; this beauti-


full July morning.


On Thudsday, the 10Th, the Minnesota


landed us at the city of st. Paul, after a
delightful journey up the river, of two
nights and one day. We found no sand


bars in obstruction of our progress, and,
though the status of the river has been
unusually capricious this season, no seri-
Gus hindrance intervened to mar the pleas.
ure of the most enjoyable summer trip of
our lives.


We took boat at Prairie du Chen, after
tedious journey through the interior of
Iowa in the undeveloped coach facilities
of that lovely country. From Postville,
in Alawakee county to McGregor, in Clay
ton, we rode in the cars and crossed the
ferry from the pocket city" to the boat.
Unluckily we missed much of the lower
scenery by reason of night, but the pass
age throughout the day was crowned
with visions of loveliness such as rarely
meet the eye of the naturalist in pursuit
OF beautiful landscape. Our only wonder
is that tourists spend 40 much time and
money in foreign travel, 80 far away from
the paradisaical enchantments Of our own
county. The traveller up the river must
have a keen eye for the enjoyment of ma
ture or many of these little hooks of beau
ty will escape him, 30 thickly they dot
the sides and margins Of the bank bluffs
on the Minnesota side. rising in perpen-
dicular grandeur to heaven, challenging
our wonder and admiration, and the long
and for miles unbroken lines OF project
ing lime stone, lead us to study the possi-
bility that nature may have placed them
here as towers of defence in some convul-
sion Of past ages. Based in some cases
upon sand stone, the rocky precipices
form scenery picturesque and grand,
and add sublimity to the evidence Of
more tender, artistical hand displayed in
the variety of shrubbery and flowers
which adorn the banks. The places
we are passing slowly while the
steamer sends out its measured
puffs are not only historic but are alive
with the pulse of an active and growing
commerce. At every landing, reapers and
utensils of agriculture are left. Merchants
crowd the dock for new goods, mechanics
for appliances of trade, and every point
of considerable size sends or receives and
deals in the staple article of the country,
lumber. Mills on exery stream pour out
their annual contribution to the grain
feeding power of the State, and while the
spindles of the east click, in continuous
chorus, the busy wheels whiz and whirl,
and buzz in complacent mood, that thou
sands across the water are fed by their
patient industry. We are not sufficiently
up in statistics to record the amount of
wheat exported from Minnesota annually
nor how much passes through to Boston,
the great centre of New England, with
out breaking bulk. Lake Pepin, on one
route, made by the widening CT the river
opened upon our eyes vision of W onder-
Gus beauty-an expanse of water from
three to five miles in width, and nearly
twenty-five miles long, if our geography
is correct-clear as crystal, motionless, yet
rejecting as in mirror, the overhanging
stars The boats of the Mississippi unlike
those of tho Hudson have no upper decks
so we go to the laundry, and leaning over
the railing discourse with the servants, or
stroll into the outer cabin to get nearer
ghmpses. The Captain invites us on the
deck, and makes us comfortable in arm
chairs brought from his Office in front of
the boiler. Here we drink in our fill of
the sentiment and solemnity around us,
for solemn it indeed is. Behind
us the waves, cut by the even keel or the
boat close over our track, and roll away
in suller precision. Rocky boulders rise
precipitous over the banks and frown
down like sen4inels, while farther on they
jut out into the stream and form hiding
place for the upper end of the lake, which
we reach by sudden curve, and dash
into body of water enclosed by an am
phiteatre of hills crowned at this season
with every variety of verdure. the trees
standing ghostly and weird in the mellow
light of the moon. Not an island, not .
tinge of green, no bush or twig breaks the
harmony of the water, though some wri-
ter has said it is single exception, from
St. Peters to the gull. It was evening
when we passed Maiden's Rock, which
has tender romance connected with its
name familiar to the general reader.


st. Paul, grand old city, stands near
the bead of navigation ON the Loft bank OF
the Mississippi. and has retired upon it,
laurels to give the city next It in wealth