Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-07-03
supplementary Report of Commissioner O.
immigration.
SUPERINTENDENT BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION
Charleston, May 1S, 1868.

Charleston, May 1s, 1868.
To Ills EcccUcnry GoOcrnor james II. Orr.
Sir: Since my last report to your Excel
lcncy, thirty ono persons have been registered
in this office, and have found employment in
this State. There arc now twenty persons on
the way from Germany and Scandinavia, viu
Baltimore, and may arrive in few days.
The registrics Of lands now embrace 332 ,GGO
acres, in almost every district of the State,
for sale at reasonable rates and on favorable
conditions; and nearly G000 acres of good
lands in salubrious sections of the State have
been registered to be given as free donation
to actual settlers, upon reasonable conditions
Of improvement.
am glad to perceive more favorable con
sdcration of our State in Europe, and the in
dications are, that as soon rs We can obtain
greater and regular facilities for passagc We
shall certainly receive share of immigration
Indeed, thcro would now be no want Of well
inclined labor for us, if our people could make
the arrangement for an outlay of the cost Of
transportation.
In Germany there arciuow three inAucn-
tlal papers that advocate our cause, although
| am sorry to say we have, as yet, multitude
of very bitter opponents. In Sweden and
Denmark, our influence is also extending
and, after while, practical results will fol.
low. In ireland, saveral gep,hmen ave l,;ad-
ly distributing our pamphlets. l have men
toned to your Exccllcncy, on former occa-
sion, that desired very much tho establish
mcnt of direct steam communication with
Europe. With reasonable sacrifices this
could be effected with Bremen, Ham
burg and Glasgow, where ship owners arc
very fayorably inclined to our project. The
railroads from Charleston to Memphis being
willing to transport Immigrant passengers at
one cent per mile, and their baggage at very
reduced rutcs, would make this route to the
West moro favorable Que than over either
New York or baltimore 1t should be our
constant aim to accomplish so desirable an ar
ranSemcnt, and trust, when our political po-
sltion is once moro assured, that tho State
will literally sustain every effort that shall 5r
made in that direction. I had, besides, ;u-
tondod TO have published suggestion for an
industrial movement which seems calculated
not only to be of great advantage to our pco.
plo, generally, but would afford facilities for
the profitable employment of considerable
number of immigrant employees. I intended
to suggest and urge tho establishment of at
least one Cotton factory in central and eli
giblc position, in every district, for tho max
ing up of the raw material into yarns, the
capital to be subscribed in lands at low yalu-
alton, and tho lands to be sold to immigrants.
10 make tho profits Of these establishments
secure tho planters to pledge certain number
OF bales of Cotton to bo yarned on toll. 1
only indicate tho outline Of tho plan for your
consideration, dccming tho confused state of
public affairs unpropitious for attempting it at
present 1t seems that oven in the City of
NorF York thero is a porooptiblc want of suf-
ficient labourers for tho farmers in tho vici.
nity-thc papers complaining that tie better
GLASS of immigrants, however in large num-
bcrs they arrive, arc already, before they leave
Europe, billotod for their destination in tho
Western States, and that only tho worthless
and indifferent romain for local engagements.
This agrees ontiroIy with my formerly cx-
pressed opinions, although it seems that some
Of our planters have obtained labour from
Now York. [ had made arrangements with
a gentleman in Pennsylvania to furnish labor
ofany kind, and of a superior character, to
such planters as GOULD comply with historp,s;
which were very reasonab!o---a Whenever
have been applied to | have furnished his ad.
dress. But I still continue to believe that
bur rcsuscitation must bo founded upon tho
mourning of an immigration of small farmers,
whowill bc followed by reliable aborors and
skilled mechanics Of ovory description, and
that tho. most practical mothod of cffeoting
tliat Is direct steam communication with Eu-
ropoan ports, proffors Of cheap lands and
multiplication Of nur industrial pursuits.
IS sy I hayo tho honor to DO, your Exoollbnoy's
!,obodicpt sessane. i45.... .ss fsl Z -.
T 4 y JOHN A. WAGENER.
Commissioned nf linn;