St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-12-15
NI[A.INE :: PRAIRIE.
THE CROPS THIS YEAR.
- - :. !. = .L,IL lii. F4-Y.r.,,.fJ
LfCEUM AND LIBRARIES.


,Eplron DEMocRAr.-Thinkipg that the
readers Of TnE ,DEMocRAr might be inter
ested in news from Maine Prairie, l will
)ot down few items. The crops were bet
ter this year dian last As nearly as
can find out, the wheat yielded from twelve
to fifteen bushels per acre oats from twcn-
ty-ive to fifty bushels and corn about.
thirty bushels, which think is pretty good,
when we take into consideration the fact
that, in June, quite a number Of the farm
ers thought they would not get their seed
back, and went to St. Cloud and bought
wheat enough, to bread them through the
year. Although some thirty five men have
gone into the army from this town, neing
more than threc-ffths Of the able-bodicd
men, yet all of the ground that was under
cultivation three years ago. is titled now,
and good deal of new land has been
brought under cultivation each year. Ill ~
Mr.. Editor, am prond to be an inlabi-
tant Of Maine Prairie. am proud of its
fertile soil; its beautiful lakes; its purling
streams; !; its broad prairies and noble TIM
Der land, and above all I am proud o! IFS
intelligent and enterpri<ing population.
never saw such unity of feeling and action
in regard to Education as here. Schools
are kept going, winter and summer, in all
three Of the school districts in town, and
teachers are employed for their worth, not
for their cheapness. In one of the districts
they have raised a tax Of one mill on the
dollar for library purposes for several years,
anu have now quite a large library Of ex-
ce1lent books, and the others commenced
the same this year. The books are bough,
and circulated according TO law, which
gives the legal voters Of any school district
power to levy tax fer such purposes
and why not do it? Levy, say one mill on
the dollar every year. No one will be the
poorer forit. and in fcwpyears you. will
be surprised to find what large collection
OF. hseks tsou have. am, surprised that
SO few districts have entered into it.
I'VE have also Lyteum in active opera
t'on. 1t was started last spring and has
been kept, up with increasing interest and
vigor ever since, with forty members regular
1t has library attached, ard works so we'll
that will give you brief description of
its mo!us operonai. All males over the age
of tftecn become full members by paving
fifty cents Initiation fee aud fifteen cents
monthly dues; and all females by paying
ten cents monthly dues All between the
ages Of ten and fifteen become full men,
bers, with the exception of voting, by paw
ing FIVE cents monthly dues. The society
meets at least once a mouth and as much
ottener as is deemed proper. The meetings
are devoted to debates, declama,ions,
reading essays and the paper. Yes, the
paper: for we have the .Prairie Gem"
published in our town, and we'll edited
paper it is, too: 81 ..a
Last Friday evening We had an cxhibi-
tion, and although the weather was very
disagreeable, the house was crowded to ITS
utmost capacity. The performances were
good and the audience went home well
pleased. Although we have been in ope-
raticn but six or eight months, we have
over sixty volumes in our library. The
books are drawn only a. our regular meet
ings But fear l have tre:passed on your
time and patience, and will close.
MAINE PRAIRIE