, 1860-01-26
The Recent Meeting of Real Estaate
Holders.

El!torz Press and T..bunc:
beg leave 10 ttler the following remarks on
the various opinions expressed at the meeting
held III the Court House On The 1Tth inst. with
reference TO ptau ilAving for its immediate Oh
jcct tbs cultivation Of the vast nren around the
city, and re-aniination ct the real estate trade
in general:
il the first pluce. { will state this plan does
not. as some trroncnusly believe, contemplate
sending an agent IL Germany to bring out emf
grants; but acH"autiuE parties in Europe
ubout Ia emigruie, by circulating pamphlets,
with the nature ot our soil, its fertility, and The
market facilities whicl, Chicago att"fds to the
farmer for his produce; a!so ucquaint:pG them
with the erection Of u Central OtIce {parlicu-
the immigrants will constantly lind advertised
iurge selection Of different lands, to facititac
their settling near Chicago, without being conl-
PEELED, like luan5 predecessors, to trouble them
selves for months with finding out the owner OF
any particular piece Of land lie may desire to
purchase
Havine seil this much, cannot refrain from
coutroycr;ing. ly facts, the idcas expressed ut
the meeting by several gentlemen.
MIR. Wulker. Tor instance, desires manufac-
:ories, trade, commerce and industry Of every
kind, alb at the same time.
woull not he n.ore expedient to convert these
praisies (which have been unproduclive Tor
many rears, worthless 10 their owners and detri-
mental to the stAte ol he tll iu The oity, repre-
sentinE besides capital Of from seven to nine
millions Of dnllars,) lIto cash, and to build IN
mauufxctoi ieS from tus proceeds, than to leave
| them my longer in the present state:
Gen. Swift believes in the success Of the plan,
| only in the event that the State will take hold
Of it, aud that III long rs there is no demand
| for land. none cap be sold, and all unnatural
means gotten W 10 force i into market will look
| x,ta IT.
speculation Of any kind but simply tie offer
ing immigrants an opportunity Of settling in
the vicinity Of Ecod market -
Mr.. Barron bc'lcves that the idca entertained
by prominent citizens ahat the lands around
| Chicago are worthless, has heretofore prevented
| their cultivation; ard agrees with the orinio,,
Of Mr.. S:cel. that zach owner should himself
erect houses On his lxnd fence and cu'tlr ate tho
same, c1c. l recommend 10 Messrs. Barron.
stecl and others 10 mike tLat trial on a few
acres only, and believe tue experiment will be
sufficient to curc tl,rm Of this idea.
Nr. Hubbard is Of opinion that the owners
must jointly undertake aud carry out the drain.
age OF the flat praries before gu idea can be en-,
tertained Of their cultivation; and Furthermore
that in many places it will take three wears be-
fore larmcr will make sufficient out Of the soil
to livc on, etc. Notwithstanding M1. Il. and
others mar ut once commence operations Of thi.
kind, this forms no reason why Immigrants ma,
not settle upon the dry prairiee, which, iu a CIR
cult Of twenty miles around Chicago, constitut.
by far tie greatest part Of the land. refer tn,
gentleman IN regard TO the first point, to the 80
called nollandisi Settlement, North Of Old
Thornton, where he can satisfy himself by pcr
sonal inspection Of the practicab;tity Of tie cul
tivation and thick settlement of lauds ye1y aatl,
eitus,+d.
This great fat, in consequence Of tho dan
across the Calumet River near Blue Island. i
situated further below the watcr mark Than IN,
other land around Chicago. Nevertheless. it
well cultivated without Grains. Drainage coul
not have been carried ont at that place better th,
at any othtr where owntTs lire scattered an
can not unise lor the purpose Of draining III
land. Practical farmers will cultivate and drai
psairies by degrees. by first settl ng upon point
higher situated, and, II troubled BY water in Il,
Spring, will fnd an outlet in some direction I
dfain tho land occupied. The surface Of tn
} Garth is nowhere 70 formed that the water woul
not have proper fall insome direction.
, 1nregard to the second point, that On q piec
Of prairie farmer could not make hring i
the first three years, will cite tue following,
J the many proofs to the contrary: In the fall I
1857, Hon. Wn,. i. Fgsn subdirided the n. E.
Of sec g, IS. i Is, into 10 acre lots. Eight
the lots were at once purchased by partissw
!. hardly possessed sufficient means to pay th
-. trst quartet Of the purchase money, a1d Fad I