KinSource - Tale of the Week - A Beautiful Sunday

KinSource

Minnesota Musings

The St. Paul Globe, June 26, 1882, p. 2

A BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY.

Which a Great Many People Enjoyed at Lake Minnetonka.

Such Sundays as yesterday are found only in Minnesota. It was in point of weather nearly as fine as we usually have at this season of the year. It was a day of days for an excursion, a camp meeting, or to stay at home. A sky of Italian blue, a clear atmosphere, a bright sun and a gentle breeze together with the luxuriant foliage, the earth covered with a carpeting of green and bespangled with flowers of every hue, all conspired to make a man feel happy and thankful that he was alive to enjoy it.

Everybody in St. Paul did enjoy it if we may judge from the hegira of all classes, sorts, conditions and ages of our citizens who visited the different lakes in the vicinity of the city. Thousands visited the Red Rock camp grounds, hundreds were at White Bear lake, Lake Johanna, Bald Eagle and other lakes, but the most prominent of these excursions was that of the Great Western band to Lake Minnetonka.

At 8:30 a. m. a special train on the Manitoba road composed of ten coaches pulled out from the union depot. Every seat was filled, and there must have been fully 750 people on board. The run to Lake Minnetonka was made without incident and arrived there about 10 a. m. Here the steamer Hattie May was in readiness with a large covered barge alongside to carry the merry party about the lake. The Great Western band felt the exhilerating effects of the pleasant weather and the happy crowd, and played their best at intervals. There was music on the waters, not only from the band but from the children and their parents. The boat and the barge visited in succession Hotel St. Louis, Excelsior, Long park and the new Hotel Lafayette, both on the upward and return trip. The party did not visit the upper lake, but a large number of its members took passage on the splendid steamer City of St. Louis and made the round trip of both the lower and upper lake. The excursion boat stopped long enough at each point to allow the party to go on shore and look all about the hotels and grounds. The large and magnificent new Hotel Lafayette was an object of especial interest. This imposing structure is almost ready for occupancy and it will no doubt be formally opened early next month. The party returned to Wayzata in time to take the train, about 6, and arrived home a little before 8 p. m. The entire affair was a success and not an accident or unpleasantness occurred to mar the pleasure of the day.