The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-09-10
GETTING A MOVE on.
Redwood Falls 10 All Right, but 1t Must
Keep at the Head Of the Procession
Specimen Opinions.

! Keep At the Head Of the Procession
| Specimen Opinions.
1t is as plain as print. There is a
positive thrill of exhileration in the
mind of every loyal citizen of Red
wood Falls, as he reflects on the signs
of progress on every hand, and the
visible proofs that Redwood Falls has
reached that tide in it's affairs, (which,
taken at the food, leads on to fortune"
Nothing but sheer neglect of golden
opportunities, or internal strife and
foolish local jealousness, can prevent
Redwood Falls from maintaining its
lead as the mercantile center of pop
ulous section taking in at least mil
lion fertile acres. If to this can be add
ed the manufacturing industries for
which our locality is we'll suited, the
county seat ought to reach the ten
thousand mark in population before
the next census is taken.
Redwood Falls enjoys precedence
as a town which has been a trad
ing center ever since the Indians re-
luctantly gave up their paradise to the
grasping pale faces. With a fertile
country surrounding, not yet one-fourth
under the pillow; with healthy climate
and plenty ofliving water; with water
powers developed and undeveloped,
and Touring mills with all modern i'm
provements; with two competing lines
of railroad to handle its products and
goods; with the possibility of county
seat strife removed by the completion
of $4,000 court house; with cream
cry and cheese factory as an incentive
to dairy production; and with two
large hotels, nearly a score of we'll
built brick stores, half dozen church
es, school building which will have
cost $4,000 by the end of the year, it
would seem that our town possesses
many material elements of present
and prospective prosperity. But no
advantages of position or traditions, or
beauty of location, will make a town
prosperous without a spirit of enter
prise on the part of it's leading bust
ness men, and corresponding loyalty
to its interests of all the people. After
all is said, the people make or mar
their own future, collectively as we'll as
individually.
How does Redwood Falls stand in
this respect! The Gazette proposes,
in series of interviews with business
men, extended from week to week, to
ascertain what they think about our city
and it's needs, and incidentally the in
ducemcnts offered to the surrounding
country as a trading point. Our large
stores wore not built as monuments,
but as markets, and filled with goods
in all lines as they are, the whole coun-
ty should be made to understand that
Redwood merchants are pulling to-
gether to make their city a favorite
and advantageous trading point.
Across tho street from the Gazette
office is the three-story Francois block,
the legitimate outgrowth of the oldest
mercantile establishment in the county,
which existed in times almost pre-
historic, and years ago was known
as the "Old Pioneer store" 1t has a
regulations all through this part of the
state, both for size of the building and
stock, and this winter a $1,000 steam
heating plant will warm both the store
and hotel floors throughout. Without
wasting space in complimentary words
of introduction, let us ask MIR. Francois
the familiar query, FLOWS trade7"
"Good. The house has never had
so large a trade in August-at least
third larger than last year. Most of
these sales were made before the farm
ers threshed, and so went on our books,
but cash will be coming in from now
on. We are getting ready for the fall
trade with stock double the size of
last years, and that was not small
one. Prices in all principal lines will
be no higher than last year and on do
nestle goods from FIVE to ten per cent
lower. With the settling up of the
farming country around Redwood
Falls there has been gradual increase
in trade for the past five years, but I
never saw such a marked incre ase as
we are experiencing this fall. McKin
ley law7 with SMILEY Foreign-made
goods may be higher later, and are
advancing now, but the importers
stocked up so heavily in anticipation
of the law, that the market was all
broken up, and the goods sold cheaper
than ever before in consequence, and
we sell them no higher now.
"What do think the greatest needs
of Redwood Falls' They are systems
of water works, sewerage, and show
of enterprise on the part of the city as
corporation. Thriving towns are
srringing up around us, and if Red
wood Falls makes no effort to maintain
the lead it has, it will miss a great OPP
portunity. Towns no larger than Red
wood Falls, in this part of the state,
have voted bonds for water works or
electric lights, and are getting the
prestige that follows such enterprise.
"Our wheat market appears to be
good, and we had nothing to complain
of against VanDusen last year. But