52 THE VERMILION IRON-BEARING DISTRICT. 



were not carefully studied, so no good detailed description can be given of 

 them. They seem from general appearance to be more nearly like the 

 ordinary speckled brook trout (Salvelintis fontinalis). Some of the markings 

 on the brownish back resemble those on the speckled trout, and they have 

 crimson spots on their sides, but they are in other resj)ects different from 

 these. This is probably one of the numerous varieties of the lake trout. 

 According to the repeated experience of members of the party who, for 

 three different seasons and at different times during those seasons, had 

 fished in the same lakes, the fish caught in the same lake usual-ly run about 

 the same size, showing very slight variations indeed. 



White-fish (^Coregoiiiis dupeiformis) are abundant in a number of the 

 lakes, but since they are caught only in nets they are not to be considered 

 by the sportsman, although they are very important and A'ery delicious as 

 food. They have been netted on Basswood for many years, and shipped 

 to southern Minnesota markets. They also occur in Vermilion, Saganaga, 

 Knife, Otter Track, Ogishke Muncie, and other lakes. 



CULTUKJE. 



There are four towns in the Vermilion district — Tower, Soudan, Ely, 

 and Winten. Tower is the westernmost town of the district, and is situated 

 on Vermilion Lake. It was settled in 1882 (at that time there was one log 

 cabin there), and according to the Twelfth Census (1900) has 1,366 inhab- 

 itants. These de^Dend almost exclusively for employment upon lumbering 

 operations, a sawmill, and the mines of Soudan. All of the stores and 

 saloons of this portion of the district are located in Tower, and they supply 

 the people of Soudan as well as the people within the Tower limits. 



Soudan, an unincorporated place, is 2 miles northeast of Tower, at the 

 foot of Soudan Hill. It has grown up around the Minnesota group of 

 mines, and has about 1,000 inhabitants. It is essentially a mining town, 

 and most of the people are recent immigrants with American-born children. 

 The population of the town consists entirely of employees of the Minne- 

 sota Iron Company and their families. The company allows no stores or 

 saloons here. 



Ely is situated about midway the district, on the south shore of Long 

 Lake. It is the most prosperous town on the range. It has 3,717 inhab- 

 itants, who are for the most part employees of the Minnesota Iron Company 



