The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-06-08
ROuudS Of Rural Routes.
ROUTE |.

and you have enclosed the territory
canvassed by the seven rural routes
from this city. BY means of rural free
delivery over seven hundred families
are kept in daily correspondence with
all parts of the world. Hundreds of
letters are read and answered, while
about seven hundred daily papers serve
to keep the whole community well in
formed. In the past twenty-five years
rural life has completely changed. There
is growing interest in farm life and a
need of accurate information on the sub
ject. 1t is the purpose of the writer
to picture the life, industry, and enter
prise along the seven routes leading out
of Mankato.
Route | lies west and southwest of
the city. 1t is standard length, or "a
miles. The carrier starts his delivery
in LeHillier just across the Blue Earth
bridge Passing through South Bend he
makes a circuit up Pigeon hill, out on
the Garden City road to Piper's corner,
and thence back to the city by way of
Rapidan Mill and Spring Island
Along this route one finds a variety
of scenery. In the morning the bleat
ing focks on the green hills inspire
poetic fancy. Then the prairie with its
practical farms and after that the hills,
the woods, the river. Only those who
have seen the unparalleled beauty of
the scenery along the Blue Earth near
Rapidan can believe that Blue Earth
county affords such. The bold cliffs, the
wooded hills, and the grassy tablelands
along the valley blend in a perfect
natural picture. Many people from Man.
ing summer. They get the prairie breeze
in the heated afternoon, see the sunset
effects in this beautiful valley and re-
turn to the city in the cool of the even
ing.
This scenery has had its effect on the
people. The schools have been among
the best in the state. 1t is said that
the beautiful nature pictures surround
ING the ancient Greeks were reflected in
the lives of the countless poets, orators,
and artists whose works perpetuate the
memory of the little hill country. No
less true is the principle today. Spring
Island is Justly noted for her lay ora
tors and debaters She has maintained
a lively literary society when other dis
tricts have failed utterly.
Route | comes in for the largest share
of daily mail of all the routes except
route 4. The people read 100 daily pa
pers and there is daily delivery of
nearly 200 papers all told. That farm
ing is studied may be seen in the fact
that 400 farm journals are read month
ly. Many of the farms are small and
well titled, about l25 families being rep
resented on the route.
While the general farming in this To-
cality is good, a few farms deserve spe
cial mention. The soil is of sandy
nature on much of the route This to-
gether with the billy surface makes
fruit farming especially profitable.
Among the leading small fruit growers
| is Barney Sorensen. In the strawberry
market none can lead him. Nursery
farm, owned by Croker & Son, is one
of the leading nurseries in this section.
Among other growers are w. L. Council
man, Richard Jones, and Fred Knoss.
One of the most beautiful fruit farms
around Mankato, if not in the county, is
that owned by Dan Bowen. The build
ings are kept in excellent shape and
the shrubbery and fields are in perfect
order Some of the fruit growers COM
bine poultry keeping with their other
farming. Crandall Bros keep some fine
white Plymouth rocks as side issue.
Another fine farm is Fair Meadow, own
ed by the Dornenberg estate. w. S.
Albrant operates the r. E. Hynson farm
this year.
There are many other interesting
farms c. H. Piper owns one of the
oldest stock farms in the county. He
breeds percherOn and HambletOnian
horses, shorthorn cattle and poland china
hogs W. r. Adams breeds thoroughbred
Poland China hogs and white rock chick
ems Flo Bros. operate the old Nelson
farm, one of the largest on the route.
They keep the farm heavily stocked.
The buildings are immense, having been
built for a 600 acre farm. w. w. Weller
owns splendid farm with fine buildings
and one of the largest orchards on the
route. Mason Hynson has an enterprise
that is much missed i'm most neighbOr
hoods. He manufactures molasses every
fall for the people who want good,
pure article. The Mcconnell dairy farm
is on this route. A. d. Scullin also runs
first class dairy.
The buildings on the route are very
good, showing the general prosperity of
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