The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-09-05

OnVooA+ 5A1loS H1OuS ny ABOUT n1Geon
miles wide. It's shores have gradual
slope and it's sands are those of the
ocean beach. AS one looks out upon
it's broad expanse several islands, prob
ably Of volcanic creation, are distinctly
seen. Except for the scattered settlers
along the shore, and the 500 or 6OOsre-
naming Indians, the lake itself appears
almost as primitive" as it did to the
explorers c25O years ago. A lumb Der
company has on it a steam tug to tow
logs to the outlet at Rum river. and a
small steam launch carries the occa-
sional visitor from shore to shore.
Numerous rowboa is used in fishing are
also there.
Now arises the query, why so desira-
BILE a resort, right at our doors, should
be so allowed to lie? There is but one
answer. The railroads have been
stretching far away to the Pacific slope
and paying no attention to the develop
ment of our State. The time has come
when 1.-The community of Interest," be-
tween them and our citizens demands
that special attention be given to home
development. The region lying about
the lake, particularly that lying in
Mile Laos, Benton and Morrison coun-
ties, is by nature one of the richest in
Minnesota. Indeed, all that country
stretching from the St. Croix to the
Mississippi and beyond is now coming
to be found capable of the very highest
production. Gradually the settlements
have extended back from the railroad
centers distance of ten, fifteen and
twenty miles. Until short time ago,
much of the territory belonged to the
railway companies by grant. It first
began to pass into large companies,
then into smaller ones, and then into
the hands of actual farmers. Probably
more than a million acres of these
lands have so changed hands within
the past one or two years.
The soil is said to be of the richest.
The water is OF the purest, and, singu-
larly, drouth is unknown. It is the
stockman's paradise. All over the re-
gion stock'farms are now being opened
up, many of them by Iowa farmers who
have sold there at from $50 to 800 an
acre to buy here at from SIS to $40. I
visited the stock farm of Col. George
F, Thompson, of Minneapolis. It con-
tains 8, 200 acres IN the Rum river val
ley: There herds of shorthorns fairly
revelled in the rich pastures and in
blue grass higher than mans head.
Samples of this were brought down
which measured 6 feet 10 inches. Also
corn 10 feet 3 inches, wild raspberry s
feet inches. A red clover stalk meas
ured feet inches, and twenty seven
shoots were found to be growing from
one seed. If these figures are doubted
the specimens may he seen at Mr..
Trask's Office in the Kasota block.
ElsewheresI saw wheat and timothy 4
feet inches, and oats feet 2 inches.
Nelson Brothers. of Minneapolis, have
a similar stock farm of about $500
acres. A dozen others could be named.
[ think [ may safely say that in what
may be termed the central Minnesota
region hundreds OF thousands of tons of
the most nutritious grasses are to-day
going TO vase. Their value in our
market would run into the millions.
Now, what is needed? First, a rail-
road connection from Milaca to Lake
Mile Laos. Next, short connection
from there to Brainerd. This would
give US a connection with the Interna-
tional, now heading for the boundry
line. It would also give us another
direct connection with Crookston and