The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-10-26
CORRESPONDENCE.

The Frontier Counties.-The Political Revo-
lution.-The Skies Bright.
SLEEPY EYE. BROWN Co, MINI.
Oct. 18th, 1876.
Dear Anti-Monopotist:
After the meeting at Appleton, de-
scribed in my last letter, we drove to
Montevideo.
The country is beautiful in
attractions as we advanced. But it was
sad to see the harvested corn and wheat
fields. We saw great quantities of wild
geese, brant, ducks, and chickens. We
also observed large flocks of crows-a
bird seldom seen in Minnesota east OF
the Big Woods The white brant is quite
plentiful here. It is snow white. We
observed hundreds in one field and at
first mistook them for swan.
There are no grasshoppers to he seen;
but the traces OF their ravages are every
where. A great part Of the fields arc not
ploughed, the farmers fearing to attempt
to raise crop ne xt year. We saw some
men narrowing breaking, to expose the
eggs. We also saw great fire breaks, many
miles in length, consisting Of strips, a
few feet wide, between burrows, these
intervening strips heing burnt of. This
is intended to save the rest of the town
ship from prairie fires, so as to be able
to burn off the grass in the spring and
with it destroy millions of the young
hoppers.
Montevideo is charming little village.
Imagine line Of houses on a hillside,
fronting a river, and defended on the
river side by y forest; the main street
alive with bustling men and hurrying
teams; and You have rough picture OF
Montevideo. 1t is the busiest place OF its
size in Minnesota. The very children,
and there are piles OF them, run faster and
scream louder than elsewhere. The
mill, conducted by G. w. Frink ESQ.,, is
the center ofthe business of the village.
The country around is very rich, and all
that is needed 10 the disappearance of the
grasshoppars and the construction OF the
Hastings and Dakota Railroad, to make
this one Of the leading towns of western
Minnesota.
Our meeting was great success. It
was held in the large school house on the
hill, which vas packed full. Hon. J. l.
Stewart presided. The farmers were in
from all the surrounding country. Many
of the facts we presented were new to
them, they had been kept in the dark BY
their own newspapers; and the new
gospel was greedily received and uni
versally accepted. We feel confident
Peter Cooper and the Independent ticket
will have large vote in Chippeway
county.
We started the next morning for Red
wood Falls, stopping on our way at Gran
tie Falls, for dinner; and to address q
large audience, collected from both sides
of the Minnesota river. We had but Its
tie time to explain the greenback plat
form but we trust we said enough to set
the good people to investigating for
themselves.
The country near Granite Falls is fer.
tile and beautiful. save where broken
up BY vast masses Of mefamorphic rocks,
into curious and fantastical shapes. The
town itself is built in the midst OF rocks,
many OF them being nearly as big as the
houses.
At Granite Falls We found our old and
valued friend, Wm. Teachout, formerly
of Olmsted county. He has bought land
here and proposes 70 make this his future
home. He il, OF course. like Ill iute2li.
gent men, sound on the gres0back ques-
ton.
We then drove to Redwood Falls. dis
tsnt fity miles from Aontevideo, arriving
alter dark. We were surprised at the
large 'size Of the place and - appear
auce Of thrift. inspite of the grasshoppeFs.
We weee Hospitality entertained by that