The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-11-24
MINNESOTA CAN GIVE THANKS.
Some Of Many Things Its People Ought
to Be Thankful For.

l.
gress at La Sale. ILL.,, last week
Gov. Eberhardt was called upon tc
speak on topic. Minnesota" and
gave his auditors some information
about the bread and butter state
that not only eastern people, but
Minnesota son and daughters will
do to ponder, concluding with the
following grand summary:
eve have developed in our woods
and along our prairies 10000 farms
placed on them $500, 100000 worth
of buildings, livestock and machin-
cry, and thus created in single
generation farm property which
represents a total investment of over
81, 100000, 900, realizing thereon a
gross annual product of $425 900, 900.
eve have built schools in every
hamlet of the ninety-fve counties,
until our common school enrolment
of 100000 equals that of Maine,
Vermont, New Hampshire and
Rhode Island combined. In addition
to the common schools, we have $50
high schools in towns and cities,
with an attendance of $4,000, five
state normal schools with an enroll
ment of 1900, and we extend state
aid to 2400 rural and graded schools;
while our greatest educational insti-
tuition, the University of Minnesota,
has present enrolment of 1850,
and ranks in attendance and equip
ment as one of the four largest uni
versities in America. By wise in
vestment and handling Of our school
funds and lands. we are able to
show permanent school and univer-
sity fund of $50, 900 invested in
high class securities, and school
lands, mines and timber which will
yield future educational income of
perhaps 800, 100000 more.
"Our estimated total wealth is
over $500, 100000, which the cen
sus of 1910 will undoubtedly extend
to $4,000, 100000 Our railroad in
vestment of $3.50, 100000 is equalled
by only four other states. Our ma
tional and state banks during the
past ten years Of agricultural pros
perity have grown from 239, with
100000 of deposits in 1898 to
SOB, with S27O,OOO,OOO of deposits in
1909.
In other words. our banking ir-
stitutions have practically quadrupl-
ed in both number and volume of
deposits during the brief period of
eleven years. We have developed
iron mines from which in twenty-five
years h-grade hematite ore has
been taken to the value of S700.00O,-
600, and yet our mineral develop
ment has only fairly begun.
"Our chief distributing point, the
Twin Cities, has a jobbing business
of $500, 100000 and bank clearings
of 81 500, 100000 annually, and these
cities rank in commercial importance
with Boston, st. Louis and Pittsburg
while our head-of-the-lake port,
Duluth, clears the greatest freight
tonnage of any shipping port in
America. In the conservation of
our great resources, we are studying
soil fertility and practicing crop ro-
tation, we are preserving the state
timber and taking steps towards re-
forestration.
eve are preserving the state
mineral lands for the maintenance
of state institutions, we have drained
10000 acres of state public lands
and added $40 per acre to their val
ue at a cost of only 81 per acre for
drainage, we are conserving and
protecting the head waters of the
Mississippi with reservoirs, and we
are looking forward to the day
when the great Father of Waters
shall be the connecting navigable
highway uniting the ports of the
great lakes and the gulf for the
general industrial development of
the greatest agricultural and COM
mercial empire in the world