Year: 1865

prlSmatlc beauties OF the autumn tnere
is nothing more absorbing, more en-
chanting. For the las. few days we
have been flying over undulating
prairies, darting through narrow belts
of green foliage, catching sudden
glimpses of lake and stream, or dash
ing madly through the gorges of the
grand old bluffs that sentinel the
valley of the Mississippi. From this
point we look upon q landscape where
the eye never tires, never apprehends
the whole beauty that is spread before
it.. As the year drops into its autumn
months there is usually russet tinge
to tree and field, and the hand Of
decay marks the progress of the sea-
son. But not so here. The fields in
June were no greener, and the forests
never so beautiful as now. Theverdure
is as fresh as in early spring, while
here and there the mountain ash dis
plays its scarlet burden, and the maple
shows blood red tints on many leaves
in strong contrast to the general tone
of the landscape. The billowy bluffs
lift up their rock-ribbed sides rugged
and barren but bearing on their top
most heights a coronal of green
The black-birds and the orioles are
still singing their sweetest songs, and
the forests are vocal with the grandest
anthems Of nature. With a magic
hand has the season decked out this
country for the September holidays,
and made the heart of man and beast
and bird glad. Through the midst of
the picture the Fatherof Waters majes-
tically flows on, bearing upon its bosom
the wealth of commerce and the tide
of pleasure, side by side. Here and
there peering through the tree tops
you catch glimpses of thriving villages
and bustling cities, while beyond, be-
tween and around lie the well titled
fields of splendid farms, still giving
abundant evidence Of the rich harvests
that have piled the barns and grain
cries to overAowing. The extensive
heards of horses and cattle that di-
versify the picture are only another
evidence of the thrift and prosperity
that everywhere abounds in the Far
West The scream of the locomotive
and the steamboat as they labor on
with their tremendous freights fill in
the life and vigor of the scene and
make it pleasant TO the eye and agre-
able to the pocket. Boast as you will
cf the remarkable growth of Saginaw,





but the West has many a rcprcscnta-
tion that rivals if not outstrips her in
evidences of real solid growth and
permanent prosperity. There are here
no sudden mushroom Jonah's gourds
growing upon the prospects of salt
speculations, or oil deposits. The
whole country is spread out to the
ready hand of husbandry, and the
climate conduces TO abundant return.
So the farmers grow rich, and extend
their efforts upon the safe and certain
policy OF reaping what they have sown,
and into their hands is given the whole
prosperity of the West. While, there
fore the earth giveth her increase and
while corn and wheat are the staples
of the worlds commerce, these cities
must steadily grow, and these western
states become Of more and more i'm
portance. Beyond them lie the scarce
half explored mines of Idaho, Mon
tana, Nevada, an 4 New Mexico, while
far to the North are the now rapidly
growing settlements of Red River
country. All these are the tributaries
that are daily swelling the commercial
and agricultural interests that lie
along the Mississippi. These demands
are not transitory, these settlements
are not Heeting, but stable as the
eternal hills, and so long as there shall
be no other outlet, so long shall the
cities along this stream enjoy the
steady benefits of their progress.


La Crosse herself is one of the most
prosperous cities upon the river, north
Of ST. Louis. Her location is COM
manding, and will always make her
among the first in business impor-
tance. Root River Valley as also the
Valleys of the La Crosse and Black
River find their sole outlet at this
point, and they embrace very wide
range of beautiful country. Her
hotels, her churches, her schoolhouses,
and buildings are of the best charac-
ter, while the private enterprise that
has been displayed in ornamenting
her streets with shade trees is the best
evi lence we have seen that the citizens
are of the right stamp to build up
and enjoy beautiful and thriving
city. She is behind hand in her county
buildings, and that is only for the