The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-06-02
HAwLEY, CLAY co.

"
A man was cutting grass which made
a good swath, here yesterday. Grass
is earlier, of better quality. and more
abundant here, than around Wadena,
and teams and all kinds of stock are
in much better condition here. There
are no ties. timber, fencing nor fire.
wood to haul in yinter here, and
teams have leasure to rest and fatten;
but the average condition of cows,
and other farm stock is equal to that
of the work horses and oxen. This
shows that animals have better feed
and care on the open prairies.
During the past year, the chief
business part of Hawley, on the north
side of the track, has been twice
burned out, and is not yet fully re-
built. The three new stores now
built, are inferior in size and finish
to those destroyed. The report that
Mr.. Way intends to rebuild, needs
confirmation. South of the track the
village has more til an doubled during
the year. There are new stores, one
Il large and we'll filled hardware,
large blacksmith, carpenters, and
carriagemaker's shops, and two lum-
Der yards. G. Nelson has built all
addition to his store, and has not yet
room enough for his immense busi-
ness; and Craik & Kroll, of the Haw-
ley mills, have a new -four and feed
store nearly completed. Several new
dwelling houses are built; that of
Mr.. Nichols, the railroad and ex.
press agent, being the most elegant,
commodious and best finished of any
dwelling have seen on the Northern
Pacific. Hawley has improved rapid
ly, in spite of fires and floods, and
this is sure index of the increasing
wealth of the surrounding country.
I was one year here, and the next
year near Wadena, and by notes care
fully taken, I conclude that timber
land and brush prairie enables new
settlers to get started with less capi-
tai, than Oh the grass prairies. But
when fairly started, they seem to get
rich faster on these open prairies.
10 illustrate my idea-the cost here
of such buildings and fences as w. J.
Whipple put up the past year on
England Prairie, would break up a
whole farm as large us his, and the
first crop of wheat from that land
would set a man fairly up for farming.
A settler can get shelter and firewood
cheaper and faster among the timber.
but clearing and breaking the farm
is dear, slow process; and grass and
grain seem to produce fairness and
comfort faster than cordwood and
ties. There are no fences-not even
around gardens, and all stock is herd
ed on the open prairie at a small
charge per head. This is a beauti-
full country in summer, when the
grass and grain is all green; but it is
a dreary and desolate waste in winter,
when covered with snow swept along
by the everlasting winds. There are
some points of superior excellence III
Clay county, and others in Wadena
county, which would make me choose
to live here in summer, and there in
winter, if l were free to choose.
The new mill which I came to
build for Bennett l. Pryor, OH the
Sand Hill river, will be on Buffalo
river, near Muskoder, FIVE miles west
of Hawley. They have to negotiate
for the site with the owner of the
land in New York city, and the bust
ness is delayed, waiting for the deeds
This delay allows me some leisure
time, which 1 may not have agair
until the whole mill is completed
Craik & Kroll are doing good bus
iness in the Hawley mills, and 80 is
w. E. Bennett in the Jacobson, OF
Buffalo mill, two, miles down the
river. Yours, u.