The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-03-02
AS OTHERS SEE US.

"A very CouipicIc iCNicW VI suto
grand section of country is found in
the .1gricultaraI Rerisw from the pen
of the editor, Mr.. Joseph H. Reall.
The writer commences a; WinOna,
and takes the principal towns along
the w. & st. p. road through Min.
nesota and Dakota, giving u very ex.
cellent description Of the country
which. for those in the East who
contemplate emigrating West is
valuable reading. Speaking of Man.
katO, the writer says:
A short ride from GAINESVILLE
through fine rolling country well
timbered by the Big Woods. brings
you TO MankatO, one Of the most en-.
terprising towns in the West. 1t
was settled in 1855 and has u popula
ton Of seven thousand. 1t is in the
timber district and on the banks of
the Minnesota River, a stream which
rises in the northwest, runs in a
south.easterly course to this point.
and then turning north empties into
the Mississippi above st. Paul.
A Touring mill turning out seven
hundred barrels of -four daily, and
other mills of less capacity, manu-
facture the wheat of the sur
rounding country, and large guam.
titles imported from other localities,
into -four. A linseed oil mill is
among the other manufacturing stab.
lishments. There are Inexhaustible
stone quarries III the near vicinity.
One party was getting out one thou
sand car loads for the new rail.
road bridge across the Missouri,
and another concern one thousand to
fifteen hundred cars for the new
bridge at Minneapolis. Other quar-.
ries of cement stone are shown by
analysis to contain the elements ne
cessary for the manufacture of the
best hydraulic cement, sometimes
called water lime. Great quantities
of stone lime are burnt and shipped
all over the western country. Both
white and red brick are made in large
quantities and are worth 81 per thou.
sand here.
The soil about Mankato is mostly
of dark loan, though in some sec.
tions it is of Il sandy nature. Wheat
yields as high as twenty.six bushels
to the acre: potatoes two hundred
and fifty to three hundred bushels
oats. seventy five to eighty. Labor
is scarce, and wanted at SLIPS to 50. SO
per day. The productions are corn,
wheat, oats, barley, flax and all kinds
of vegetables. Much attention is
being given to fruit, particularly
grapes and apples. Peaches also grow
well. There are three or four large
vineyards in the vicinity, and no
finer grapes of some varieties are
grown anywhere. AS in the section
already noted, much attention is
being given to live stock and dairy.
ing. Already something Of dairy
centre. this industry Is growing rapid.
ly, and promises to be the most pro.
iitable branch of husbandry, while it
is found TO he free from risk arising
from failures of crops. A fine quail.
ty of butter is produced. Creameries
were introduced within a year or
two. and there are now five in the
vicinity, one using the milk of a
thousand cows. There are also a
number of large dairies here which
manufacture their own products.
Corn does well, and there is All i'm.
mense crop this year. 1t is believed
that the county will produce 1,0OO, 900
bushels. Prices for products are
good, wheat commanding within II
cents per bushel of the Chicago mar.
ket. In October corn was worth 40
cents potatoes. 35 cents barley. SO
cents; flax, $1.00; oats, 40 cents !;
farm horses, 1925 to 5000; COWS 1926
to $40. A line of railroad crosses
here from St. Paul to Sioux City. and
another runs to Wells, Mimi. thus
afIording facilities for transportation.
The country is diversified in form,
and presents many beautiful land.
scape views. Land is worth $l8 to
$50 per acre. on an average, but some
is held Us high as $50 to $40. There
are a number of wealthy farmers in
the observation-disclosures, who started
on nothing, being worth $75. 900,
while several have accumulated from
&c. 900 to $4,000 each.
In another place will be found q