Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-19
GWinona (Minn.) for Pittsburg Dispatch
Dec. 49,
AWAY OUT WEST.

Minnesota-Big Drafts on Pittsburg-
The Products, Resources and Industries
of the Northwest.
When, two weeks ago, told some OF my
friends in Western Pennsylvania intended to
take trip to Minnesota, an involuntary
shiver and shrug of the shoulders greeted
me, with the information that "would
freeze TO death" The weather here is as mild
and much pleasanter than it was in Pennsylva-
MIA when left. To-day is as sunshiny as
May day at home, the sky is as blue and un-
spotted as any to be found in Italy's best
markets, land the warmth as genial as the most
Impoverished blood could ask in December.
1t is not a phenomenal day, either. While
the natives recognize its beaties, they do not
90 into ecstasies. They receive it as another
brilliant setting in jeweled climate.
MINNESOTA WINTERS.
The popular idea of Minnesota winters is a
mistaken one. 1t is cold here in winter, it is
true, but not uniformly SO to the extent of
severity. The air is very dry and does not alb
sorb the heat from the body as is the case in
the moist atmosphere of more sOutherly re-
gions. An ordinary still day with the ther-
mometer anytheIe near or above zero, is a
pleasant one, and with the mercury as far be-
low as 10, mechanics can work out doors
with little or no discomfort. The Pennsyl-
vanian's terror of Minnesota winters is purely
imaginary. At least that is my conclusion
after an almost two weeks stay in the State
in December, to which may be added the testi-
mong of friends who have resided here for q
decade or more.
THE PRODUCTS.
While wheat is the principal product of the
state, it by no means absorbs the time of the
farmer. Corn, oats, barley, rye, fax, buck
wheat, potatoes, onions, turnips, sugar cane
and tobacco are cultiyatad to the extent of
large and profitable crops. l am told that
over 5000 acres of sugar cane were grown this
year, from which an average of 125 gallons of
syrup to the acre was manufactured. The
cultivation of tobacco is in its infancy, yet
the product of this year aggregates 100000
pounds. Onion-growing in quantities large
enough to reach the dignity of being called
crops in this region of vast farms is an agri-
cultural innovation of the past two years and
is attracting considerable attention just now.
Stock-raising is fast becoming an important
industry, and now no statistical report of
Minnesota is complete without its enumera-
tlon of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, with
scientific report of results In breeding and
feeding. An interesting article might be
written on the agricultural features of this
State, but have not the specific knowledge
necessary-what l have is CLEANED by the
wayside-nor have you the space to spare.
However, if Minnesota keeps on progress
ing as in the past few years she will soon
raise on her own soil all her people need to
eat, drink, wear and make them happy, ex-
cepting iron and coal-and for these she
draws heavily on Pittsburgh-and have to
spare. I write now in front of cheerful
CRATE fire fed by your "Yough" brand of
black diamonds.
But it is more particularly of the city of
Winona, the third in the state, / wish to
write. A brief sketch of its growth, business
prospects, and some of its people can
not be but interesting to many of your read.
ers, for some of Winona's foremost citizens
and pioneers call Pennsylvania their native
State.
wINONA.
Twenty five years ago the spot this city now
stands on was smooth, shrubless, uninviting
piece of prairie land, stretching along the
banks of the broad Mississippi, dotted here
and there with an unpretentious house, the
home of the early settler. To-day here is
city of $4,000 busy inhabitants. The streets
are seventy feet wide, shaded on both sides
with stately elm and maple trees Il mean they
will be shaded next SUMMERTIME trees are
here, but the foliage has retired from business
temporarily and as level as a ballroom floor.
The business blocks are handsome bricks, of
artistic architecture, and all seem to be occu-
pied. In my walks have not seen a vacant
store-roOm; on the contrary new business
blocks are in course of erection, even at this
time of the year, December. Last Sum
day 1 observed bricklayers at work on
two buildings, hurrying things up before the
snow falls. Vacant dwelling houses are also
hard to find, yet rents are not high. This
city, in its plat, resembles Philadelphia. Some
of it's private residences would grace any of
the ground in your own lovely East End, and
to the Eastern stranger looking for location
there is an air of comfort and freshness
in the whole layout that prompts that
feeling known in exaggerated sentiment as
first love.
THE SURROUNDINGS.
In addition to the general mercantile busi-
ness naturally belonging to city of this size,
surrounded by thrifty and truly horny
handed agricultural, people, there are several
gigantic manufacturing enterprises, and more
a-coming. The most important of these are
the -four and lumber mills. OF the first
there are the Winona Milling company,
the L. G. Porter Milling company and
the Gate City Mills, with two large mills few
miles above, the total capacity of the whole
being $500 barrels of flour daily. To feed the
capacious maws (by permission of the report
ing fraternity of these Touring mills requires
So car loads Of wheat every "a hours. When
they run full capacity-and they only stop
when they cannot get grain enough-they
daily convert $4,000 worth of wheat into
flour and the minor products. The berry Is
reduced to flour by what is known as the roller
process. The largest of these mills is the
Winona, which alone has a capacity of {, 900
barrels daily. The structure of this company
is large seven-story, iron-clad building, and
is lighted throughout by the Edison electric
light. The barrels IN which this $500 barrels
of fl.ur is packed and shipped are all made In
Winona.
THE LUMBER INTERESTS
are not only very large, but increasing. There
are five sawmills here already, and next year
another--to be the greatest on the Upper Mis-
sissippi-will be put up. The present pro-
duction of lumber every season of about sew
en- months, is about 80, ,OOO, 900 feet, or mil
lion and half dollars worth. In addition to
the sawmills are several large planning mills and
sash and door factories. A wagon factory of
small dimensions has O0Od trade West