The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-04-27
Island Grove Farm.
CuRIsTIANA. jackson Co.,
A N,-tl lafh 1000


Have you ever, dear readers, anal
lied in its true light, the significance
Of the three little words: MANKATo
FREE Press! Seldom. In looking
over the list of the names of the
thousands of jurnals in the United
States. do we find one, the title of
which, discloses so much to the think.
ing mind, rs is hidden in those six.
teen little letters so significantly ar.
ranged.
And first, let us look for q brief
time ut the word MankatO. What
does it convey to your minds, dear
readers! first the thoughts that it is
a beautiful little town, nestled so
cozily among the hills in the
valley of the Minnesota river. The
magniticence of the surrounding
scenery gives it romantic and pic.
turesque appearance, and all admirers
Of natures work. will ut once fully
appreciate the beauty of the location.
People go wild over Italian or Switzer.
land scenery, always dreaming of the
beautiful Eldorado that is Just
ahead. But let them ascend to the
summit of Bunker hill. or some of the
other peaks that loom far above the
city, on Il clear, calm, summer after.
noon, just at the hour of sunset, when
every tree and shrub is clothed with
its beautiful garb of green when the
rich, ripening fields of golden grain
are bathed with the mellow hues of
the lingering sunset, stretching far
out on the beautiful prairie, as far as
the vision can penetrate, let them
follow with their eye, the shining,
ripping waters Of the Minnesota as
it winds its way at the base of the
vineclad hills, until it Is lost in the
distance let them take in the whole
grand landscape, reaching far out In
every direction to that point where
earth and sky seem to meet, and
where, in all the lands of fame and
story, can you find view more salts.
flying. a picture more sublime and
perfect than this. Where need the
artist go to find more pleasing work
for his pencil The shady hooks, the
ripping waters, the messy glen, the
rocky cliff, the cool, beautiful foliage
of the forest trees, all are there to
gladden. the eye, to quicken the pulse,
to fill the unsatisied longings of the
most romantic of natures worship
ers. Secondly, Mankato signifies. in
the not very dim future, one of the
greatest railroad centers in the State,
the advantage of which, to the CON-
munity at large, needs but a passing
thought to conceive its magnitude,
thus giving to the general classes of
the county an outlet for all their pro.
duets, equal to any in the State. 1t
gives them a ready and sure market,
pleasant and profitable means of
transportation to all the large com.
mercial cities, over the shortest pos.
sible routes. Thirdly, it means a
little city filled up with wide awake,
thorough, energetic business men,
women of sterling worth and unflinch-
ing courage. 1t means that where "a
few short years ago immense herds
of buffaloe and deer scaled the lofty
cliffs or plunged deep down in the
rocky glens, roaming here and there
at will for something to satiate their
ungOvernable hunger, now roam at
leisure and in immense herds. the
harmless useful animals, so neces-
sary to the wants of a civilized COM
munlty. 1t means, that where the
stately savage padded his bark canoe
over the ripping waters of the beau
tiful Minnesota, and where naught
but his stealthy tread disturbed the
calm quiet of natures repose, where
he bathed his brawny limbs in the
MONDAY sun, or sought some shady
nook, from its schOrching rays to cool
his heated blood, 4" from the recent
chase" where, with beaded hair,
with painted brow and uplifted toma.
hawk, he followed the warpath to Sc.
cure his rich retreat from the hated
paleface, now stands out in bold per.
lection the skillful work of civil.
izatiOn. Respondent with beautiful
churches. elegant school buildings,
fine dwellings. lofty towering manu-.
featuring establishments and all that
goes to make upa beautiful, thrifty
little city. Beautiful, quiet haven of
pleasure and prosperity, gladly we
hail thy steady growth and thy fast
increasing finance. May peace and
plenty ever be thy lot, and content.
ment dwell In the minds Of thy peo-
pie.
Now for a short time let us dwell
tors of the busy little town. One to
which Mankato must ever feel in
debted, for the great benefit received
therefrOm "THE FREE Press! A
journal which breaths forth In its
name the perfumes Of liberty, free
speech, free thought, free action, a
free and honest ballot. How often do
we receive journals of eight and six
teen pages, that tells less of patriot.
ism, of love tor it's cOuntry's welfare
than this little journal of only four
pages when the sunset is followed
by bright lanes or streaks of light of
various hues, radiating from the point
where the sun disappeared, continu.
ing across the heavens and cOnverg.
ing to common point in the opposite
hOrison, there exists a storm cloud,
in line with the sun though it may
be so distant, as to be for while en-.
tirely hidden from view by the rotun.
dity of the earth" Thus do we find
it ever with TIE FREE PRESS ever
watchful, with its keen perception,
ever on the alert, though the fraud,
the deceit may seem to be so skillfully
hidden in the columns of some hostile
journal, or perhaps emanating from
some legislative source, that the
keenest penetrative would for time
seem to be baffied, by its far reach.
ing exclusion, but cautiously, STEALTH
ly, swiftly from its aerial heighth |
comes TIE FREE PRESS, swoOping
down upon it's prey with an eagles
A.. l.. III