Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-05-10
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
On the cars, May, list, 1877.

VII llC CNASs NAOSS Aoss AS'' l
DEAR TRANscR1pr:-During the last
ten days I have contemplated making a
trip to Chicago and intermediate cities,
but not until this morning was l able to
get away from homo. I chose the route
via Lacrosse, chiefly because it enabled
me to pass within near view of a pretty
home,-onc built by my own hands, and
occupied with my wife during the first
three years of our united pilgrimage. T"
me it will always be a consecrated spot.
It is situated in tho. pretty village of West
Salem, Wis, twelve miles east of the
Mississippi river, and unless prevented by
accident or some unforeseen delay, I shall
soon sec it again, although but for a mo.
ment for the swiftly moving cars will hurl
me past it, but not more rapidly than the
fourteen years since We left 1t, pass in re-
view before my mind. After all for look
ing at things Of the past, the natural vision
is not much better than the minds eye. l
sometimes think that our best sight seeing
is the view which we get Of things by
holding them up in consciousness, and
by the aid of. E:emory, bcholding them as
they looked long years ago, for time hap
PLY serves TO diminish the sorrows n
hcightcn the pleasures Of tho earlier years.
Another reason why l came this way; l
am always charmed with the natural
beauty of the route. Starting from RAM
scy we encounter at once the impetuous
and sparkling Cedar river, a stream SO
identified with our interests and our pleas
urcs, as to make it an object of regard
on that account if no other. A pure
stream of water flowing over tho face OF
the country, always cxcites in my mind
feelings Of lively emotion. Ono cannot
think of rivers without being carried back
historically to the mysterious Nile, and
the sacred Jordon, and in contemplating
these, what associations come up before
us! Christianity had It's birth in the land
which they irrigatc and fertilize, and the
annals Of the world had an origin III the
region of their sources. Blessed be the
rivers. From our starting point it is but
ten minutes ride to Brownsville, a little
gem of art IN a beautiful setting of nature.
Industry and refinement uniting in the
execution of a common purpose, have
made a prosperous marta model ham.
let. Long may the good people there
live TO enjoy the luxury of their posses
sions and surroundings.
Our home readers arc nearly all famil-
Jar with the face of the country as We
journey eastward through Mower county.
It need not he described. The next station
is Dexter, and so suddenly did it make its
appearance and become a substantial viii
lagc that it is like a creation of the magic
art, and in passing through it, a sense of
strangeness creeps over US, such as Saul
is said TO have felt when in the presence
of the Witch Of Enlor, and we looked
about US for a sight of the great Maglcian's
wand. Grand Meadow is soon reached
and once there the traveller looking out
upon her broad fields, cannot but admit
that she is the focal point of a magnificent
country, and that she bears a proper
name. Spring Valley is just outside Of
our jurisdiction cut zone the worse for
that. 1t is a thriving business place, of
great material beauty ana physical ad.
v~antages, and has an energetic and intelli-
gent population. When there, D feels
very much as though he were upon the
delectable mountains and in the valley OF
humiliation at the same time. Her hills
and slopes are beautiful, but some of her
depressicns (:) will bear filling up a little.
Some time we hope to sec the pretty creek
which winds through the vale, beauti11ed
with sodded banks, terraces, shrubs and
flowers. From this point eastward the
surface of the country is quite und ula-
ting and wooded until we reach Wyckof,
a little village which stands upon q
foundation through which no water can
be obtained. The railroad men get their
supply from the engines tender, and the
other citizens, who do not have cisterns'
have "to draw" The county Of Fill
more is we'll settled, and we think it has
more farms than any ether in the State
many Of them containing not more than
40 acres. 1t has An industrious and cconom-
ical population, and will ultimately be
vastly wealthy. She has many villages of
no inconsiderablc importance, and that is
a sufficient reason why she will never be
conspicuous as the location of any one
great city. Her interests are so diversified
and so widely scattered, that she will nev-
or he able to mass the entire force of her
wealth and business talent at any one focal
point, but that affords! her no occasion
for regret. She will in consequence be less
under the influence Of m%onopolics and not
so liable to suffer from popular abuses.
From Ian esboro, a prominent milling
center, the road to Lacrosse lies along The
bed of the Root river, a stream adorned
With as romantic scenery as, can be found
in the northwest. 1t is skirted with tim.