The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-10-02

only successful way to follow an agricul-
tural life with assurance OF proper re-
turns for long series of years upon the |
same tract of land. The locality In ques- |
ton is, perhaps, as rich appearing in
outward appearance az any in the coun- '
ty. Scarcely any pare can produce 30 |
many fine barns and spacious residences,
but the foundation for this was laid In |
the days of bonanza wheat crops and
remuneratiye prices-;t time now buried |
in the dead past.
We visited great many farmers who |
have become heart sick and sore in their |
attempts to reap "the honest price Of
labor from their wheat fields, and
frankly admit that they see their doom
if the present oneness OF production il
not abandoned, in part ut least Among
the leading farmers of Mcpherson We
beg leave to mention few who have
been long associated with the towns in
terests, and who have wthstood the
hardships and reverses of developing
country successfully, and are now enjoy
ing comfortable surroundings.
Joseph May, the largest farmer in the
county, has served his time ut labor, and
now makes his home in this city. leav-
ing the care of his many acres in the
hands of his children, all of whom have
farm il well supplied with convenient
and comfortable buildings of all kinds,
and on the place il considerable live
stock, although he adheres to wheat
raising mostly; cultivatng from ten Ia
fifteen hundred acres.
Henry Foster, who was in the mercan-
tile business at the time the Indians
were removed, il the owner of large
tract of land adjoining the old govern
ment farm, and has all about him that
heart could wish. His il undoubtedly
the best barn in the township, and he
keeps about him a good herd of stock.
| ID. +. Rasdell, now owner of the Ind
ian agency building and farm, COM
menced his career as Il farmer In Me-
Pherson when twenty years of age, and
to-day is prospecting finely, with all the
conveniences for comfort about him. He
interests of his town for several years.
VIM. Fields is one of the numerous
progressive and frugal men who have
come to our county from Northern New
York, having been raised IN st. Law
renee county. He opened his farm in
/ Mcpherson over twenty years ago and
few men have labored as earnestly and
| well for the advancement of his locality
as Mr.. Fields. Age finds him well pro-
vided with the comforts of life, and one
of the most honored agriculturists Of his
town.
%. i. SeverSon, u son of Norseland, in
one of the very few men in that town
who has learned the fact that wheat
don't pay, and he in now giving atten-
ton 10 the increase of stock and poultry,
from which he already reaps greater
profit than his wheat fields can gave. Mr..
Severson informed us that he is surpris-
ed at the returns of his yet limited at
tempts, and that hereafter the poultry
yard and nerd shall he his chief objects
in farming.
r.. 5. Taylor, whose home is located
over the line in Medic, but who does the
larger part of his farming IN Mcpherson,
is one of the prosperous farmers of that
locality. He IL largely engaged i'm the
raising of stock, and has what were for
merly large grain fields now seeded
down Ia grasses. We are under special
Obligations To Mr.. 4. and his hospitable
household for courtesies and replenish-
ment at the noon hour, and for sumpt-
uous hostlerng of our horse.
Silas Babcock is another of this towns
farmers who has built up home of
comfort, and now occupies an honorable
position as II farmer ard citizen. Our
impression is that Mr. BabcOck believes
in the paying propensities of the pOrcine
family, Judging from the number of that
specie we saw at his place. They are
an interesting lot of swine and look as
il their owner is not sparing of proven
der.
1t was the good fortune of the writer
to drop in upon j. ID. Hawkins, Esq,
once an honored legislator from that
town, who was engaged threshing his
crop. Mr.. II. is another man who be-
lieves it pays to raise pork, and is con-
siderably inclined Ia desert the wheat
business and give more attention TO
stock.
n. Il. Preston stands among the most
thrifty of McPhersOn's yeomen, and is
giving dairy farming u great deal of
thought. lis farm is well supplied with
all conyeniences, and its general ap-
pearance indicates that he has exquisite
taste.
ID. ID. Brewer has been settler of
that town for many years and has amass-
ed Il sufficient competency of earthly
wealth to make him perfectly indepen-
dent. and has his farm Hastily and COM
fortably furnished.
James Fields, ST., is another of the
thrifty sons from old St. Lawrence coun-
ty, n. Y, and has been denizen of
Mcpherson for dozen years, during
which time he has prospered through
dint of well directed industry; but he is
losing his adhesiveness to the exclusive
raising of cereals, and is collecting more
cattle, hogs, etc, about HIM every year.
The writer hereof enjoyed night un-
der his hospitable roof, and was royalty
cared for IN every respect.
We called at the mills of Gerlich 4
Pagenkoip duringa jaunt through the
timber, and found those gentlemen en-
gagged in placing in position Il new plan
ing and matching machine, which has
Just been added to their outfit. They
have put in Il cider press at their place
of business also, and were manufacture
ing that beverage from native grown ap.
| plies. These gentlemen were burned out
last spring but have rebuilt, and are
again ready to provide the public with
Il general stock Of native lumber.
While at the Agency we were invited
To the pleasant home Of James Wheeler,
ESD, of the blacksmith firm of Lassow
Wheeler, and found sumptuous fare
and most pleasant association with that
gentleman and family. We were also
! shown many courtesies by j. l.. Cook,
dealer iD general merchandise, and the
present 7. NJ. at that point. Mr.. Cook
was engaged in the commendable act of
embellishing his store building with
coat of paint and had the misfortune to
fall several feet to the ground, somewhat
iniuring one of his ankles. This, how
ever, is as nothing compared with the
drop of his official cnpula, which will
undoubtedly occur when Villas swings
his littleaX Ia the rata tat tat of Kelley's
drum.
We convcrsed with scores of the
farmers of the township, but
have not the space To mention each. ALI
of them relate the same tale of unsatis-
factory yields of grain, but the decided
Improvement in the tone of the market
IL the means of bracing up their droop-
ing spirits. Many improvements IN the
way of building have been made i'm the
last year and fully as much is cOntem-
plated for another summer. When one
lets the mind fit back quarter of
century from the present, the rapid
march of improvement i'm this town il
fully realized. Where then the wild,
untutOred savage reeled about in the
mazes of The war dance, and strapped
his cooling papOose To the rigid back
board, we now find schools and churches
filled with intelligent, progressive beings
instructIng the young and future minds
in the art of II sovereign life among a
nation proud and free. The identical
spot. perhaps, where the merciIess saw
age spilled the life blood of the buffalo |
and roe, and chuckled satisfaction over
their death agony, we now find the |
milkmald grooming lays to the patient |
cow, or the focks of the field frisking |
with undisputed right. Where then |
q al. -. 4 l.