Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-07-26
TRIP TO MINNESOTA AND SOUTH DAKOTA
Country Rich In Agricultural Resources.
Settled the Privileges
of a and


l Healthful Country.
| last year the implement men of this
binders which is good evidence of the
i've golden grain belt.
We feel that much of the push and
enterprise of this town and the rapid
development of the surrounding
country is due to Lund's Land Agency
which has its head Office located here
and also has offices at Watertown,
Goodwin, Henry and Lake Shore.
Twelve years ago John G. Lund es-
tablished himself in the real estate
business at Candy, having but little
means or backing, save strong char
acter and an envib!e reputation for
honesty and sincerity of purpose. His
object and purpose in all his dealings
acted in the years since he commence
ed has been to treat every man so that
he would be his friend, willing and
ready to assist him in selling his land.
| When he sold to his first man he had
taken in one man as partner to help
him and when he had sold to the
second he had two men to help him,
and to-day he has thousand men or
more ready and willing to help him in
any way they can, because they realize
and know that he will treat them
fairly and honestly During the
twelve years he has never had to take
back piece of land, owing to the fail
ure of payment by the purchaser, and
the records show that he has never
foreclosed a mortgage. Since January
LIST Lund's Land Agency at Candy
and the sub-otfices, at the towns above
given, have sold $4,000 acres and still
own, or have for sale, about 100000
acres in improved farms and wild
prairie. We visited several of the sub
offices and found courteous business
men looking after his interests. At
one place we asked for circular, hop
ing to get something that we might
learn of the products, soil, climate and
general conditions of the country, but
we We're informed that they had no
circulars or advertising mater to boom
the country, as they did not care for a
boom, only desiring steady growth.
They take their customers out and
show them what the mighty Builder
has done for the country and let peo-
pie decide as to the real worth of the
country for themselves.
Feeling that we would like to see
more land that is rapidly being settled
up and converted into beautiful homes,
we took the train for Watertown, s.
d., distance of about fifty miles, the
first county seat in the east tier of
counties. AS the train rolled on
we could observe look of newness to
the farms, there being less improve
ments, smaller trees in the groves
skirting around the houses and barns
which had the appearance of having
been erected in the past few years.
When we were settled in the belief
that we were on the border land of
wild and frontier scenes, we were hurl-
ed into the suburbs and on into, no
country village, but town with a
population of 5000. Watertown is
made up of good substantial brick and
stone business blocks, fine residences
and people who are prosperous and
progressive, and actively engaged In
conducting the business enterprises
usually found in towns of like size So
far only one wholesale house is located
here, which does large and success
full business throughout the Western
section of the Ssate. One of the largest
department stores in the State is To-
Gated here and does. business, the
volume of which is equaled only by a
few houses of like character. Six diff
fe,ent railroads enter the town and
make it strong railroad center. The
stores are numerous and carry class
of goods that gives one as good an up
to.date stock to select from as any city
affords. They enjoy the patronage of a
/ 10 far 10 nd E,,cs
activities is such that there is no
vacant buildings and we observed two
fine brick structures being erected,
one built from pressed brick made at
! st. Louis, Mo-. to be used for bank.
| Owing to the superiority of her
many substantial buildings we deem it
of interest to mention a few of them.
For instance the building occupied by
Lund's Land Agency is massive
structure built of Sioux Falls granite
of two colors, four stories and a base
ment in height, extending along
feet and fronting along on Oak Street
finished in carved oak, plate glass and
brass ratings, and would be credit
of fifty thousand inhabitants. This
building cost over $l0O,0O0OO Other
buildings might be mentioned, such
as the Grand Opera House, which cost
$50, 100000; Arcade Hotel costing $780,
100000; the High School building, the
largest in the state, being erected in
1890 at a cost of $50,000.OO, and accom-
modates over seven thousand pupils.
Were it of interest to our readers, we
feel that many of the superior business
blocks would be worthy of special
mention, but suffice to say that her
court house, park, city hall, churches,
! public schools, and business push ana
enterprise mark the place as one of
thrift and steadfastness that will grow
and increase in the tide of years to
come, when the vast agricultural re-
sources of the surrounding country are
fully developed.