Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-08-13
Rev. Il. II. Lathrop Perambulating in
Northwestern Minnesota.
Editor Mo,ver- County Transcript.


Editor Mo,cer County Transcript.
Fifteen years agoI was in this part Of
Minnesota before. Then twas wilder
ness, with scarcely any farms made,
the railroad stations were mere hamlets,
and it seemed Il long way from anywhere.
Now there are thriving villages all along
the road and fields laden with the most
magnificent crops, all things considered,
that ever was harvested in Minnesota.
Still one can SEGA vast difference between
this part of the state and yours. There
are not so many cattle-not so much stock
of any kind-nor SO much corn and tame
grass. You miss the rich fields of clover
that one sees all through southeastern
Minnesota; most Of the hay comes from
the native meadows. .r..z
This country however must become
rich. There is every thing that can be
needed except building stone. From Min
neapolis to this point is. most of the way,
forest. This is the big woods" Litch-
field, the capital Of Meeker county, is a
beautiful village, (thcy call it a village
themselves) of two thousand souls. It has
good brick school house, seven churches
and eight saloons There are several
thriving villages in the county, among
them this one with six hundred souls. 1t
was in this county that the Indian massacre
began in 1862. The little village of Acton
was the scene where TIE unsuspecting set
tiers were surprised and massacred with
scarcely one left to tell the tale. ,s...,
People of this county express great dis
appointment at the failure of the Austin
g. st. Cloud r. r., and it is difficult for them
to think they were not sold out by some
parties who should have cared more for
the public good than for few dollars of
private gain. When l think how far from
home I am, with a hundred and twenty
miles still to travel until reach the much
talked of land of No hard, realize that
Minnesota is a large state.
Wheat harvest is we'll begun and every
body is looking for better times. Tomor-
row go west.
Dassel, Meeker County, August 9TH.
BENSON, Mimi, Aug. s, 1884,
From Litchtield to Benson, and so on
to the Red river, the country is one vast,
level prairie, with good deal of. wet
land, especially along the railroad. "
Murdoch and DeGraff are tumbledown
towns.
Here was that Catholic colony that we
read about some two or three years ago.
Some parties tried to settle UP all the r..
r. lands in the vicinity of these towns,
and make of the county small Ire
land. The scheme is conspicuous fail
ure.
Benson is fourishing town of four or
five hundred inhabitants of more than Or
binary intelligence. 1t is the county seat
of Swift county, and tho seat of the U. s.
Land Office, supports two newspapers,
has four churches and six saloons. Here
is one of the best hotels along the road,
kept by the Aldrich Brothers. They
make man feel at home and give him
bed and board that a reasonable man will
be contented with.
took ride yesterday with Senator z.
B. Clark, one OF the proprietors of the
Swift County Bank. Clark knows a
good horse when he sees it, and it is a
luxury to ride with him.
found the soil better than one would
think by looking from the car windows.
The farmers begin to talk about diver
sitied farming, but don't practice it much
yet.
There is any quantity of hay on these
prairies, of the very best quality for wild
hay, and every opportunity to raise
stock.
We are a hundred and thirty three miles
from St. Paul. and still eighty two to the
state line
One can see that Minnesota has but be.
gun to be filled with people.
There is abundance of room for two
millions more without any crowding.
But this country can never come up to
South eastern Minnesota. People who
are there, if they know when they are well
Oft, won't go west, either to western Min
nesota or Dakota. There is more wealth
there and u vast deal more comfort to the
acre than anywhere out this way.
Yours Truly, E. r. LATHRoP.