The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-08-10
AN IOWA WRTE-UP.
Redwood County and Redwood Falls as
Seen by an Iowa Editor.

The following appreciation Of Red
wood county and our city, written
by Editor Belfeld of the Knoxville
Ga. Express. as a disinterested opin-
ion Of our own county and city will
be of interest to a large number Of
Gazette readers. We copy an ex-
tract from an account covering the
entire trip:
From Marshall we drove to Red
wood Falls, the capital Of Redwood
county, distance of about forty
miles, and to anyone who enjoys
broad fields and fertile soil this sure
~ was a treat. Between Marshall
and Redwood Falls there is very
little waste or uncultivated land
Until the last ten years small grain
was about the only crop, but this
season finds the land almost one third
corn. They have had more rain
than we have had here, and crops
are little farther advanced. The
corn does not grow as tall as in Iowa
and the ears are smaller, but they
claim it will weigh out as much
shelled corn per acre. Wheat and
oats are exceptionally fine. oats run
ming from 65 to rs bushels, while
wheat is estimated from IS to so
bushels. We also saw thousands of
acres of flax, which is always pro-
fitable, and as a rule the stand was
good. There is undoubtedly a great
waste Of pasture in this portion Of
Minnesota, and it remains for Iowa
and Illinois farmers to go in and
take up the slack. At least three
fourths of this section Of the coun-
try is not fenced. leaving the great
corn fields unpastured after the crop
is harvested. Nearly every farm
home has the air of thrift good
residences and commodious barns
but as arule they lack sadly in stock
raising. The big elevators at every
little town along the railroads are
an indication that the crops are sold
off the land. One doesn't see the
hogs, sheep and cattle that are to be
found in Marion county.
Redwood Falls is a beautiful little
city of about 1000 inhabitants. 1t is
situated on the bluffs of the Red
wood river, and overlooks as pros
porous section as one cares to see.
AS we entered the corporation we
noticed a large pressed-brick struc-
ture Of peculiarly artistic design,
surrounded by WeIl-tilled fields and
garden that looked as if it would
feed hundreds. We supposed it was
some state institution but upon in
quiry was informed it was the coun-
ty's poor house. 1t costs so much
to maintain it, and as there are less
than a dozen inmates, the using of
it for some other purpose is being
seriously considered by the board of
supervisors. Without casting any
aspersions upon other beautiful
towns of Iowa or Minnesota or show
ering bouquets upon Redwood Falls,
must say we found it the cleanest,
neatest little place we visited. It is
built on high bluff Of the Redwood
river and its streets are macadamized
with sand and gravel. 4 don't be-
lieve there was enough rubbish on
its miles of streets to fill a gallon
pail. They had the appearance of
having been swept just before we
entered the town. The alleys were
just as clean and the lawns looked
as if they were looked after by some
general supervisor who saw to it
that they were cropped at least once
week. Redwood river, which
skirts the town on three sides, is not
very pretentious stream, and runs
about as much water as our White
breast creek. At one point it at
one time passed through a narrow
deile in the granite that lines its
banks. Some engineer saw the pos
sibility of the natural resources here
and a concrete dam thirty feet high
was thrown across the waters
course. This backed it up on the
bottom lands which forms q beauti-
full lake of perhaps Is acres in ex-
tent. The result is most pleasing
and affords no end Of boating or
ha fh;,rr .,rfuslonor The fact that