The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-09-13

Why DO EMIoRANTs SEEK HOME IN THE FAR
WEST l-One Of our morning contemporaries had
an article, about ten days since, this subject.
The editor seemed to be much puzzled at the folly
and stupidity Gas he termed iD Of emigrants, in
| wondering with their families into our western
| wildernssses in search of home; turning their
backs upon civilization, upon good roads, markets,
end upon various other advantages which athickly
| populated neighborhood confers, while 80 much
| waste land remains in this State to be brought
| into cultivation.
| The answer is a very simple one. 1t is this:-
| The whole of these lands, OF at all events the
| most valuable portion OF them, have been pur-
| chased by land spectators, who will not part with
single acre, unless at an enormous profit, say
| from $50 up to $50 an acre, according to their
| quality and location Now, emigrants, intending
10 turn their attention to farming pursuits, are
generally persons with large families, and limited
capital, and their great object is to husband their
MEANS and turn them to the best account. Their
first inquiry, them naturally is, where are the best
and cheapest lands to be had they are told in
some one of the Western States; certainly,
for all the wild lands in this State have been
bought up and will not be sold except cent per
cent profit is rea.lzed, whereas, In the other States
nc Cdu nave as much as lie likes, ana OF q DetteT
quality, at one dollar and quarter per acre.
When the emigrant is told this, he immediately
clears out with his family to illinois, Michigan,
Wisconsin, or some other new State-purchases
his eighty or one hundred and sixty acres at gov
eminent pilce, builds his log house, and sets
about clearing a few acres of his new purchase.
But il is said that he Iuns away from civiliza-
tion-he goes where there church to worship
in-no school to educate his children, nor market
to sell his produce. Our answer to this is that the
tide Of emigration has been setting in for years
the far west, and will continue SO while those
advantages are held out and, moreover, some of
the new States are thckly peopled; villages and
even cities have sprung up In each OF them within
few years, and we venture to say that religion
and education are on as respectable footing there,
In proportion to their population and means, as In
the State OF New York and, in addition, the in
ven;ion of steam has annihilated time and space
and the extension ofrailroads and steam navigation
brings the markets of New York, Boston, New
Orleans, and Of all the other Atlantic cities, to
the emigrants' doors. Why, then, Should they
squander their capital, by giving land spectators
$40, $780, and $50 an acre, when they can employ It
to so much greater advantage by going farther
west, where lands, to say the least are generally
better than any in this State
If the spectators will relax their grasp, and
offer their lands at fair price, 1t is probable from
the superior state of civilization at which the
people of this State have arrived-the many I'M
provements in agriculture, manufactures, and the
arts generally, that have been made, and, perhaps
some other advantages that have not as yet been
enjoyed by the new States emigrants may be in.
duced to locate themselves here, in preference to
going farther west but, until something of this
is done the Spectators, who three fourths
of this State, keeping it unproductive, and breed.
ing nothing but mlasma and pestllence, need not
lay the attcring JUNCTION TO their souls that foreign
ers will be induced to purchase tracts of land
from them at the enormous price of $50, $40 and
$50 acre, while they can get it In other States
f,r GJ