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MENOMINEE RANGE HISTORY – EXCERPTS FROM TROUTING ON THE BRULE RIVER –1879 [Compiled and Transcribed by William J. Cummings] Trouting on the Brule River, or Lawyers’ [River]. The other was Mitchell Thebault, Summer-Wayfaring in the Northern mostly Menominee, with a French Wilderness by John Lyle King, Chicago: infusion of blood and name, with his The Chicago Legal News Company, complexion paled to a hue of little lighter 1879, pp. iv-vi than the usual Indian copper tint. Though with the manners and habits, in some …For an excursion, and on a vacation degree, of civilized life, they were furlough, to one of these streams noted for essentially, in nature and native dialect, trout, three Chicago lawyers, in August, Indians. In August of 1877, a second 1875, joined in a party. These were excursion to the Brulé river was made by JAMES L. HIGH, author of the works on the same Chicago party, excepting that MR. “Injunctions,” “Extraordinary Legal FRANKLIN DENISON, also a Chicago Remedies,” etc., JONAH H. BISSELL, lawyer, took the place of MR. BISSELL. complier of “Bissell’s Reports,” and the This volume is an intinerary [sic – writer [JOHN LYLE KING], together with itinerary] or narrative of these excursions. It LORENZO PRATT, a Chicago capitalist. is made up and revised from diaries whose The party sought recreation and mental notes were jotted down on the way. They rest. Other members of the bar had were kept chiefly to vary or to fill up and journeyed some of those regions, in their divert idle intervals, or otherwise vacant vacation freedom, on a tour of rest, sport leisures. The notes were off-hand, and and pleasure. They had found and took the impromptu form and pressure of reported a full and rare fruition of the body of the time when penciled. With enjoyment, in their wanderings to and on some revision, the notes were published the Brulé river. A like expedition, with partly in the Chicago Sunday Times, and identical purposes, following the path of partly in the Chicago Sunday Tribune, and Cook, Campbell, Judge Blodgett and from these journals, with fuller revision others, promised equal and similar delight again, they are now reproduced in this and good. It was a journey and sojourn in volume. Their further publicity is more of open air, made up of canoeing, tenting, the instance [sic – insistence] of others than portaging and roughing generally, with the at that of the writer himself. incidents of shooting and fishing. The outfit and supplies were provided in Trouting on the Brule River, or Lawyers’ Chicago, and sent by the Chicago & Summer-Wayfaring in the Northern North-Western railway to Section Wilderness by John Lyle King, Chicago: Eighteen, a station of that road eighteen The Chicago Legal News Company, miles beyond Marinette, Wisconsin. The 1879, pp. xi-xvi other accessories – a team for the land route and the guides – were engaged in The Michigami [sic – Michigamme] advance at Marinette, and met the party at river has its source in Lake Michigami [sic Section Eighteen. The canoes were to be – Michigamme], in the iron and copper procured at Badwater, on the Menominee regions of Lake Superior. Its course is [River], where the water travel began. southeasterly. Its length is about ninety The guides were Indians. One of them miles. Our party struck this river at was George Kaquotash, a full-blooded Republic, reaching there by rail from Menominee, muscular, lithe, active – a Chicago, and coursed it about fifty-three veteran of the woods and of the Brulé miles, making thence overland and water 1 MENOMINEE RANGE HISTORY – EXCERPTS FROM TROUTING ON THE BRULE RIVER –1879 [Compiled and Transcribed by William J. Cummings] routes by Lake Mary, the Paint river, Mud Quiniseck [sic – Quinnesec], about lake, the Trout (known as Sugar) river, twenty five miles. This point can be Lone Grave (or Bass), lake [sic – lake,] reached by rail from Chicago, direct, in and lakes Chicagon [sic – Chicagoan] about sixteen hours. From Quiniseck [sic – and Minnie, to the Brulé [River], a Quinnesec] a new wagon road has been distance of thirty-five miles. With the made to Twin Falls. Between the two falls exception of the Hamilton and Merryman it crosses the Menominee on a fine iron lumbering company’s camp, about bridge recently constructed, and passes eighteen miles above its mouth, the near the south end of Badwater (or Michigami [sic – Michigamme], from the Spread Eagle) lakes to the point where the party touched it, traverses Commonwealth iron mines, thence north- an unbroken wilderness. This can now be easterly, near Fisher’s lake [sic – Fisher reached by team on a supply road from Lake], to Stephenson’s farm on the Badwater, which also extends to the Brulé. From this farm supply roads run to