River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-12-04

the history of our life. Their deeds
of kindness will be remembered
through life with the hope that theirs
may be haven of joy.
1 am enjoying good health, even
feel younger than | did many years
ago. This mild climate in winter, and
the heat not oppressive in summer,
seems to restore youth by its invigor-
ating effects on the system. | am
active and ready for foot race;
ten-mile walk only brings me ready to
make my best time on the home
stretch. 1t seems but yesterday when
| was blowing corn on the banks of
Sugar Greek in Shelby Co., Indiana,
the year before General Jackson was
elected president for his first term.
We have great reason to be thank
full that we are living in the most pro-
gressive age of the worlds history.
In this connection | will mention a
little early history connected with my
family. My grandfather Swing, my
mothers father, built the first boat
launched at Cincinnati, that boat be-
ing named Priscilla, after my mother.
Prof. David Swing, who now breaches
at Music Hall in Chicago, is a son of
David Swing of Cincinnati, brother of
my mother. My youngest son, d. c..
is living in Texas, and John, the eld-
est, in Illinois; both doing well. |
have lately engaged with company
to help build a manufacturing city.
The locality is thirty miles east of
this place i'll Covington Co., Ala, at
the falls of the Conecuh River, the
head of navigation, eighty miles south
of Montgomery and seventy miles
north of Pensacola, ON the Gulf, and
about midway of the state east and
west. The water fall is % feet. This,
with the immense volume of water,
will furnish power enough to work
fifty thousand or more factory hands.
The best of pine, in endless quanti-
ties, covers the landscape of this To-
cality for many miles up this river
and tributaries, and vast quantities of
this pine, as well as oak, poplar, cy-
press, elm, beech, ash, gum and many
other of the best quality for manufac-
turing purposes, can be hoated down
the streams to be made up into end
less varieties of useful wares, furni-
ture and implements, by the water
power here. The soil is good and pro-
duces the best of cotton. 1t is good
sheep and wool producing locality.
These will furnish raw material for
factories propelled by this power to
work up into useful fabrics. The
magnitude of raw material in this To-
cality is as grand in quantity and quail
ity as the power is magnificently
great, and up to the present this pow
er and material in timber, etc., have
been valueless for want of railroad
transportation facilities. The Sth of
next March the first railroad will be
completed to this point, and in less
than three years two more will be fin
ished to that falls. 1T seems to pour
when it does rain" Railroad men
recognize that this water power is too
grand, with its resources of material,
not to build manufacturing city.
While it is thirty miles from a rail
road to-day, in less than five years it
will have six, or more. A locality
that has such natural resources will
attract enterprise and capital that
will push its possibilities for all they
are worth.
The location for the new city is
beautiful. The land lays undulating
enough for good drainage and is COW
cred with a lovely pine forest-only
one cabin in sight. The company
that is organized to build this coming
manufacturing city is now buying up
the land on which it will be built, at
IS per acre. They will not lay it off
nor do any advertising until they Sc.
cure all the dirt they can get. that
will be of value to them. Securing
the land at this low price will enable
the company to sell cheap. Before |
Joined the company they bad named
the city Idumea. l intend to make an
effort to change the name to River
Falls. There is charm about that
name to me. This locality is thinly
settled; the greater portion is covered
with pine and other valuable timber.
Improved places are selling from 81
to SIS per acre, and timbered lands
about the same. There is consider
able of government land near by sub
ject to homestead. Game is plenty
deer, turkeys, quail, squirrels, etc.
There is no portion of this green
earth where intelligent, good farming
paws as well as here. Grass grows
every day in the year; cotton pays ov
er $50 net profit per acre; its seed is
worth more per acre than either
wheat, oats. or corn. Sugar cane pays
better than cotton, and yet this local
ity has been shamefully neglected,
The tide is changing. Millions of
money has come to our aid. Skill and
enterprise are beginning to see the ad-
vantages of reality of possibilities
oyer a mere shadow.
Remember ne to your good wife,
and tell my friends where they can in
vest. 1t will pay to come and see the
colorado that will multiply profits by
the thousand per cent.
Truly Yours,
STEPHEN COLLINS.