Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-04-24

euOuSH 10 iu3ke seventeen OtaGeS lne
size of Pennsylvania, which must pour
its products into Minnesota to reach
market, and from Minnesota must
take back its supplies. Hence one of
the great commercial cities of The con-
tinent must be in Minnesota. That
city will be st. Paul and Minneapolis
combined, having now population OF
$1,000, and doing jobbing trade i've
times as great as that of any other
city of the same population. Duluth
and Ashland will be the Lake posts of
this great State. Minnesota is one of
the most desirable States for coloniza-
ton schemes aud hence q number OF
colonies are locating here.
Joined the National Colony locating
in nSouthwestern Minnesota, and North
western Iowa, and l wish now to give
some account of this locality and ofthe
colony in which I have cast my lot
Between Munkato, in this State, and
Sioux City, in Iowa, lies one of the
finest stretches of rolling prairie in all
the West. 1t is called tie Cream of
the Prairies, and the Garden OF the
States in which it lies. The soil is a
rich, black, sandy loan, from two to
four feet deep, and the prairie is water
ed with beautiful lakes as well as
streams. In the heart of this prairie
the National Colony is locating, chiefly
in Nables County, Minnesota. The
enterprise is managed by DR.. "A. P.
Miller, OF Toledo, and Prof. Il. F.
Humiston, of Cleveland, two Ohio
gentlemen. They made a thorough
canvass of the West in search OF a 10
cation and selected this in preference
to any other, because of its rich soil,
convenient markets, and freedom from
consumption and ague. The colonists
began to settle here last Spring and
when Winter set in there were between
l 900 and 1000 claims taken in tho col
ony, which comprises fifteen and one
half townships, and town of 500 ill.,
habitants had sprung up at this point.
The Sioux City and st. Paul Railroad
keeps us in daily communication with
both cities. This road is one OF the
trunk lines of the West, and when the
extensions now building are complet-
ed it will afford a through route for
freight from $50 to 200 miles shorter to
New York than the present rail and
lake route by Chicago. The road has
connections and a number
of branches are projected. One Of
them will be built soon from Worth
ington to Sioux Falls, there to connect
with road to YankGon, and this, it is
will bring US the Southern
Minnesota road; thus giving us an east
and west as well as north and south
road, and making Worthington the
most important railroad and distribut-
ing centre on this prairie. There are
two towns, or railroad stations, in the
colony besides Worthington, but
Worthington is the County seat and
chief centre. 1t is situated on the
north shore ofOkebena Lake, beauti-
full sheet of water some six miles III
There are some fifty
lakes within the colony limits.
Worthington has a live newspaper
called the Western Adrasce, and COM
mands trade from four counties be-
sides Nabies. Among the principal
buildings in the town are $4,000 ho
tel, $1,000 public hall, and two grain
warehouses. Next summer there will
be erected a large Touring mill and
grain warehouse combined, large
school house, a seminary building, and
two shurches. The town is well Or
ganized, having regular church SER
vices; a graded school in operation; a
lyceum with two courses of lectures in
progress during the winter; lodge Of
some fifty masons; Grand Army
Post o! some seventy members; and
the usual variety OF social aad kindred
The design of the
founders of the National Colony is to
In Southwestern Minnesota
All educational centre where parents
can educate their children without
subjecting them to the temptations of
the liquor traffic. The colonists are
chiefly temperance men, and no intox-
tcating beverages are allowed to be
sold in tlre county. Every attempt to
open grog-shop has been suppressed
by legal process. and public scorn.-
Prof. Humiston, who is here using
every energy and drawing on a full
purse, to achieve the Interests OF the
colony, is an educator of many years
and is making the educa-
tional feature specially. Prominent
educators ore looking to Worthington
as the educational centre for this part
of the West.
Hamline University, the Methodist
Episcopal University of the Northwest
will locate one of its seminaries at this
point. These features are attracting
class Of people who are admitted to
average much higher in character and
culture than those of other new COM
munities. If 1 were to undertake to
sum up the advantages of this section,
l should say that we have a locality
where there is no ague, no consump-
ton, no liquor traffic, and consequently
few of the vicious class; where there is
rich soil, convenient markets, health
full climate, and cultivated Christian
society; where there are superior mail,
ra ilroad, school, church and other priv
ileges: where the government gives