Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-27


lance has not yet been baliasted, little if any
more jar was felt as the train passed over it
yesterday than on many of the roads of this
section operated for years past
Although the line was formally opened yes
terday, regular trains will not be announced
before next week. probably, side tracks,
switches, and turn table having yet to be put
in at River Falls the depot, of viii .h the frame
is only up, is to be finished, and finishing
touches given to the round house and
for doing business. The road is, how
ever virtually completed, to the great
qualification of the long waiting people
of River Falls and Hudson and the country
tributary. not forgetting st. Paul, and to the
credit OF the gentlemen who have put their
whom, as much any man, probably, the
success is due.
| The run from Hudson to River Falls was
made without incident, except that Manager
Stickney gave his excursionists, very unex-
pectedly, rich scenic treat. As the train
drew up the table land it was halted, lust
where view of Lake st. Croix with its SER
pentine shores, hemmed in by the majestic
wooded bluffs, could be seen for miles at one
glance, both up and aown, and such a magniti-
cent sight is was declared by many who had
Waited the most noted scenery of the world, to
| be equal to anything ever before seen. A short
halt here, thoroughly enjoyed by ALL and then
on to where River Falls was costly nesting on
the banks Of the far famed kinickinic river.
| mile out from the village cosy little
white house, with comfortable surroundings,
and numerous evidences of cultivated taste,
was pointed out to the writer as the residence
OF Prof. Wells the author of Wells English
grammar. But River Falls new world to
most of the party. is now the greater attrac-
ton, and the American flag from a shapely
| kf,nh Lo,,I
some 2G0 feet above the busting little village,
| just outside, and to the northeast, procamt
that the journeys end was about reached
Then the whistle Of the engine screeched forth
its welcome, hearty cheers from thousand
throats answering it back. Then the train
slaekened its speed and finally came to halt,
and the excurionists, not standing upon the
order OF their going, struck for solid earth
And what sight met their eyes as they emerged
from the cars. Not only the population of
River Falls but the great bulk of the in
habitants of Pierce county seemed to have
come together to give greeting to the
| excursionlsts. In the foreground was the
River Falls cornet band, Prof. Burt leader AS
soon as the excursionists could disemba an
| eXtempo.aneous procession was formed headed
by the band, and marched to Brackets hall,
Main street, where, without ceremony 800 of
| the guests were ushered in
TO FEAST
Ss
And such feast. And such generous, hearty
good will as was evidenced by the ladies or gen
| tlemen in charge. Time or space will not per
nit justice to this part of the days programme.
An old saying is ''tit for king" but unless
the king IN this case was just and wise ruler
it would have been an insult to the generous
doner to have set him down to the abundance
OF good things prepared.
The GLOBE representative, having learned
n! pSS off do
though rendered ravenously hungry by the
tempting display of palate provoking edibes.
restrained himself, and sought first to learn the
programme OF the reception. He was referred
by good fortune to President Parker,
of the Fourth State Normal school,
located in the village, of the recep-
ton committee. In answer to the inquiry,
President Parker replied in substance: The
programme is for you to sit right down at that
table-there is a lady who will attend to your
wants-and eat, eat, eat; its there, prepared
for you, and we want it disposed of. This will
go on till o'clock, when we will djourn to the
Normal school building, and little
talk. But now the programme is eat" The
representative followed out this programme
and when he got up from that table he had a
very strong impression he woald never want
another meal And he was not alone in that
feeling. Ask Col Hewitt, Gov. Ramsey, Tom
White, ct al. 1t Was fearful the havoc that
was made, and still after the second 300 had
been fed the supply of good things seemed tc
be as inexhaustible when the first onslaught
: was made. If famine was not bred in River
Falls and Pierce county yesterday, then is thu
boast as to fertility and productiveness more
than verified.
; After having eaten, and while waiting for
o'clock to roll round, the GLOBE representativ,
!. was SO fortunate as to meet Mr.. A. p Wild, o
the reception committee, and as it turned out
one OF The orators of the day, from whom he
CLEANED some facts of interest in reference tt
, Rlver Falls, and though it infringes somewhat
on Mr.. Wild's remarks, these points are giver
here. River Falls is situated on the Kinikinit
river, which at that point forms a magnifcen
water power, only about half developed as yet
The village lies both sides Of the river
though the main business street ano
, most OF the residences on the
, eastern bank. River Falls las been an unfor-
tunate victim of disastrous fires, no less thar
four we believe have swept through its prin
clpal business street in the last twelve years
two within three years, destroying two third.
Of the business houses on Main street, and in
ficting loss Of about .$100,U00. Notwith
. standing these serious setbacks, and the fac,
that it was an interior town, twelve miles from
rail or water communication, the village ha:
steadily advanced in population and wealth
Its water power, though but half developed
produces $4,000 barrels of -four yearly, entail
ing consumption of half million bushels o.
wheat, and gives steady employment to lO(
men. The merchant mills are: the Prairie
owned by j. D. Palmer & Co.; the Green
, wood by Geo. Fortune, the Cascade by VIM
Barker, and a frst-class nine-run mill, the
junction, owned by Freeman & Stevens. The
production of wheat tributary is from 600 OO(
to 700, QUO bushels annually
The enterprise Of the leading men of River
Falls is shown in the fact that they have borne
one-eighth of the cost Of the railroad to Their
town. But that this outlay will be lightly felt
will be easily understood when it is stated tina,
nine-tenths Of the property within an area OF
six miles has been earned in the county The
owner of the Prairie mills, the capacity OF
which have been more than doubled in the pas
three years, spent the first three weeks of his
residence in the county in dry goods box fol
his habitation. Every cent for the erection of the
Cataract mills, which cost over 100000, was
J earned in the county. The cause for this is
, found in the wonderful fertility of the soil in
the country tributary, snd in the industrious
habits and energies of its inhabitants.
An institution to which every citizen points
: with pride, and which is conceded to be an i'm
portant factor IN the high character of the peo-
pie is the Fourth State Normal school, presided
over by President Parker. The building is
OF brick, three stories, 95x143, a capacity of
4uO pupils, and an average attendance of 800
River Falls has five churches, Congregational
Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist and Catholic.
1t supports two papers, the River Falls