River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-04-20
HISTORICAL INCIDENTS OF CLIFTON.
CONCLUDED.

Having followed the history of Cliff
ton from its beginning more than
full quarter of century, up to the
present time, it remains only for us
to fnish the work by hasty glance at
her unrivaled natural resources, and
her probable future. And, first and
foremost In Importance of all the rich
es OF the earth, ler bread-producing
capacity claims our attention; not
that it surpasses all other towns in
its rich returns of the husbandman's
favorite, wheat, but as a fair repre-
sentative of goodly land "a land
prolific in cereals, possessing cline
and soil that through all the vicissi-
tudes of twenty-five years, have yield
ed up to the farmers bin twenty-five
fair, honest crops. We can refer to
the surprising bounties of Clifton har-
tests with pride and wonder. Truly
that land is rare and rich heritage
that fails not by reason of the cold, or
the heat, the wet or the drouth, nor is
yet put to stress by storms or insects,
but, ever faithful, ever sure, yields
her increase to feed the nations.
About twenty thousand acres of
Clifton soil are susceptible of tillage,
and twO-thirds of this, at a very low
estimate, would yield annually two
hundred thousand bushels, leaving
the balance for hay and pasturage,
and. this again would bread about
thirty thousand persons, allowing near
seven bushels per head. The bureau
of statistics puts the average of
our whole country at four and
a half bushels per capita.
Again, in the deep chasms of the
Kinnickinnic runs to waste at this
day, probably, full four hundred horse
power within the town, as steady and
neyer-failing as spring brooks can
make it, and as easy and safe for
damming as nature could well devise.
1t therefore only remains to harness
this unsurpassed power, utilize it, set
it at work. We have the cheap food
and the power to feed and employ our
thirty thousand, instead of one thou
sand souls, and to increase the wealth
of Clifton to millions. Already close
upon her borders we hear the song of
machinery and the music of manufac.
tories, and ere long shall the solitary
hills of Clifton echo to the hum and
life Of business.
Having now finished my undertake
ing, it is meet perhaps, that I should
here express thankfulness to many Of
the readers of the Journal for encour.
aging notices of the work that felt so
very incompetent to perform.
Though now out of Clifton. the
heart ever turns to its kindlier moods,
when thinking of this goodly land of
my early adoption. II gave me back
my health; it gave me strength, and
reasonable prosperity, friends and
friendships, and happy homes and op.
portunities; and to-day stands second
only to those far back hills that
shall never more tread. In thinking
Of the one, memory often hurries Inc
back like meteor fash, for score
and half of years or more, 10 a
father.land, and a place with an or.
chard on the slope, with green beech
trees on the brow Of a hill, and the
great brown walnuts and poplars 50
tall, striving rs IL were, with the hon.
ored oak for mastery, and behind the
barn newborn stream hurrying
down the hill like = boy let out from
school, and the jet.black coal, and
lime rock white rs snow, come peep.
ing ont from under tie hill after "A
nap Of untold ages, o, lone mother OF
all thingsl whence came these. who
fixed their couch for the rest Of hun.
dred thousand years. And the old
brick church and the horseback rides
~ meeting we dream them over and
over again and long TO go and feast
the eyes and hands and heart.
Osnoeg Grn tffr