Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-06-29
The Future of Austin.

Visiting Austin occasionally on bust
ness am glad to see at las: some marks
of substantial progress. Buildings of
brick and stone are replacing wood; the
cattle are restrained that so long roamed
Its streets; the neglected water power is
being we'll improved. Best of all to me
is the public school, which has made
wonderful progress in two years under
its present management. 1t is clear that
a revival Of prosperity is touching the
whole country, and arousing even the
sleepiest populations 10 share it. This is
a favorable moment for friendly re.
minder to the good people of Austin as to
the real conditions Of rapid growth. 1t
is quite as clear that building stores will
not make a prosperous village, as that
growing wheat or any other exclusive
staple will not make the country rich
Both lead to poverty by short road
Varied industry in the town and varied
crops IN the country a:e needed. This
needs no argument with any intelligent
mind. How can the industries he local
lied in Austin? The people are poor.
Money IS so scarce, or held at rates so
high as to exhaust the profits of any
venture undertaken. The period of ex-
pertinent with new business is generally
one Of mistakes and losses. individuals
mill lib ~,Ovp hat o1>ov t,a
done? The citizens of Austin have
shown good example already. They
have voted large sum Of money to Sc
cure the location of the Raj road Shops.
Let them now vote bonus to the first
company who shall start industrial works.
Then let the leading citizens organize
and erect such works as are needed in
every town like Austin. II should be-
building perfectly fire proof, supplied
with a hundred horse power engine and
shifting, with machinery to work wood
and metals. Motive power and room
could be leased to mechanics and manu-.
facturers. Such works are common in
the east and pay the owners we'll, while
they furnish to mechanics without means
cheap machinery to work with. Con.
nected with it should be clothing works,
where the wool and fax grown in Min.
nesota, and the cotton, readily obtained
could be manufactured into clothes,
where the hides should be tanned and
converted into sh oes. Every cat-skin,
dog skin, aud sheep-skin even, should be
made into gloves. Fifty thousand dollars
would suffice to start such an enterprise
1t would do more for Austin than all the
railroad shops in Minnesota. 1t would
employ the large class of idlers who are
now wasting their lives. 1t would gath
er in the vagrant boys from the streets
who are now growing up for the prison
and the gallows perhaps, as in every
village where no work is furnished
for children. 1t would be most relia.
bic training for the youth to supplement
the education Of the school room. Out
of it would come skilled artisans and in
ventors to enrich the whole community
and furnish practical men to develop the
resources of the State. 1t is as proper
to do this as to build bridge, or a side
walk. The only thing needed is the
united spirit among the people, without
which no city can be built up anywhere
The benefit would at once appear in full
and profitable employment Of labor aud
the rapid accumulation Of cash capital
Nearly all the clothing, furniture, and
certainly ordinary tools, should be made
here. The bulk of goods kept on the
shelves Of the merchants could just as
we'll be made at home. In many cases
far better stock could be supplied. With
small outlay, few hundred spinning
jennies and power looms could be put
up to furnish fannels, goods far superior
to those now generally sold here. A few