The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-01-07
The Benefits Of the Presumption system
Information for Emixrsnts.

Persons emgrating from the Eastern,
Southern and Middle States to the West,
with the intention Of settling for life, should
bear in mind one important fact and that
is, TO avoid all States and Territories where
large bodies o. land are held by spectators.
Individual enterprise, unless sustained in
such localities by large capital, never has
had, and never will have, favorable oppor-
tunity for development.
For instance, an emigrant removes to the
West, and settles in q county where the
greater portion Of the land is held by non
residents, for speculative purposes. Every
tree the emigrant fells, every rod Of fence he
constructs, every acre Of land he cul,ivates,
adds to the value Of the property adjoining
his own, owned by q nonresident, who
never expends dime for the improvement
Of his land. For agricultural purposes, when
the Spectator sells, at an advance Of five or
ten dollars per acre, his land is as valueleas
az when first entered, with land warrants at
ninety cents per acre. This great advance
is secured, not by any particular superiority
the land possesses, but from the fact that
settlements and improvements have been
made, by bona fde settlers, in it's immediate
vicinity. Thus, it is by the hard labor of
the actual settler, that the Spectator rea d
his golden harvest.
II, on the contrary, the land owned by the
nonresident, was occupied, improved, and
cultivated by settlers-by men whose lives
will be spent in the improvement Of their
" claims '-the increase in the value of the
land will be equalized among those who are
instrumental in producing!the result. The
capitalist residing in the East. will not be
benefited by the hard labor Of the pioneer
and actual settler
Now, what we wish TO call the attention
of individuals 20, who design emigrating
West, is this fact Minnesota alone, of all
the Western States and Territories il ex.
empt from the evils of excessive land specu-
lation. Under the workings of the pre-
emption law, the government land in Min
nesota has been taken up by octuai settlers
1t is not Owned by Eastern speculators-by
men who desire 10 realize large advance
on their land, dishonesty we believe by the
hard labor Of the actual setter-but BY in
dividuals who have selected their claims,
as lifelong homes for themselves and chill.
dren, and whose interest il will bs to i'm
prove the country-to construct roads--to
ill the and-.o build churches and school.
houses.
One fact, in this connection, is worthy OF
notice. In 1856, il appears 10y the records
ofthe General Land Office at Washington, a
greater amount Of land was taken up by ac-
tual settlers, under the presumption law, in
Minnesota, than the aggregate ~ al Tie
States and other Territories Of the tn,on.
The emgrant from the East, coming to
Minnesota, need have no fears of being
brought into competition with large land
holders. Here, the great body Of the farm
ing land is owned and o,c,P,ed by actuaI
settlers, in quantities rarely exceeding one
hundred and sixty acres.
A farm Of this size composed Of prairit
and timber and, and situated in healthy
locality, with good water in abundance, car
be secured 10y the emigrant, for land war,
rant, costing no, more than SLIGO And
every article Of produce raised on the farm
find. q ready market, at home for high price.