The Sauk Centre herald., 1912-06-27


visiting scribes started to figure out
if the evergreens were used to indi-
cate that northern Minnesota news
paper men are verdant, or because
they are ever fresh. They are still
figuring. The reader can interpret
the word "fresh" to his own satisfac-
tion
The Rapidsites started something
every minute. Editors in general are
pretty rapid but they had to hustle
to keep up with the pace set. 1t was
one grand round of pleasure from
start to finish, including dances, BAN
auets, boat and auto rides, base ball,
trip to the paper mill, to Lake Po-
kegama, Cohass ct, and the iron range
towns and mines.
AS hosts the Iuasca county seat fell
lows are in class by. themselves.
They were captained by Tony La
Premiere and j. E. Kiley, publisher of
the Itasca County Independent and
the Grand Rapids Herald Review re-
spectively. What that worthy and
hustling pair, both of whom exude
good nature and good fellowship from
every pore, cannot think of in the
way of entertainment is practically a
negligible quantity. T h ey publish
two excellent newspapers, issued from
pine plants, house in good buildings,
and best of all, they both get good
prices for their products and are ra-
pidly accumulating quite satisfac-
tory amount of the gold that perish-
eth but which helps to smooth their
journey through this vale of tears.
Several things strike the visitor to
northern Minnesota and strike him SO
hard he is not likely soon to forget
them. First and foremost is h e
rapidity with which t he northern
part of the state, the "cut-over" pine
lands, is settling. A general idea is
prevalent among those who do not
know, that this land is practically
va. s'ass. This trip convinced me of
my error. Northern Minnesota has
just as good land as lies out of doors.
Thursday afternoon, between Park
Rapids and Walker, l counted not
less then twenty-five farms u S t
opening up this season. The pioneer
farmer is on hand, with his family
housed in a humble structure, his
yoke of oxen or his horses, breaking
up the soil, pulling out the stumps
and subduing the land. He's bound
to reap a rich reward in few years.
The same conditions prevail in the
vicinity of Grand Rapids and else
where. OF course in the mining
towns, mining is now the main reli-
ance, but nevertheless the country is
settling up and tradesmen are even
now paying less attention to the miner
than formerly and more to the ever
increasing number of sturdy tillers of
the soil. The land is all right; all it
needs is men to subdue and cultivate
it. Glover grows rank up that way;
small grains flourish; corn thriyes;
while potatoes yield bushels per acre
that even Bob Dunn's Princeton
tubers cannot beat.
Two miles east of Grand Rapids is
the experimental farm of the state, a
section in size with one fourth of it
under cultivation. A. j. Mcclure, a
long-limbed, sturdy Scot, is the super
intendent and in the ten years the
farm has been on the map, he has
produced excellent results. The edi-
tors were guests there Saturday noon
for dinner. Tables were spread under
large pine trees near the roomy farm
house. The menu included yellow
legged chicken that would make the
mouth of the average Methodist
preacher water; strawberries with a
flavor like the hector of the Gods;
coffee, finer than which was never
brewed; with lots of other good things
which, in the language.of the auction
bill, were 'stoo numerous to mention"
The scribes ate and ate till they
could eat no longer, and then returned
to Grand Rapids to let it digest, but