The National tribune., 1910-12-01

me of what native of the soil said,
who claimed to be an ex-Confederate.
Speaking of st. Cloud and its wonderful
growth, he said: Yes. the salvation of
We alls and this yer County depends
upon you all emigrants from the North,
and l certainly hope there will be
right smart more of you emigrants
come down here, for, you see, you all
do things"
This practically ended my first days
inspection of st. Cloud, altho l contin-
ued to ask questions of all l could meet
as to the real conditions existing in the
community. Saturday morning / re-
ported at the company office at
O'Clock, and soon after, accompanied by
an expert. we set out in an automobile
to inspect the town lots and five-acre
tracts | wished to see, and in doing SO
| was given a ride that made me think
there might be some need of a machine
shop il not doctor, the way that auto
mobile ran over logs and lodged around
stumps and turpentine trees, and Incl
dentally l got a general idea of the en-
| tire colony. / am free to confess to an
| Illinois man, who has any knowledge
| of the richness of her prairies and the
ease with which they can be cultivated
and results obtained, it looked discour-
aging; but, taking prices into consider
alton, and, above all, the climate, | am
convinced that the soldiers colony of
The National Tribune will prove sue
cess. and will bring forth results justi-
| flying all that is claimed for 1t.
| As to my own holdings, l am satisfied
with them, and believe that all property
| in the town of st. Cloud is worth to-day
! three times the amount that was paid
for them, to say nothing about the five
acre tracts. and are a good investment
to hold. OF course. there are some
things here, as in all undertakings Of
| human origin. that might have been
better. some things done that should
not have been and some left undone
that should have been done; but, on the
whole, I believe the soldiers colony has
nothing equal to it in any locality, and
that those who attack the colony, and
especially Comrade McElroy, do so thru
some personal grievance, real or imag-
mary, malice or jealousy, or really they
do not know what they are talking
about. AS the rank and file of the boys
of 81 to '65 know that Comrade McEI-
roy, both personally and thru the col
umns of The National Tribune, has done
more than all others to aid in obtaining <
| just pensions and well-earned rights, so,
too, 1 believe, in the soldiers colony,
he has made it possible for the prudent
and thrifty comrades to pass their de-
| clining years in comfort and ease, at
less expense than in any other locality
| in our country, and / believe that what
I have seen and learned justifes me in
| this belief.
In conclusion, / wish to say that
visited the printing establishment of the
St Cloud Tribune, and met its acting
editor, Mr.. King. and his assistant, and
as a paper it certainly has no equal for
| life, energy and up-to-date ideas.
was also privileged to he present short
time ut meeting of the improvement
Association. The hall was packed, and
the sentiments of loyalty to st. Cloud
and the colony in general were inspir-
ing. while the testimony of many of
those present tended to prove to me
that my impressions are correct. 1 was
sorry, indeed. that ] could not stay
longer in St Cloud, but time would not