Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1882-07-05


last spring from England, his early nome.
Mr.. Richardson found that thirty years
of absence had made many changes in the
old home, and also in the home friends.
Thirty-six years had written many lines,
too, upon the faces of friends as we'll as
upon his own, and brothers and sisters lit
tie realized that the stranger who asked
for food and lodging at their door, was
their Thomas from America. The reunion
with these dear brothers, sisters and other
friends was pleasant one, and our friend
feels we'll repaid for the perils and ex-
pense of the journey.
The concert, given by the Musical
Convention last Friday evening, was
indeed, a concert worth listening to.
The chorus of over so singers rendered
their choruses with fine effect, and the
different solos given, also added much
to the program. Mrs. r. N. Parks OF
Albert Lea, Miss Lottie johnson and
Miss Sophia Anderson of this city, each
in their own helpful way, did much
toward the success of the convention and
also toward making the concert one OF
the musica- events of Austin We were
very sorry that our citizens did not give
our singers larger audience, thus show
ing to them an appreciation of their
labor and talents, and also showing that
their hearts were touched by the suffer
ings of the afflicted people of Grinnell,
and willingness to remember those IN
| need as we would wish to be remembered
under like circumstances.
-Boyington's Cabinet Folding Beds
are acknowledged to be the most com
plete and porfovt article OF the KIND
| made, and they are constantly increasing
in popularity. We have one of these
luxuries at our residence, and we must
say we find it more than represent in
their circulars. 1t is not enough to say
we like it. Indeed, we should hardly
know how to get along without it. The
following are few of the points of SUI
periority of these beds:
They are so perfectly balanced without
| weights or springs that child can open
| and close them. They fold with all the
bedding in it, without disarranging the
spreads. The bedding is amply ventil-
ated when the bed is closed. Their con-
struction is simple and consequently they
are not liable to get out of order. They
are provided with castors on all four legs,
| and is said to be the only bed made which
can be moved about when open.
We should be happy to show to our
friends our handsome day writing desk,
which we convert with ease, in amoment,
into luxurious bed for our nights re-
| pose. See advertisement on fourth page.
Friday, June 23d, Rev. Samuel G.
Lowry, of Oakland, Freedom county,
and his grandson, Doak Catherwood, of
this city, left for Charlottesville, Indiana,
to attend the 5Oth anniversary of the es-
tablishment of Wabash College. Mr..
Lowry was one of the founders of this
institution of learning, as will be seen by
the following extract from letter from
the President to Mr.. Lowry of date June
I'd:
It lacks but a few months of nifty years
since you were elected member of the
first Board of Trustees of Wabash College.
Your name is not forgotten as one SO honor
ed, and also for twenty-five years trustee.
We celebrate our 5Oth anniversary. You are
the only survivor of the twelve men which
appeared in our first records Nov. 2ls|, 1882.
l write to salute you affectionately in the
name of Wabash College and it's living friends.
May God continue to bless you, and at last
give you the crown of everlasting life.
We learn that our venerable friend,
who by the way is 86 years of age, reach
ed Charlottesville safely. He attended
services Baccalaurate Sabbath, June 25th.
At the close of the exercises he was in
troduced by President futile to the
crowded congregation and pronounced
the benediction. Dear old man! We
hope he will have pleasant time among
these scenes of his early manhood, and
return safely, in due time, to his Minneso-
ia home.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD ROADS
cannot be overestimated. In fact, the
degree of civilization of any people can
be gagged by no surer test than by the
condition of their highways. The old
Romans left the evidences of their great
intelligence in their causeways, built
1900 years ago. They still stand as
lasting monuments. We fear that,
judged by this standard, Mower county
would cut a sorry figure, and yet there is
money and labor enough spent, which, if
judiciously applied, would soon furnish
a good grade road on every section line
in the county. Wedo not intend by this.
to reflect in the least, upon the officials
who now have this mat ter in charge.
They simply have not had their attention
called to the great improvements made in
machinery for handling earth for rail and
turnpike roads. Only years ago Lang
don, Shepard & Co., of St. Paul, the
largest railroad contractors in the state,
were using plows and scrapers only; but
now, on all their prairie work, ''The New
Era Grader" is putting up the earth at
an actual cost, probably not much ex-
ceeding one-tenth of the old way. In
those counties, where they have had
these machines at work, the Highway
Commissioners have been impressed with
the great adaptability of these machines
for making turnpike roads, and already,
this spring, several carloads of these
graders have been orderd for that purpose
in Northern Minnesota and Dakota; and
this is no new thing, only new to US. In
Illinois and Indiana hundreds of these
machines have been sold and many thous-
ands of miles of road turnpiked with them.
In the --LATEST part of the state, notably
in roquois and Champaign counties, it is
almost impossible to find rod of road
not graded with one of these machines
of course, with big ditch on each side of
it. 1t has been estimated that $500. 900
has been added to the. value of Iroquois
county alone by the use of these ma
chimes for ditching purposes. One
ditch made by it was 10 miles long, IS feet
r