The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-01-07
FROM AUSTIN.
AUSTIN, MOWER Co., MIMI !

\
... January 4th, 1875. :
: EDrroR JouRxAL.-Psrhaps your read
srs would like to know something of this
county, and of Austin, the county seat.
Mower county is in the extreme south Of
the State, being on the north line of Iowa,
and about sixty miles fromiit the Mississippi.
It contains twenty townships, nearly, and is
well settled. Two townships only have got
into the speculators hands, and they are
sparsely populated.
The land il Z
HIGH PRAIRIE,
we'll watered by numerous streams, with
very few lakes, not much marah land, and
= scarcity of timber. Coal mostly is used
for fuel in al the villages, aud can be
got for about eight dollarsper ton. Through
the farming districts but little coal is used,
or wood either, if I can Judge by the sise
of the piles At the doors. They are careful
not to waste any wood, and every little
stick a large as ones finger, every root
and stump, every rotten railroad tie and
fence post is made to do duty. There are
several settlements, almost exclusively of
Norwegians and swedes, and they seem to
have more Of this worlds goods than their
neighbour, who were born in the United
States, though whether they brought their
money from Europe or made it here is q
question cannot answer.
This is an
EXCELLENT wHRAT-GRowING REGION,
and usually money is moderately plenty,
but at present wheat is only worth sixty
FIVE to seventy cents per bushel, and the
consequence is that all who can are hold.
ing for higher prices, and those who are
too poor to hold are made still poorer by
being obliged to sell at such ruinous prices.
see but
VERY FEW SHEEP OR CATTLE,
and the people, as rule, evidently raise
too much wheat, and too little stock and
corn to feed it on. In many localities,
timothy and clover will do well, and if
some of our Mower county friends would 20
to Wright county and see the fat cattle and
aheep, in the southern part Of that county,
fs*tened on timothy and clover hay, with.
out one kernel ofgr.in, they would open
their eyes wide.
AUSTIN
has about three thousand inhabitants eight
churches = fine school house, where about
three hundred pupils attend school; free
reading room, open day and evening, we'll
supplied with books, magazines and news
papers; a circulating library, and an ample
supply Of liquor saloons. These last are
not As noisy, however, asin many localities,
and, ~ a whole, the Austin folks are .
quiet, law-abiding community. There are
two banks, in full blast; two newspapers,
and more hotels than they need. There ID
only one tbest hoter-the Davidson
House," which is engineered by
COL. J. H. MANSFIELD,
A0AWCAAy Va w AbCOAbAAs xA0 SO4s uS0 uVt
as large head as Daniel Webster had
and it is surprising the amount of knowl-
edge he has packed away under his skull,
considering the size Of it. He talks ten
different Indian languages with Huency and
grace, is = master of rhetoric, an adept at
anatomy, and cannot be equaled in "th>
wide, wide world" as lecturer on geology
He is also generous to fault, and does not
hesitate to furnish "Ketchup' free gratis to
all who may wish to try its virtues as a
hair restorative. Seriously, the Davidson
House is 6rst-class hotel, and guests are
made to feel At home.
ANN ELIZA YOUNG
delivered the first lecture Of the winter
course, and the Austinites are now making
arrangements for Bishop Whipple, the Fat
Contributor, "Gumptown Polligoh Cute,''
and other celebrities, and all will no doub,
have crowded houses. LOGOS,