River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-12-15
A HaWkeye GREETING

! RED 0AK. Iowa, Dec. Il, 1885.
| JOURNAL AND FRIENDS
/ am alive and well and am working so stead
lily that have little time to get into mischief
| ! left home suddenly, as I received letter
at one o'clock Monday, Nov 18th, and having
/ decided to accept position l hustled some TO
get ready and left on the afternoon train 1
| changed cars at Hudson and at ST. Paul had a
couple of hours at my disposal and called on
my sister, Mrs. Heasley, and took supper with
her AT s45 got on board c.. ST. p, NJ & o.
train and started south. Rolled on all night,
deyourng a novel and lunch, as we proceeded,
| and arrived at Sioux City, Ia, at 5 O'Clock
Tuesday morning Just for a change we chang
ed ears and We're shortly aboard a Fremont,
Elkhorn & Missouri River train and rolling
down the broad Missouri yalley-my FIRST sight
OF that riYer-it was frozen oyer-on the trail
for Council Bluffs, at which city we alighted at
| s;45 \. NJ At 10 O'Clock was once more on
wheels-C., b. & Q. Ry.-and headed once more
down valley, until arriving at Pacific Junction,
la, made my fifth and last change of cars
same road and arrived at my destination just
as the city hal clock rang the hour of noon.
On leaving the depot, meandered up town
probably taken for wandering Minstrel as 1
had my banjo with me and also dirty physi-
d. McElvain, for whom Fred swanson is work
ing. Found the place and surprised "Fhtz'
somewhat as he had no idea of my coming,
and afterremoying the stains of travel from
my face and hands and surroun ding a good
dinner, felt myself once more.
That Afternoon l called at the office of the
Osborne Co. and was shown over the estab
lishment by the superintendent The next
morning began my labors in the largest print
ing office Of my expe Renee. The Osborne Co.
does, exclusively, calendar work They do all
their engraving and at present employ some
thing over 200 people and have 25 agents on the
road. If you notice under the picture OH some
of the new calendars for 90 you may run across
the following: copyrighted by the Osborne Co.,
'9S." Their business only runs about five
months of the year, and ends soon after the
holidays, as the new crop of calendars is then
delivered to customers About all the tpye
setting done in this establishment is the setting
up of advertisements.
AS to this city: it claims population of 5000,
and grant it. 1t is decidedly metropolitan.
There are wholesale groceries, frst-cIasS
hotels opera houses, weekly papers, job
office, street car, barber shops, post ONCE
with carrier delivery, beautiful residences 10
churches, one OF the finest driving parks and
race tracks in the state, and fine little park
in the center of the business part. The main
line of the c., B. s. @. Ry. runs in here and also
runs out, with 10 passenger trains daily, each
way.
The weather here is somewhat milder than
with you, but an occasional cold snap drops in.
Have an Invitation to sing in the Congrega-
tional choir and play with the mandolin club.
Shall endeavOr to stay here after the Osborne
Co closes down, but may be obliged to leave
and once more blow into River Falls Wen,
there may be worse fates. than going home,
l really believe there are.
We boys are going to have a musical jamboree
so will chop off, and say "au revoir, but not
goodbye"
Heartily yours,
CLARENCE S. DODGE.