headwaters of [the] Ford river. The points on [the] Paint river, and also a Michigami [sic – Michigamme] flows supply road runs nine miles to Brulé dam, through the richest of forest scenery, and built in 1878. The distance from Quiniseck on its banks are numerous points where [sic – Quinnesec] to this point is about thirty deer may be shot, and, at places where miles. This dam is a mile below small streams come in, trout are found. Chickabiddy Camp. Downward canoeing is a most delightful Quiniseck [sic – Quinnesec] is already experience of trhe rambler on this stream. something of a village, and is the depot of The Brulé, in 1875, also ran its whole several productive iron regions. From course through a complete wilderness. It Vulcan, on the Menominee River was then reached by overland route from Railroad, a supply road runs to Sturgeon Section Eighteen on the Chicago and river, where both good hunting and fishing North-Western Railway, by way of may be had. On [the] Pine river, reached Badwater, on the Menominee [River], and from Twin Falls, there are good fishing and in canoes thence. Since that time, several hunting. From Carney, on the Chicago changes are visible in the few lower miles and North-Western Railway, a road runs of the river. About seventeen miles above due west, crossing the Menominee at the its mouth at the Michigami [sic – Peemenee [sic – Pemene] farm of the N. Michigamme], a dam has been erected, Ludington Company, to the north branch and there is said to be fine trouting at that of Pike river. From the farm, the road point. A mile below that is Armstrong’s traverses a park-like and picturesque Camp, and below the latter two miles is La country of pine plains, Norway pines and Montaigne’s Upper Camp; three miles scrub oak, and is reputed to be an further down is Cauldwell’s farm, and five extremely pleasant and easy route. The miles from the latter is Stephenson’s Brulé trouting on the north branch of the Pike, as farm. Here is the log cabin at which our well as on the main river, is said to be party made a descent on the cook and his superior. Bass fishing and hunting on dog. Caton lakes are very fine. There is a good There is now a railroad, operated by the hotel at Carney, where arrangements can North-Western company, the Menominee be made in advance, for teams and River Railroad, from the line of the former supplies for parties in quest of hunting and at Menominee River Junction to fishing amusement at points and in regions 2 MENOMINEE RANGE HISTORY – EXCERPTS FROM TROUTING ON THE BRULE RIVER –1879 [Compiled and Transcribed by William J. Cummings] accessible from that point. The sportsman watercourses, and interspersed with lakes may also made a fine trip on the Escanaba and lakelets, and by portages, the canoes river, by reaching it by rail to Smith mine, and the outfit of the parties can be and thence down the stream by canoe or transported from one navigating course to boat to the mouth. Trouting and deer another. hunting on this river, [sic] afford most In these regions mink, otter, deer, some excellent sport. bear, and waterfowl, particularly in their In consequence of these recent season, are found. The sportsman who openings up of mining and lumbering ventures through the forests may find in points, and of roads to them, the sporting them and along the water a surfeit of booty realms of forest and stream are made more for his gun or rod. For the most part he is easily and directly accessible. A sufficiency powerless, except when near some of the or abundance of supplies, the necessary points with railway reach recently opened, and proper staples of subsistence, may be to utilize the spoils any more than in obtained at the various logging and mining supplying his camp fare as he passes points. At Marinette and Menominee a along. Only in exceptional instances, and retinue of Indian guides for a journey and usually in limited quantity, his trout, or deer, sojourn in the woods, [sic] may always be or ducks, beyond the needs of traveling had. consumption, must be wasted or left With the exception of the points now behind, neither sufficing for his own mentioned, the regions traversed by the prolonged wants or for gifts to friends at Brulé and Michigami [sic – Michigamme] home. are wholly a wilderness, unsettled, even As well as a canoe to move him, the by Indians. The only landmarks are the traveler must have a tent to house him, and trails or portages, impassable except on such outfit of camping appliances and such foot, and known only to hunters, trappers, store of provisions as may suit his taste, his prospectors, locators, surveyors or capacity of transporting them, the length of adventurous sportsmen on summer the route and the duration of his sojourn.

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