The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-02-17
hear of but few cases of severe sick

hear of but few cases of severe sick
ness; in fact, the general health of our
town has been good all winter.
There is no disease among horses, cat
tie or hogs.
There are but few sheep in this town,
owing to the ravages of dogs and wolves.
If the Lawmakers at st. Paul would tax
dogs and increase the bounty on old
wolves, they will suit the few who own
sheep, and that branch of industry
would be encouraged.
! came to Minnesota the first day of
December, 1866, and have been here
every winter since, and therefore | know
that this winter is different in u number
of particulars. 1t commenced earlier,
and has continued colder; there has been
more snow and the most storms have
come from the Southeast, instead of the
Northwest. Other years most of the
storms came the later part of December
or the first of January. This year, the
first of February ushered in the storm Of
all storms. 1t commenced February 4,
and continued four days. The snow is
about 21a to 3 feet deep on the level.
The roads are completely blockaded,
and the snow is dril'tcd on the wrong
side of everything. The calculations
of man are entirely set aside, and our
coy retreats on the sunny side of our
wind.breaks have been completely
flanked, and we are snow bound. We
are at peace with our neighbors, and our
neighbors are at peace with us-wc
mind our own business, and will have SO
to do until we are shovelel out!
had the pleasure, u week or so ago,
of visiting quite number of schools in
this town,-not like Slab looking
after a school "marm," for the Eagle
Lake school. By the way, "Slab," al
though covered very well with the lion
skin, is well known to be Jack" by his
ears.
Miss Ida Goodwin is teaching IN Dist
No. l27. She has from twenty to thirty
scholars, and quite an interesting school
Her sister, Miss Emma Goodwin, is at
prcsen: teaching in Dist. No. 135, with
good success.
Miss Minnie Haslip has very inter
esting school in Dist. No. lO4, and is one
of our best teachers.
John Haggard, alias Jack" alias
"Anon," alias Slab" lost horse last
Thursday at Eagle Lake. 1t dropped
dead in the harness .,hile at work.
The wood business is dead-snow two
and one half feet ~ three in the woods.
Farmers cannot complain. They wanted
a hard winter; they prayed for it, and
mere it is.
Hay is scarce, and is worth from So to
$40 per ton.
But must leave these local items for
something more important to all who
live in this vicinity. The question is,
are our beautiful lakes to become barren
of fish. People living III the vicinity Of
Lake Madison complain that the fish are
being caught, while none are allowed to
come back into the lakes through their
natural outlets. Two dams across the
outlet of Lake Madison completely stop
fish from coming into the lake, but as
many can go out as wish Will our law
makers sec that law is passed compel
ing all owners of dams to put in sluice,
so that fish can pass up into the lakes
Another question agitating the minds
of some, is the law that allows any i'll
disposed taxpayer to stop all the others
from holding meetings in the school
house. While school houses are built
for school purposes with the money of
all taxpayers in the district, one tax
payer can, against the will of all the bal
ance, lock the house against everything
but school and school purposes. 1t is
thought that the majority should rule,
and it is right that they should. There
is no danger of them abusing their pow
er. A community that will tax them
selves to build school house and keep
up the school, will see that their house is
not abused, or used for improper pur-
poses. Some will say that there are but
few men SO mean and lost to all shame
as to say that the school house shall not
be used for religious worship. We al
nit there are but few such men, vet
there is one man in Blue Earth county
as low as that, and one is too many.
And the opportunity should not be given
even to that man to show his meanness.
The law should be SO changed that the
majority in district should rule in all
cases. SKY BLUE.
p. 81 am glad to hear, since | wrote
the above, that law to that effect has
just passed at st. Paul