The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-07-29
WEST IS BOOMING.
Continued From Page One.)


is utilized by private electric lighting
company to furnish light to the whole
settlement. The water is of excellent
quality and is distributed among the
homes below for all kinds of household
use, for drinking, cooking, and washing;
for sprinkling the streets and watering
the lawns and gardens. Vegetation of
all kinds down in the city thrives won
derfully on that water.
Although the lands all around the city
on the hill tops and sides are too dry for
cultivation, yet there are few farms
down in the ravines. Yet, even here the
quality of the yield is poor.
The two Mankatonians next went over
to the American island in the Missouri
river, just opposite the city. This island
has been donated to the city by the gen.
eral government. 1t is great tract of
four or five hundred acres, and may
some day make a great fine park. A
vast amount of labor will have to be ex-
pended on the place, however, before
this end is accomplished. The island is
covered with all kinds of native trees,
with evergreens and hard and solf woods,
all growing in the utmost profusion A
part of the island has already been clear
ed for a ball ground, race track, a
grand stand and a few other convent
ences in the athletic line, yet it will be
a long time before little Chamberlain can
perform the gigantic task of redeeming
the place from state of nature.
Late in the day, they took the ferry
and crossed back to the city. They
found, when they reached the govern
ment land office, that the last bunch of
men were just being registered. The
Mankatonians walked into the office,
filed their papers and thus accomplished
what they had come to the city for,
without undergoing the experience of
standing in that line for hours together
as the others did, and being continually
squeezed and jostled.
On their way home, they stopped at
the city of Mitchell. This is place of
about six thousand people. The in
habitants are remarkably public
spirited community. There is CONNER
cial club that takes upon itself the duty
of doing everything that can be done in
the interests of Mitchell. When strang-
ers come to town, there is a commit
tee to see that the corners are treated
with every civility and guided to all
the best that the city has. Mr.. Lack
and Mr.. Jorgensen were invited at once
to the suite of rooms that the CONNER
cial club occupies in good-sized brick
building, about as large as the Saul |
paugh. Here there are the reception
room, the billiard room, the dance hall |
and the banquet hall. One of the Dost
striking features of the city is the great |
corn palace. Corn is one of the great
staple products of the surrounding coun-
try, and in big frame structure erect
ed for the purpose, there is regular ex-
position of all kinds of figures and orna-
fashioned out of corn, both |
within the building and without. Every |
year this exposition is varied and i'm
proved, yet it is always the corn pal
ace, and Mitchell proudly invites her
guests to come and see this unique work |
of art.
Mitchell has an elegant Carnegie Ii
brary. Mr.. Carnegie gave the city $l0,-
900 and to this was added $4,000 more.
With that money a handsome granite
building was erected, not so large as
that at Mankato but much more artis- |
tic.
Mitchell is building fine new city |
hall, at cost of 100000. This will al |
so be granite building. The city is de-
termined to be selected as the capital |
city of South Dakota and is making |
every effort to wrest distinction away |
from Pierre. The city has offered the
state government the free use of this
new city hall building during the time of
the building of the capitol, provided it
be located at Mitchell. The city has al
so purchased tract of AGO acres, worth
$40 per acre, to donate to the state, if
the capitol is to be built at Mitchell.
The deeds making these conditional
transfers have been filed with a trust
company at Sioux Falls.
On their way home from Mitchell the
Mankato tourists stopped at the evil
little city of Sioux Falls, where three
hundred women, more or less, are con-
stantly waiting for divorce.
MIR. Jorgensen and Mr.. Lack return
ed over the Omaha from Sioux Falls to
Mankato, and had very nice trip on a
beautifully equipped train.