Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, March 27, 1909, Page 16

| BEMIDJI AS A PLEASURE Yes, Bemidji is a pleasure resort of widespread fame. It is here the devotees of angling and hunting find surcease from the humdrum annoyances and turmoil of every day life. It is here that the bard finds inspiration for his poetical effusions, and where the student and lover of nature finds his cup of curiosity and research filled to surfeit. Bemidji, as the photos herein contained indicate, is a veritable Garden of Eden so far as natural scenery goes. The hand of Dame Nature, as it were, evidently intend- ed this section of the state to be a land of transcendant beauty. inasmuch as Beltrami County has had magnificence in verdure and rambung beauty thrust upon it, and occupies the very center of the scenic glories which abound in this vicinity. [t is not surprising that the Red men made this soul-stirring portion of Minne- sota their rendezvous, for here they found fish, game and fuel in plenty, cool summers and crisp, healthy winters. Neither the heat of midsummer’'s blazing sun ever be- came oppressive, nor did the hoar frosts of Yule Tide or the New Year chill the mar- row to such an extent that was uncom- fortable. Thus it was that the red child of' the woods adored this territory, and for that he is to be appreciated for his taste and foresight. It was here that he brought down the deer, the monarch of the forest; the ferocious bear, the caribou, and small game, valuable for its pelt; it was here where he supplied himself with superb fish, Indian corn and fruits, and it was here where he hopelessly yet valiantly resisted the selfish encroachments of the white man. To continue, it was here where the low sighing of the trees, the gentle mur- muring of the leaves and the ripple of the Father of Waters lulled him an his into a deep, restful sleep from springtime to the autumn season, and it was here where he entered his tepee, rolled himself in his warm blanket, and dreamed the dreams of the just. It was here where he stalked forth in the springtime and received the affectionate greetings and odoriferous rerfume of the pansy, the violet and the morning glory, each clothed in their God- given raiment of purity and incense, and each responsive to the wild nature which l | { BEMIDJI, BELTRAMI COUNTY AND NORTHERN MINNESOTA. they greeted. It was here that he wan- dered beneath the sheltering boughs of the giant trees as he repeated in warm, ardent and soulfu! terms the old, old story to the dark-eyed maiden of his choice. The Indian divided his possessions with h:s brother, because he knew no lack, so productive was the soil and so benign the climate. Being Nature's child, he reveled and .dreamed over Nature’s sublimity and beneficence. It was here he lived like a child, meting out justice to his brethern, but brooking no interference with his right to pursue the chase. It was here that Mother Earth supplied him with everything from meal and meat, to the log which blazed in his tepee, and it was here that he hunted in order to support his be- Inved squaw and his offspring. No wonder then, that Bemidji has at last Leen recognized as an ideal and all- sutisfying pleasure resort. With the wealth of stately trees which by their beck seem to bid the stranger welcome; with Bemidji lake lying before her like a silver sheen; with a balmy, exhilarating climate during the summer, and moderate and steady weather during the winter, what more could be desired? Surrounded by crystal lakes, in which abound myriads of the finny tribe; skirted by woods to the northward, wherein roam the doe and her mate; blessed with chemi- cally pure drinking water and scores of romantic and rustic nooks, walks and driveways; wealthy in legend and Indian lore, cad yet impelling; situated on the banks of the Father of Waters, the river the Indians loved so well, and command- ing & view which for heartfelt gratification is unsurpassed, Bemidji is destined in the near future to become one of the most widely-known and highly accounted pleas- ure resorts west of I.ake Michigan. In and about Bemidji lie Big and Lit- tle Bass Lakes, their names being taken from the plump and gamy fish of that name which fairly swarm in their depths. Just a short distance from the city will be found Irving Lake,” a favorite place for both residence and sportsmanship, and a watering place claiming a number of ele- gant summer homes. Then there is Lake 1 { RESORT Marquette, some few miles away, one of the most inviting spots that camping par- ties or newly married couples could desire. All these lakes afford excellent fishing and hunting, and while we refrain from relat- ing fish stories, we can positively assert that the government makes a practice of replenishing these lakes with speckeled trout and black bass, and is now arranging to supply this portion of Minnesota with Chinese pheasants, a bird admired for its appearance as well as for its toothsome_ qualities. LAKE BEMIDJI PROPER. However, Lake Bemidji proper excells all the others for pleasure purposes, beauty and expanse. The Mississippi River courses directly through it, although the lake ilself occupies a deep natural basin. It is about one and one-half miles across, and presents a picture which any artist could afford to paint. It offers sport and pleasure of every character, and especially does this apply to the bathing places which line its shores. It is skirted by a hand- some boulevard, which is lined with pa- latial residences and which constitutes a drive which once seen, will never be for- gotten. To demonstrate the popularity of Be- midji as a watering place and pleasure re- sort generally, we need but asseverate that during the heated term there are, on an average, about 500 people who daily sojourn here, if only for a few days or a week. Again, Bemidji is the popular rest- ing place and “stop-over” for the hundreds who annually journey from Lake Itasca to St. Paul by canoe on the Mississippi river, a trip well worth making. As known to, all, Lake Itasca represents the source of the majestic Mississippi, and leaving out the historical value of the trip just cited, the scenery along the route is simply be- vond human power to depict. Lovers of Nature’s tenderness and inex- orable rules; the mighty hunter and the enthusiastic angler; those who dote on a season’s outing; those who seek health; those who desire to spend some little idle time in profit and enjoyment, can do no better than pay a short visit to Bemidji, the pleasure resort of the Great Northwest. (7 N,