Montgomery County sentinel., 1882-04-21
Letter from Minnesota.
MORRIS, Stevens County, Mimi,

April 7th, 1882.
Dear Frtend:-It was my intention to
have written to you at an earlier date, bat
have delayed doing SO, hoping that would
be enabled to give you some detailed account
of our future plans. .,..
There is a good demand here for both
skilled and ordinary labor, and at good
wages, but there is the drawback that the
demand Is quite irregular and in the end
it is probably not more remunerative than
elsewhere. Still | think it very good place
for a man seeking employment | do not
think it very desirable place to locate in
as home, though might think differently
after becoming more accustomed to the sur
roundings. There is considerable railroad
enterprise operating here, and at this time
there is demand for this sort OF labor and
for farm hands. The latter getting twenty
five and twenty-siX dollars month
Since have been up here find that the
accounts we get in the east of the enormous
wheat production of this region are some
what fabulous. BY inquiry learn that the
ordinary production, at least in this section
OF the State, is from ten to fifteen bushels of
wheat. few persons get as much as twenty
bushels, and there is u general complaint of
q failure OF crops for the last six years. |
think though that in many cases it is attri5u-
table TO Indifferent management. A great
many OF the people here raise very little to
eat, depending upon buying these things,
when,by better system they could easily
raise everything needed for home consump-
tion. =.
We enjoyed the trip out very much in
deed nahd were sensibly impressed by the
lovchness and grandeur OF the scenery
through the mountains. We arrived in
Chicago on Tuesday evening and were SO
fortunate as to meet Jack Maddox, son of
Dr. Maddox, of Rockville, and Cook Rob
ertson We spent some days there very
agreeably and saw many objects well worthy
OF attention. The Chicago water works are
grand specimen OF this branch ofengineer-
ing. They raise three thousand gallons of
water per minute, and are operated by seven
superb engines, two Of which are running
constantly. Two of them are one thousand
horse power each, and two others seven hun
dred each. Lincoln Park is about two and
a-half miles from the business centre. 1t is
d very beautiful artificial park, the only
thing in it contributed by nature strictly,
being the lake which is very attractive
This whole western country abounds in
lakes until it seems that there could never
be scarcity of water. Lincoln Park, though
very beautiful, is far surpassed by Druid Hill
"i NJ ASuibuhOlS' L was ldbltI ulSuDDOlnItu
in the Cathedral, it is not to be compared TO
the Baltimore Cathedral. was struck with
the vast amount of traffic done in Chicago.
One edry goods house employs tweaty wagons
insthe transportation of goods Il took great
interest in the cabe-car street railroad. Ii
is in use on one Of the main lines and is
operated by stationary engines covered by II
large engine house centrally located. The
coaches are moved by being connected to an
endless wire-rope cable. Some times you
VIII see several of these cars connected to-
gether moving aloug by invisible means of
propulsion This line connects with other
lines, which run to other parts OF the
city, drawn by horses, and when these cars
reach their turning Oft place they are
disconnected from the cable and switched
of to the teams waiting. 1t certainly looks
strange to see these cars running when you
cannot see what makes them GO We took
great interest in the stock yards. They cover
i've hundred acres OF ground. 1t seems like
a large place and | tell you it is. Out hore
wesaw the slaughter houses, &c, of the great
canned beef manufacturers, Amans q Co.
Ihey Kill cattle, hogs and sheep, and have
four immense houses connected by bridges.
They were only killing cattle and sheep the
day we were there, Sheep being q new
branch of the business we did not learn.
how many they expected to prepare o day.
The day before our visit they killed 3,700
hogs. In busy seasons they kill from six to
nine thousand per day, and from fifty to
five hundred cattle. timed their operations
with the watch and it takes Just eighteen
minutes from the time the beef is stuck un-
VI il is halved and pushed back to cool.
The mon work in gangs, on nine beeves at
one time.S We went through the packing
department and witnessed the whole opera
ton, and il killed our appetite for meat for
several days. They work from fifteen hun
dred to three thousand hands. We saw
some fat cattle owned by Mr.. Sherman,
president of the stock yards There were
seven of them weighing respectively $780,
5000, $500, 1900, 2,700, $500 and 2,400
This seems incredible, but after seeing the
stock have no doubt of their weight.
IL