The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-08-06

The ADVANCE noticed the fact re-
Gently that Chas. +. Jones, Of the Min
neapolis Tribune, was in town looking
Us over. Mr.. Jones spent several days
here and has written us up in very
good letter which appeared in the
Tribune of the oath. We give the let
ter below and sign with Mr.. Jones as
endorser:
While travelling through southwest
ern Minnesota. the question presenting
itself to my mind is whether there is
anywhere Il fairer section of agricultu-
ral country, more peculiarly fitted to
the stock breeder and the producer OF
| cereals and vegetables. And in con-
nection with this another is suggested:
Will soil so rich remain untitled, or
pastures SO inviting continue to waste?
1t is true, fortunately true, that the
land is steadily being developed-grad-
ually and surely becoming the working
capital Of farmers of whom our happy
state may we'll fell proud. since they
are farmers Of intelligence, inGo nitable
will and untiring effort. Once this fer.
tile prairie was visited by the destruc-
tive grasslopper, but those days are
long past. Southwestern Minnesota
undeservedly got 4 bad name at the
time from which it would seem it has
! hardly recovered. Since then the far
mers of this portion of the state could
not ask for better return from the
soil than they have received. for they
have sOwn unsparingly and reaped
the ancient description given of the
land of Canaan. It would be but su-
perfluity to mention this were it not a
morbid tendency of some people living
in more eastern and less prosperous
states to remember every disparagine
report of this section, and view with
inexorablr doubt every truthful aC-
count of its landscape beauty, healthy
climate and productive soil. The job
bers' union, when enjoying their ex.
cursion through here. had their eyes
opened to previously unknown truths
! which would stimulate them to make
this part Of the state tributary tn Min.
neapolS and st. Paul instead Of Ch;ca.
60. ~ it is today. That the twin cities
have largely lost the business of south
western Minnesota is an unpleasant
fact. but that it is possible for them t.
reclaim
nl-s!NE:,s INTEREST WORTH MILLIONS
to the merchants and manufacturers
of the metropolis ;I14u capital city is {;
! more agreeable PROB ltiiity. l }u,c "
that tile Tribune. tie only paper in the
northwest today fair enough TO repre-
Sent the Interests OF every part Of Min
! neSOt:, and stout enough to defend
them, will bear me out in my PROPOSE
tinn that Chicago should not be per.
nitttd to steal our trade, while the
| great trade ceNtcrS of our own state
look on: Let them be tie galcwayS
and the empUriumS of the ncrthwes:
and let them also capture the trade OF
southwest III Minnesota, northern
Iowa, and southeastern Dakota.
70 give IL few figures ,nay be The
most convincing argument 70 show the
worthincss of Mobiles county, as one OF
many. Of the immediate attention O;
Minucsota business men. Eli Perkins
left Worthington an enthusiast. lie
saw the happy faces OF its merchants
shook hands with tho no less happy
farmer, charmed himself with the
sparkling wavelcts of the sun-retlect
ing twin lakes, Okabena. and when he
went to New York he told u reporter
it was Il very good place to go to, and
he knew what lie said would be pub
lished. The figures give to show the
PRoDUCT1vENlsss OF MOBILES COUNTY
are official, and beyond dispute. Its
area is 460,S0O acres, There are 76(
farms reported this year, with 81, ,43s
acres under cultivation. This veal
there are 26. 222 acres in flax; 1928 in
wheat, 1l,131 in oats, 5,377 in corn
2.OS6 in barley, 1901 in timothy and
clover hay, and 493 in other products
It's population, according to this year 5
census. is 5,642. The amount Of each
product raised last year was: flax, 1919,
1913 bushels; oats 323 ,302; wheat 80, 1O2
Germ 1858; barley 81, 100; potatoes 26,
296; wild hay 26, ,326 tons; tame hay 8.
876 tons. Those figures indicate diver
sified farming, and therefore . favora
anything. Last years product of but
tor was 265, 493 pounds, which speaks
well for the rank of this section as a
dairy district. AS to stock, there are
500 cattle, 2,482 horses. 8. .565 hogs and
4.3S4 sheep. No less than "a .234 pounds
Of wool have already been shorR this
year. This excludes one township from
which figures could not be obtained.
rode half way around Lake Ckabe
ma with Hon. J. p. Moulton to the
summit of the high land west of Wor
thington. When We looked back ou1
eyes drank in feast of beauty. 1t re-
called the poetic dreams of other days
when the perusal of the glowing ac
counts of pioneer explorers of new
lands inspired me to u romantic ide. O.
landscape beauty. A gently inclining
long, grassy slope terminated in TIN
foreground at the wave washed shores
of the CLASSY lake. Millions Of bril-
liants seemed to sparkle from the mer
ry ripples.
wORT1l1NGToN, LIKE A QUEEN,
sat enthroned in majestic beauty. ex
tending her sceptre over the fickle ele
ment, and the green sWells Of prairl
beyond. 10 the south we could coun
over Il hundred groves within view
This suggested how forest planting
increasing here. Hundreds of stou
little forests dotting the prairies; ye
once the land mariner cast his keen ey
over q billowy sea of verdure, cravin
, the sight of tree. Now there are PAS
acres of forest trees, and 81 miles of Nv
enue :long public highways.
WOrthinRtOn is quite flOuriShin