The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-08-11

Special Correspondence Of Tho Courier. "
ID up The MISSISSIPPI. "a
Fl snfaT Winona, Minnesota, s n
F. o5oEi ussisag7 July 30, 1870.
Dear Courier :---I tailnded in my
last letter 10 this thriving young city
o. Minnesota, !, as seen from the
Trcmpealeau bluff, thirteen miles
distant. lMrs.sA. Burton, formerly
Of Ottumwa, has purchased pleas
ant home here in WinonA, and / have
been spending the week on this side
Of the rivers This tcertainly is one,
Of tho ploasautost towns on the
river. II is one Of those western
tewns where population is .;estima-
ted" by. their hopefuh denizens, at
a10,0O0 or thoreabouts,. but the
mercilcss consus taker figures up
|7,1s4. It's people are enterprisiug,
intelligent, social, combining in o.
happy degree, the education and
Refinement of the east with the ener-
Igy and spirit Of the wsst. Educa-
tional and religious Influences are in
the ascendent hero, and the saloon
and rowdy element plays i subordi-
lnAte part. Those who came here
| first, came with the conviction that
the school and CHURCH hold higher
place in civilization and society. than
any other agencies and Shc present
state of the town shows how we'll
they judged and how Hisely they
planned. There IL a disposition tor
the, social ameneties of life, and you
cannot easily find a place where q
stranger is more kindly received or
better treated than at Winona.
The school buildings show that the
people appreciate their public
schools. They have a largo and tasty
high school building which cost
with it's grounds and furniture
nearly $4,000. 1t is not built like
. mere barn into which to hurdle
together 500 or 600 children and
young people, but built with view
to. ARCHITECTURAL beauty and
proportion, and to house like conven.
fence. Tho city is also building
ward school houses.
Another public building here ro-
minds one Of the wisdom Of the peo.
pie of this State in providing for a
great want, and by contrast, it brings
to mind the short-sighted policy OF
our own State OF Iowa in regard to
the same matter, viz, a Normalschool.
Yonder, about four blocks from the
city High school, is an imposing,
symmetrical, well-planned, brick
structure, one ofthree Normal schools
ct the State of Minnesota. The bull
ding and furniture cost $l25, 900 OF
this, the town donated CSC, 300. Town
pride was interested at tho time OF
acceptance of plan, in having fine
building, and on this account, the
house has cast more than was neces.
sary. But the schooi meets great
want; it trains teachers to do their
,cork toeN. Isn'tit reproach to q
State Legislature of the great State
Of Iowa, a Legislature that could
pass the estate House Bill" that il
csuld not make provision for a single
Normal school when we are far be-
hind every other ,cestern State in this
matter to say nothing of the east P
How are we to have good teachers
for tho schools of tho State unless we
afford them facilities for preparing
themselves. Is it just the thing for
such State as Iowa to do, to send
her sons and daughters who wish to
become teachers, to Illinois and Min.
ncsota and Wisconsin to bc trained
in their Normal schools and then to
oblige School Committees to go into
other States for teachers? Wha,
sort of an influence will such a course
exert upon the public schools of the
State? 1t is we'll to be economical
doubtless, but is it not poor economy
ltnat refuses to give to the education'
| al work Of tho State such right
hand as a Normal school at an ex
pense Of $50, 900 or $75, 900, and ther
puts So, 600, 600 into Capitol build
| ing to crafty State pride?
/ Winona is the largest wheat mar.
ket in Minnesota. One of her wheat
| buyers returned for threc successive
years, previous to last year, incomes
| ranging from 10000 to S53, 900 and
| from that to 100000. This Mr.. Rob
| inson is the laagest wheat buyer IN
the State. The bulk of this whea,
goes by way Of La Crosse to Milwau
kee, thence around the lakes to tn,
east. Some of the rest goes Il
Chicago, by way of Dunleith, anc
lately quito o part Of it goes to New
Orleans, Themes to Liverpool, Mr.
Robinson, in some cases, having
taken the responsibility Of shipping il
| from here 10 Liverpool. =
4 The following figures will show th'
increase in the wheat trade at thi
point, and will help to show tho de
\ velopment Of the State as wheat i
the principal product of the State. .
l. WHEAT EXPORTS AT wISoNA.
lYear. - No. bush
1889. Y. .1..a.. 4. . 1870, ,OOG
II 1857. .........,...........4O .4O5, ,OOl