d measurement to be wider and deeper than Itasca, and _the
veritable source of the Great River_; all this is succinctly told in the
following letter of the leader of the expedition, and we respectfully
commend its perusal to the reader:

"_To the Editor--Pioneer Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota_:

"I solicit the favor of replying through your columns to articles
in one or two New York dailies calling in question my claim to have
definitely located, in 1881, the true source of the Mississippi
River.

"When my attention was first drawn to the articles of those who
seem so much exercised by my expedition to the headwaters of the
Mississippi, I had no intention of replying, but have finally
yielded to the reasoning of friends who feel that longer silence
might possibly be construed to my disadvantage.

"I am well aware that I assume grave responsibility in locating the
source of the greatest river of North America and correcting a
geographical error of half a century's standing, especially since I
follow in the footsteps of such eminent explorers as Pike,
Beltrami, Schoolcraft and Nicollet; and in view of the fact that I
have presumed to pass the limit of their explorations.

"For many years prior to 1881, I had been of the opinion that Lake
Itasca occupied an erroneous position in our geography. In fact I
had become satisfied through conversations with straggling
Chippewas in the Northwest, that the red man's ideal river did not
rise in the lake described by his white brother, but that there
were other lakes and streams beyond that lake and that some day the
truth of their statements would be verified.

"Thoroughly convinced that there was yet a field for exploration in
the wilds of Northern Minnesota I resolved, in 1876, to attempt a
settlement of the vexed question concerning the source of the
Mississippi at an early day. Finding the opportunity I sought in
1881 I proceeded to Saint Paul in June of that year accompanied by
Pearce Giles, of Camden, New Jersey. Here I was joined by my
brother George, of Chicago, and Barrett Channing Paine, then an
attache of the _Pioneer Press_.

"Having completed arrangements we moved from Saint Paul on the
morning of July Fourth with Brainerd as our immediate objective.
Short stops were made at Minneapolis, Monticel