The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-11-20
MISCELLANEOUS.
Ora TON TO THE IVES

ITS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.
The tide Of emigration again seems to- b
turning westward, and the East is opening he
richest store houses to people, and build up, ant
give character to the Great West. Oar young
men,-who were born among us,-who have
lived and were educated among us from you'll
upwards. who have parents, and multitude O
kindred ties, TO keep them ut home,-are resign
ing all, and going to the West by thousands
Not our professional men only,-educated fol
the Bar the Pulpit, and the not less arduons task
of Medcine,-but men of all professions are
bound thither, and in such numbers, that we
have begun to examine more seriously than evel
before, into the causes and consequences of this
emigration. We are interested many ways in the
result of the experiment of going west,-for ex
pertinent it is,--and we fear, almost as often ar
unsuccessful as Il successful one, both for the
emigrant and the community.
We speak from observation, inquiry, and ac
knowledged facts and with these as our guides
propose briefly to examine both the adyanta
ges and disadvantages of leaving one Of che ole
for one of the new States.
We consider it safe statement then, to say
that any man who is comfortably off in either o
the New England States in any fair interpreta
ton Of the word comfortable, is much better OF
where he is than he would be, even in the very
Garden of the West
We believe il also to be fact that no one will
dispute, who has and is acquainted with
both sections of country, that a home in the
w est ndu no COIiCeiVabe uNNhVtdSS " tHO NO' y
rich man in preference to the East.
We believe, also Shat any man who is in good
business mt home,-We mean by home, not New
England only, but any place where he may re
side,-s much better off as he is, than he viii be
in the West.
The man in business, the rich man, and the
man IN moderate circumstances, 1t our position
be correct, is better off as he is, than he would
be even in the Eden of the West. We are now
prepared 10 go step further than this, and to
say, that the advantages of emigration even to
the industrious poor man, is question that VIII
admit of fair discussion We have seet, ana
could cite instances in which the advantage and
disadvantages have been proved.
All these opinions may require some fHcts 10
Sustain them. The advantages of living in the
West are considered two-iold to the emigrant.-
First, a large quantity of land obtained at at n
cheap rate, and secondly, a soil Of unequalled
richness We grant both positions,-a soil a
bundantIy prolific, and land as cheap as pnr-
chaser cond wish. What then Does 1T fol
low, that land bought for any price, and soil
that yields in any quantity, always afford good
home to the emigrant BY no means. There
are hundred things to be considered in connec-
tion,-HedAh first Convenience Of location, sec
ondly,-Prices Of Iabo~ thirlly,-State Of mark
cts, fourth ,-Prices to be given for The necessar
ies ofVe, ffthly,-Prices obtained for The prodAc,
tons of the soil, sixhly,-and so on TO the ehd
of the chapter What advantage is farm OF
ten thousand acres Of land, with wood enough,
and water enough, and stock enough, and every
thing else enough to supply a population or ten
thousand people, without health 1t is but a
care, and curse to the possessor, and he VIII
look upon his rich crops and abundant provls-
ions very much as dying man would Who
could he look for the last time from the windo"
of his cottage, should see before him the coffin
that was to enclose him and the grave-dlgger
preparing the smallest spot of earth from ten
thousand acres as his future abiding place.
What are houses and lands, and riches, with
health ? No more than body without soul,
Jess than the Heavens without the sun.
In the West and South West it is to be re-
membered that there diseases peculiar to
the climate and the soil The soil of the South
West has been grave yard for thousands oil
our best sons and daughters Louisiana and
Mississippi have been in the summer months as
charnel houses for Northern emigrants. Go fur
Their up the Mississipp,-to Missouri and Illinois
and across the country TO Michgan,-and II the
diseases are less numerous and less fatal there are
diseases there nevertheless, -permanent ana de-
sructive ones, too, that often prey upon the pest
constitutions. The fevers and agues of the
West have done mischief enough and that with
in the past summer and passing autumn, to make
the emigrant watchful. Ii resolved to go to the
West he at least owes it to himself and his
friends to be prepared with a KIN owledge of the
country and as far as possible, by care anu atten-
ton ward off the diseases of the country.
Convenience too, is a matter worth consldera-
ton, both on the score of health, labor, and econ
omy. 1t is hardly worth while for man to go
from the East to the West, if his labors are TO be
increased, and his expenses are to continue undi .
minished. There is neither econmySof time, la .
Dor or expense in this. Other important consid-
erations are those which relate TO business mere.
ly, and among the first ofthese are the compare.
tive prices of labor in the east and i'm the west
Upon our New England Farms laborers are en-
ployed by the month at prices varying from ten
to eighteen dollars. In the West they are en-
ployed by the week, and in some instances
weeks labor cost as mnch in the west as a
months labor in the east. The average price of
labor, is a, least twice as much in a new country
as in State like ours. This is an important
item to a farmer in New England, who goes
west warmed to enthusiasm, with The thought
that his field are to yield an abundance. I'm
mense crops grow upon immense fields, and I'M
rnense fields are cultivated only at very great ex-
pense,-an immense sum of money.
The state of the markets are no less iInpor-