many attractions, both as regards natural scenery and what man has done to supply the comforts of civilization, it is not strange that Lake Minnetonka has received the appellation of "the Saratoga of the Northwest." It is interesting to remember that the Falls of Minnehaha, to which Longfellow attracted wide attention by one of his famous poems, are 'on one of the outlets of this lake and only a short distance from Minneapolis.

Leaving St. Paul by the Northern Pacific Railroad the traveller will also pass through a magnificent lake region. Arriving at Detroit City, the capital of Becker County, he should remain for a few days at least, and enjoy the scene here presented to view. He will find himself in the midst of a very rich agricultural section. The State of Minnesota is justly celebrated for the excellent quality of its wheat, and Becker is the leading county in the production of this cereal. The visitor is also in what is known as the Lake Park region of the State, a region containing a large number of most beautiful lakes and remarkably rich and diversified scenery.

The city of Detroit is 227 miles distant from St. Paul and has a charming location. Looking eastward a beautiful timbered country is seen. Turning toward the west the prairie stretches away as far as the eye can reach. Only half a mile away is Detroit Lake, famed, even in this region of magnificent lakes, for its wonderful beauty. Near by are beautiful bluffs with cool and quiet glens, game is plenty, fishing is excellent, the air is clear, and the natural surroundings are delightful. The tourist also finds excellent hotel accommodations. Only 25 miles distant, on the north, is the Reservation of the Chippewa or Ojibway Indians, to which a very pleasant visit may be easily made. The tribe numbers about 1,500. Visitors are kindly received and find an intelligent, civilized, and to a good degree, Christianized people.

Again taking the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad and resuming our journey toward the west we come to the new State of North Dakota, which, with its sister State of South Dakota, until the spring of 1889 formed the great Territory of Dakota. In point of size it was the largest Territory in the Union, and was equalled in area by only two States, Texas and California. On account of the beauty of much of its scenery, and of the sharply marked contrasts which it presents, it has been styled the "Wonderland.” The State lies mostly in the region known as the "Great Plains," but at a somewhat lower altitude than the southern portion of the plateau thus designated. Among its numerous interesting features its large lakes are worthy of special mention. To one of these we will now turn our attention.

Lake Minnewakan, or, as it is popularly called," Devil's Lake," is the largest body of water in the State and is also the most peculiar. It is located in Ramsey County, in the northeastern portion of the State. In a charming location upon its northern shore is the capital of the county, Devil's Lake City, the western terminus of the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railroad, and quite a business centre. Here will be found ample accommodations for visitors, while parties who prefer to "camp out" will have no difficulty in securing everything needed for their comfort. On the route the traveller will pass through the Red River Valley, famous throughout the country for its immense production of wheat and for containing the largest cultivated farms in the world.

Arrived at the lake the tourist will wonder how it came by a name of such ill omen. For he will find that the appearance of this remarkable sheet of water does not at all correspond with its title. Instead of the forbidding aspect and frowning appearance for which, if knowing nothing of its character, he will be prepared, there will come to his view a sheet of limpid water and shores of exquisite loveliness, while the more distant surroundings are also full of beauty tinged very strongly with romance. How, then, came this name, which is suggestive of every evil, to be fastened upon the lake? The answer is easy. It was due to an error of the early travellers through this section. They designed to use an Indian expression meaning "Spirit water," but unfortunately adopted a somewhat similar one signifying utter worthlessness for quenching thirst. The town which grew up upon its shore received the same opprobrious title, and the effort made to change the name of the lake to Minnewakan has met with little success.

In outline the lake is extremely irregular and presents a very extended and remarkably beautiful shore line. There are various elevations from which extensive views of the surrounding country may be obtained. From the northern shore there is a good view of a military post named Fort Totten, and of a mountain peak called Devil's Heart, which can be seen forty miles away. Although so clear and beautiful in appearance the water of the lake is strongly impregnated with salt. It also contains other matters, as soda, lime, magnesium, and iron, in small proportions, and has proved quite efficacious in the treatment of various diseases. On account of the saline character of the water and the form of the beach the lake furnishes an excellent place for bathing. Many visitors have claimed that there is no finer surfbathing on the shore of the Atlantic than can be found in this inland lake.

The attractions of the locality are heightened by the dry, pure air, the cool temperature in summer, and the frequent and refreshing breezes which prevail. The fishing is excellent, there is plenty of game in the vicinity for the hunter, there are good roads leading to various points of interest, and three steamers on the lake by which any locality upon its shores may be easily reached. Altogether, Devil's Lake presents many attractions and will prove a pleasant place in which to pass a summer vacation.

THE ROCKIES AND BEYOND.

N and beyond the Rocky Mountain region the scenes of interest to the tourist are practically innumerable. In whatever direction he may turn, or to whatever locality he may go, he can be sure that he will find Nature majestic and magnificent. The tame and the commonplace have no represen

tation here. Every

thing is on a splendid

scale. The wonder excited by one series of views will change to amazement as he beholds, a little farther on, scenery still more grand and inspiring. The constant change, yet unbroken grandeur, will seem to be little less than miraculous.

In this sketch we shall briefly note a few of the wonders of the region and call attention to a still smaller number of the cities. and towns which have sprung up, as if by magic, amid these sublime scenes. We shall not attempt to make a single tour which will include a visit to

each place described, but shall treat them somewhat independently. This will be necessary as we wish to notice several places which, though not far distant from each other, are reached by different routes and could not well be included in a continuous trip.

In this magnificent region we shall find cities and towns, villages, mining camps, and scattered farm-houses. All these are of comparatively recent date, yet some of them already have historic associations and are of interest to the general reader as well as to the tourist. The opening of the new country, the conflicts with the savage tribes which claimed the land, the building of towns and cities in this wild region then far distant from civilized localities, and the development of the agricultural resources, required a degree of courage, energy, perseverance, and skill which people in older settled sections seldom realize and still more rarely appreciate. The debt which the residents of the other sections of the country own to the pioneers of the Great West can never be paid.

Perhaps in no locality can the vast changes which man has wrought within a brief period be more clearly seen than they are at Leadville, Colorado. Thirty years ago it lay in an almost unknown region and was without an inhabitant. A multitude of men had been drawn to Pike's Peak by the mining excitement of 1859 and were disappointed. A few, disgusted with the results of their efforts there, determined to go farther into the mountainous region and search for gold. Reaching the Arkansas River they turned their course and passed up the valley, making many searches for gold but finding none. It was in the year 1860, and the season was half gone, when they reached a small stream which they followed quite a distance and soon discovered placer mines of gold. Three gulches, California, Stray Horse, and Iowa, were quickly found. Before winter set in the locality had a population of over 8,000, and two and a half millions of dollars worth of gold had been obtained. In 1874 the mines seemed exhausted and the place was practically abandoned.

Three years later about twenty shanties were all the occupied buildings standing in Leadville. The next year, 1878, it was found that the carbonates, which had been regarded as worse than useless and which had been thrown anywhere to get them out of the way, contained large quantities of silver. The tide of population quickly turned and within a year the residents of Leadville numbered from 12,000 to 15,000. Smelting furnaces were erected and vast quantities of ore were obtained. Millions of dollars' worth of silver and lead have been secured, as well as considerable quantities of gold, and