The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-09-15
MINNESOTA,
Her Productions, Her Capabilities and
the Advantages Which She Presents
for Settlers and Business.-TlAe Duty
of Our People.

Having chosen Minnesota for my home
nearly twenty years ago, and having be-
come more attached to the State each
year, propose to address few words to
my fellow citizens with view to do the
State some service. My connection, for
several years, with the efforts to make
| Minnesota known abroad, naturally drew
my attention, not only to our own State.
but to the States and Territories Compel
ing with US for emigration. Through all
these years l have tried to post myself
thoroughly as to the advantages of each
locality, and now. taking into considera-
ton all that can properly pertain to the
question, the advantages and disadvanta-
ges of our own and other countries, upon
full, fair review of the whole subject,
l am ready to assert without apprehen.
sion of mistake, that Minnesota presents
more substantial inducements to those
seeking homes than any State or Terri.
tory on this continent.
# is not the purpose Of this brief ar.
ticle to enumerate these advantages or to
argue the question. I desire to call
the attention of our people to what seems
to me our duty in view Of the fact that
we have State, the superior Of all others
now inviting public attention.
For some years Eastern papers have
only spoken Of our State as a region
swept by terrific storms and devastated
by armies of grasshoppcrs. Rival local.
tiles, finding Minnesota head and shout
ders above them in all that makes an at.
tractive State, have magnifed these and
continue to dwell upon them until many
persons have actually come to associate
our name with succession of calamities
that render US objects of commisseration.
We have observed this, and quietly
smiled at the figure our own Minnesota
was cutting in the journals of the coun-
try, while we here at home were quietly
growing large crops and steadily progress.
ing in wealth and Importance. Let US
put new song in their mouths. 1t is
time Minnesota should come to the front
----time our glorious young State shcnld
assert herself and take the position to
which she is entitled.
The world should be told that we have
here in the centre of the continent
State with an estimated area of fifty-four
million acres, of which less than three
million acres are under cultivation, and
that instead Of claiming of the world it's
charity, We have this year raised thirty
five million bushels of wheat--better
! wheat and more to the acre than any
State or Territory ever has or can
produce; that our crops of oats, barley.
rye and potatoes are equally good; that
we are maturing corn crop that entities
us to rank proudly among the corn.grow-
ing States of the West. Young as we
are, we to-day stand at the head of the
wheat.growing States Of the Union, and
this is proud historical contribution to
the centennial; not only ahead in guam
}tity,. but far ahead in quality-a quality
that makes our wheat bring as much in
our fields as the wheat of some States
brings when it reaches Eastern markets
Tell them that these Gro s are raised on
lands that are bought at from one dollar
to twenty dollars per acre, and men Of
ten clear their entire farm and all ex-
penses out Of the first crop: that farm.
ling here is done with half the labor re-
CURED in. New York and New
England; that such is the vigor
men enjoy in this climate that man can
do as much field labor here in one day
as he can in some States in two; that so
much Of our farming here is done, by
machinery that but little is left that
is irksome or forbidding in
farm life; that we have
market at our door; that our broad riv-
ers and our two thousand miles of rail-
roads traverse our entire territory and give
every section of our State market; that
we have eight rival routes to the East.
one by way of our own lake port at Du-
luth, another progressing toward Bay
field, also on Lake Superior, the great wa
ter route of the continent; that we have
the Mississippi river as an outlet. to the
!! gulf and eight competing lines of railroad
connecting us with Chicago, St. Louis and
the East. Tell them that we have eli:
mate unequaled for comfort and health
the year round; that our winters, upon
TIE severity of which our rivals so much
delight to dwell, are by many preferred
to our summers, pleasant as they are con-
coded to be; that we are above and be-
You'd the region in which malarial infu-