The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-09-28
TIMES ARE PROSPEROUS
Some Thoughts Noted by the Reporter
Respecting His Trip.

While Mankato people have been
experiencing much rain of late, the
writer encountered only two rainy
days on his trip extending over nearly
month, and one of these was Satur-
day last in st. Paul. The other was
last Wednesday, in Southern Wiscon-
sin. In the northern part of Minnesota
and Wisconsin, and in the upper
peninsular of Michigan there were
abundant evidences everywhere that
there had been plentiful rainfall, and
the corn was not as far advanced to-
ward maturity as in Blue Earth coun
ty. Rain was needed in Southern
Michigan, but in Southern Wisconsin
plenty of rain was reported.
The fruit crop in Michigan has been
a fairly good one, and the Chicago
markets are flooded with fruit of such
lusciousness as seldom is seen in the
cities of Minnesota, and at prices that
would gladden. Mankato housewives.
In Wisconsin, all crops have been
good.
The writer noticed considerable brick
paving, particularly in Detroit, Mich.
where some of the side residence
streets are paved with this material.
The noise is the only objection, and
for this reason asphalt as generally
preferred whenever the traffic is not
too heavy.
Another thing noticed was the fact
that in all cities, large and small, the
residence streets are being boulevard
ed, and the driveways in the side
streets are often very narrow-so mar
row that some of the people of Man
kato would probably be startled. Nice
lawns are maintained between the
sidewalks and the driveways, and add
to the beauty, GOODNESS and comfort
of the surroundings. For long dis
lance on Woodland avenue, the prin-
cipal thoroughfare of Detroit, and
street railway company has sodded
its tracks and keeps the grass beauti-
fully green by the use of sprinkling
car. The idea is as novel as it is COM
mendable, and the cars have the APP
pearance of gliding over green lawn
while there is minimum of dust.
Driving on this grass is prohibited.
The street Car service of Detroit is ex-
cellent
Confidence in the election of Nc
Kinley is generally felt, and the writer
was several times asked whether Min
nesota is not going to roll up her u.s..
ual Republican majority. Mckinley
buttons predominant.
Signs of prosperity in all the states
visited are not wanting. Large new
factory buildings are going up and
no vacant ones are to be seen. There is
not so much residence building in the
cities as on the FARMS where good
many new houses and barns are to be
seen.
Southern Wisconsin has harvested a
good crop of tobacco and feels good
over it. The tobacco crop of Rock
county, where the writer spent several
days, is worth 81, QUO, 900 to her farmers
Tobacco land is worth from 800 to
$125 an acre. Often 1, 600 pounds to
the acre is raised, and at ten cents a
pound the growers income is large
one, as tobacco does not cost any more
than wheat to raise, Machinery has
been invented to plant and cultivate
it. At Evansville an immense new
tobacco warehouse is being erected.
Mankato has no reason to feel dis
couraged, even if her population did
not come up to expectations, as few of
the smaller cities come up to her in
beauty or in the amount of business
transacted. With street paving and
street cars, this city would be in the
very fore rank among the progressive
smaller cities of the country.