The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-02-12
FOR TOWN AND COUNTRY.

TUX lOWN AND COUNiRf.
The following statement of cause
and effect is Of such momentous i'm
portance that we reprint it entire.
from the columns of the Hutchinson
Leader
At GAINESVILLE, Minnesota, there
was recently held a most unusual
gathering meeting of business
men and farmers to discuss matters
Of mutual concern. j. j. Ryan, a
GAINESVILLE business man, delivered
the principal address, his subject
being, THE Development of Mime
sofa Towns and Villages" He had
something new to say along this
line something that may be profit
ably read by both the farmer and
the merchant.
"HoW to develop the farm and
villages of Minnesota is the great
question that confronts US today. |
feel that | can offer you a few sug-
gestions from experience on that
proposition, for the reason that |
have spent about one-half of my
life so far on the farm, the other
half in villages and cities, and feel
at liberty to suggest to the man
who lives in town and the man who
lives on the farm that if you wish
and expect to succeed you must CO.
; operate, for your relations are such
and your interests are so interviewer
that one cannot succeed or fail with
out contributing to the success or
failure of the other.
''The farmer realizes that the
prosperity of his nearest village in
creases the value of his land by
improving the market for his pro-
duce and supplying him with the
conveniences Of life, and that any
thing which tends to destroy that
village lessons the value of his land
and places him further and further
on the outposts of civilization. On
the other hand, there is not bust
ness man in any village who does
not realize that his prosperity de-
ponds upon the development and
productiveness of the surrounding
. farm.
IF town had ten thousand peo-
pie instead of one thousand would
there not be more employment,
would not the larger population con-
} sumo ten times as much of the
products Of the farm and make q
better home market? Would not
the small home with one one lot be
doubled in value? If not, why is
one acre within the radius of few
miles of the twin cities worth more
than your farm out here?
by cooperation the citizens Of
this community can make it as de-
sirable a place as there is in the
world to live in. On the other hand
by pulling apart, by strife and con
tention you can make is as lonely {
spot as there is in the world to live
in.
Every citizen of this community
. will have to pull together for gooc
roads, or you will never have gooc
'. roads. The same is true of drain
age, and when you have good roads
: and drainage you will have natural
! ly increased the value of your land
:. "Why is an acre Of land near thu
:. twin cities worth more than farm
!, is worth out here? The reason is i
is convenient to a good market, t
churches, to schools and everything
: that goes to make life worth living
and because the genius that ha
built those cities is cooperating a
: all times to further increase thei
= growth.
Il eff the people of the twin cite
should send out here for their vege
< tablesgand pass up their local gar
dens and farms your farms woulc
J increase in value in proportion.
} Among the scholars who attend
} ed the academy at Elizabeth, N. Y.
} with me twenty-five years ago wer
! about hundred sons of farmers
, such as Is was. About twenty-fiv
; of them have since gone into mer
camille business in nearby countr,
towns and without exception the