Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-06-24
A TRIP TO AUSTIN MINNESOTA.
editor St. Paul Dispatch.


How Austin Looks, Its business, &c.
Editor St. Paul Dispatch.
C., TIE CITY OF AUSTIN.
When I arose this morning and looked
out upon the beautiful scenery Of com
mingled nature and art as presented to the
eye al my window, I thought I could not
employ my waiting time to better advan-
tage than by saying a few words about
Austin-not Horace, but the beautiful lit
tie city of that name-but my "lettcr Of
apology has proved my wind against a
lead pencil SO much better than it was
last night against steam, that am afraid
you will throw the whole thing into the
waste basket, if say all l want to about
this place, SO will he as briefas possible.
* The city of; Austin, os you probably
know, is the county seat Of Mower county,
about 100 miles from St. Paul, and is BUILT
upon both sides Of Cedar river. The city
itself contains a population Of about $500,
while the whole county, lis was informed,
contains but about 10,147, 50 it will be
seen that either the county outside Of the
city is of small cxpanse or sparscIy set.
tied, | was told the latter is the case
though can imagine no good reason tul
it: as the surface Of the country indicates
to d traveller al least, that it is admirably
adapted to farming. 1t may be, as is the
case in altogether too many portions OF
our glorious State, that large areas OF The
land are owned by non resident specula
tors, who wait for other mems labor and
enterprise to make their property valuable
The city is divided into three wards, AMI
like the most Of our western towns, covers
Il large area, did not learn how large
The site is Il comparatively level plain
though there is nothing like monotony in
the landscape. It is sufficiently elevated
to be airy, and should judge could b,
chcap!y severed, when the tame comes toI
that thing to b> necessary. The streets
arc reasonably wide and easy to grade
there being no rock excavation to be cn
countcrcu; in fact llc lack of rock suit
able fer building purposes $50 far as
! could discovery being one Of The most Sc
riouS hin(lrances to the pr osperity Of TIL
| place, though perhaps brick, all thing
| considered, may be as cheap, and they ccl
! tainly arc quite as durable and present
more PHEASANT appearance, TO my eye a
least. There may be good stone 4uarrlc
; Convenient, hut | did not see any. Th'
place contains. and I hope srstains, tou
i large hotels, which are probably sutlicicn
! luI liz: present, though, if the town con
| iinuts 10 yrow in the future as | am salts
! fed ii has ii: the las, two years, others vii
be required ere long. Ii front OF tn
; !'irck House is public park, we'll fences
and somewhat larger, should judge, thai
, our "i,icc I'a.k,' with beautiful flag stat
! surrounded by an elevated music st;,n>
l'j,' rc ;nv*y be other parks also, but til:
; is the only one came across.
CHURCHES.
There is a respectable number Of churc
v1;;lccS, not very r-ctcntious, but neat an
modest, a fact which, according to N
mind, is indicative Of More picty and les
cant than is sometimes 10 be found i
larger and more imposing oncs-1n f;
: better keeping with the examples and PR
cppts Of the !owly NaZarcnc, who is claim
uu to be the author aEu tinishtr OF tn
laith Of their founders. AMONG the churc
ctliticcs here, is one Which, for simp!icil
and real beauty SURPRISES anything Of til
kind think ever saw, (fnr enc Of sin;;
cost, nlean) the First Univcrsalist, I
Gently erected ut a cost, complete, excl
sive Of the two lots belonging to it, Of b,
about 50 100. 1t will comfortably Sc;
about $50 persons, aud is, l think, a pc
feet gem Of 4 church editice~
SCHOOLS.
In the matte: CT The school cuiticcs, g
though it shows a laudablc liberality,
think Austin, like Rochester, has made
great mistakr, Che latter place having p1
about $G5, 900 into one building), havil
but one public building, which WAS cree
cd at Il cost Of over $40, 700, whereas, til
amount Of money would have given the
three, zone in each ward( Of about the ST.
and character OF our "l-incoin Schoo
building, and what I consider Of real
more consequence than the mere cost, Il
! school population would then have be-
: very much better convenlcnccd. Put I
less costly structures and more of them
the true policy, it seems to me:
NEWSPAPERS.
- Of CHS necessity OF the present age, y,
tin has two ttuurl<hing ncwspapers-ll
TRANSCRIPT and the REGISTER. Jud
! A. A. HARDWOOD, we'll known in legislati,
circles, presides over the first and Nlessl
Davidson &%Bastord over the other.
spent a few moments very agreeably
each office. Unfortunately they don't Il
patent sides.
The mercantile and manufacturing
tcrests are reasonably cared for.
There arc many other things wou
like to mention, but the fear Iexprcss
that the whole thing would go into t.
waste basket, warns me that had bet
stop. In conclusion allow me to say tn
! Austin, Us it appeared to me, is as beau
full, we'll laid out, thriving little city
one will find in travelling u long way.
: Yours, G.