The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-08-01

The West for the Lab0rers.
A Western pioneer who was once an Eastern laborer,
thus explains to city and village mechanics how they
may improve their condition. w r.
What then, is the remedy It is for the aborers Of
this land to get out of their dependent position
as fast as they and the question is ho'c they
get out
Beyond all question the Creator intended that the
mass of men should be agriculturiss that while it
might be necessary for to be "workers in wood,
and brass and iron the greater part should 't the
earth" and of the brightest signs of the times
the establishment of Agricultural Schools Gas in Michi-
GAM and the great and increasing attention being
paid scientific farming These the first indications
that the begin to get glimpse of their true destiny
and some understanding of their physical and moral
ture.
The only remedy we know of for the evils which at
tend the life of the aborers in the cities is emigration
to the unoccuped lands of the West. Combinations
The ownership OF soil enough to support his family will
make Of the aborer. Twenty of well-tilled
Western soil will support a laborer's famy-even q
large one-better than they supported in the
city This be bought for the little sum of e25 (but
of each emgrant with the great facilities offered
would preempt l60 at least 80 acres) Once settled
at the West and the first difficulties of emigration over.
come, which will be in couple of years, the family are
comfortably off, The noise and glitter Of city life they
have left behind The splendid pageans Of the holi-
days and all the foolish excitemens of their past life
they have given up forever instead of these will come
the quiet nature, corroding they will exchange
quiet consciousness Of plenty and instead of feeling
of anxious dependence upon others for employment the
emigant to great extent employs himself and begins
to feel for the first time in his life an honest pride, for
his is truly s'manly life mi .s.
Summer is full of happy employ ment. working on
his own land for the benefit of himself and family
almost sure to have, and the fever and ague
scarcey in Mnncsota) easily kept off by daily wash
ing from head to foot Winter and the prairies
look desoate in their snowy evening" but compared
the dark and filthy streets where the caravansares of
the metropolis is small, but it is clean and warm The
weather is very cold but the dry oak logs from his own
woods blaze cheerfuly and bis children heap on more
without the fear of mpoverishng their father for he
has done buying his coal by the bushe or quarter tun
If quite prosperous the third year he has COW or
two, and milk and butter in plenty he keepsa hog
or two also for the cost is next to nothing. His
family can laugh at Winter. His cellar is full of veg
etabes, such be able to obtain in the city
He buys his potatoes longer by the peck his pork
by the pound, or his beans by the quart his beets
turnps parsnips and cabbages the small scale. He
beans, IS to 100 bushels Of potatoes and all the
common vegetables in profusion he can keep fowls
also almost without COST and his table is not stranger
to eggs in the various forms Of preparation the corn
and wheaton bread is made from grain grown on his
own land fruit he has not much of till his trees
wild plums slowed away for extra occasions In the
cold winter days instead Of being at the corner grocery
or minglng with the crowd around the grog shop fire.
he is out in the woods with his gun and his children
more poultry to eat in than they ever
had before in their lives and occasionally he comes
home with venison enough to last q month Nor need
the intellectual wants Of his family be neglected He can
afford the Tribune and Prairie Farnser, and PMtnnns
and Harpcrs Magozines now, if he never could BEFORE
aud they will come to him pretty regularly through
the mail are the family entirely isolated, within
mile two perchance half mile only, they will find
kind neghbors and more are constantly coming. The
school will be opened and his children 60, and
Is the schoohouse is built preacher finds his
way there and holds Sunday meetings in the school
house, and when at last the emgrant from the city has
finished his work earth and lies down to sleep last
he has the happiness of knowing that he does not die
beggar that his children will not receive inheritance
Of want and degradation, but the broad acres which he
had the courage to cultivate their ample DOVER and
he leaves them amid the comforts of civilization with good
prospects before them and abundance Of the
Of life s......
The trouble is there are more mechanics and labo-
rers in the cities than needed The labor market is
glutted Now if onehird or one-half of the laborng
population Of the cities should emgate to Iowa. Min
nesota, Nebraska Kansas, what would be the effect
Why their situations, have already shown would
be very greatly improved and those who remained in
the cities would live life far decent and comfort
able than ever before. Renta would come down
tenants could not be found for the cellars and attcs
and the caravansares would have to be put in very
good order to rent at all wages would be higher, of
course, for competition among workingmen would be
be done WITH and none need now to hang round the
capitalists begging employment Provisions would be
cheaper, because Of the withdrawal Of many
mers, and the increase Of the number Of producers
and the markets would consequently be full Of all the
necessaries Of lfe and that too at reasonable price,
and yet the farmer would de well paid for his labor In
Short the emigration Westward Of scores Of thousands
of the workngmen Of the cities would restore the equ
Gbriam which il much needed, and society would be
better for the change and if BY any accident there
should Be great scarcity Of borers in any locality
the writer Of the Tnpai article and others like him
could have the opportunity to carry each Of them hi
dinner in " little tin pail and eat it cold on
the highway, and they go home at mig ut "rattlt
them against their big buttons and enjoy to the fullest
extent The !" poetry" Of the laborer's life
mamma, lid little child, what are the V bright
little things in Aeaky! Are they the moo - Httl
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