Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-04-09

Amount brought forward S3i00
He must have at least one pair of horses a 900
wagon, SIPS plough, s25 corn planter,
(hanf,) $40 l60
Harness, siO' harrow, 500 miscel, say 500 isO
sss2o
leave out horse planter, which would cost lsS
sulky plough " 90 20
$40
which, if added, and which every farmer
ought to have and we make S4330 now add
the expense Of getting west, and the expense
Of living the first year and half at least,
and | ask any candid man if western land is
cheap. and how many men who could come
West even if they were inclined to do SO. |
do not mean to over-estimate, but to give
facts, so that those who have the Western
Ferer may know some thing of what they
are doing before they leave comfortable
home where they are getting a good living
where their children have good schools, and
the family can enjoy some of the comforts of
social life, for home on these western pair
les; to live away from society, perhaps no
school for their children, no church for re-
ligious culture and worship, and none of those
comforts which 60 to make the life of
New England man pleasant and happy.
would by no means say or do anything TO in
jure any section Of our country, but this dis
torting facts to enable horde of land sharks
TO prey upen men who are entirely ignorant
of the country to which they are going. and
the amount Of inconvenience, if not suffering
which all new comers (unless5they have mon
ey to buy their land, and make improvements
to a considerable extent) must experience,
shouli be carefully investigated by all before
they come to this country to make it their
future home.
No Eastern man may expect to find in this
country fair, square straightforward dealing
it is diamond cut diamond all round-all SELL
ers here-all are spectators in some kind of
property, from a section Of land down to a
jack knife no one not acquainted with west
ern men can form any idea Of the mania for
speculation. Every new conner, if they find
out he has any money is regarded as their
prey, and a lucky man is he if he escapes
without getting feeced. There is no price
Of anything here, or rather there are as many
prices as customers If man has a pair Of
horses for sale the price to one man may be
$500, and from these figures anywhere to
Sl4OO, as the seller judges from the looks of
his customer. Every man must buy here on
his own judgement it will not do 10 take
the word Of anyone, that being against all
practice and custom in this section, as such a
thing as integrity Is unknown. If man
here, by low cunning and chicanery, can
cheat his neighbor. he considers himself
smart, and thinks himself competent for
Banker. 8. Every man for himself and the
devil take the hindmost, is the motto west
Of the Mississippi river.
= hot
see it, may know something Of the disadyan-
tages which an Eastern man has to contend
with, and to caution him against all manner
Of tricks that will be practiced upon him He
must make up his mind that he is going into
a country where every man pockets his hon.
esty and his conscience, and is as much on
the watch for his prey as are the blacklegs
on western steamboat. In Iowa are mil
lions of acres Of splendid prairie land for
sale, but most Of il is held by speculators,
and held at higher prices, contend, than
any man can afford TO pay. No man can af-
ford to pay over from 50 to IS an acre for
wild prairie for farming purposes. If he
does, as far from market, say as the Desm0ines
river, my word for it he will never see his
money back again, never. have made e.
Inmates on a farm OF 800 acres, at s. an acre
and the expenses Of breaking. fencing and
buildings upon the same, not expensive ones.
say. $1,000 and the cost Of farming imple-
ments which every farmer needs and must
have, with team. and il costs not less than
$4,000, say nothing about the expense OF
living for bis family the first year and half
il he buys bis land in the spring, or two
years if he buys it in the fall, for the first
year be can raise nothing OF any amount.
Ny opinion Of the West is. that if a young
healthy man and wife, who have few hun
dled dollars, and who are willing TO forego
all the comforts Of life, and willing to launch
ont into these western prairies from 20 to 80
miles from every settlement, to be content TO
draw his products from 10 to 20 miles and
rough it, he may in the course Of 20 years, if
he should live so long, realize something up
on the use Of his land but as for making
any money from the production thereof. more
than enough % get living, and 4 poor one
at that, is simply out Of the question it
cannot be done, at least, it is not. The only
true way to settle in the West is to do it bv
parties, say from 20 to 100 families have
some one or two Of the party go out and To-
cate the lands, and get as near timber and
living water as they can. In this way they
make little settlement, and are nearenough
to be neighbors, 50 as to help each other in
cases OF sickness. They can establish a school
and give their children some of the adyan-
nges they leave in the East. They in
this way make an indictment for others to
settle near them, and in short time they
have quitea town, and can live as man was
intended TO live. From a thorough investi-
CATION Of The matter, am fully satisfied that
this plan Is the only practical one, and the
only way in which families can enjoy life in
this country, and more, the only way in
which money can be made by farming. |
have no interest whatever in western land. do
not own an acre | came her for the purpose
of buying a farm TO spend the rest of my
days but upon looking the matter through
in all its details, am convinced that no man
can pay the prices asked for land near any
settlements, or railroads, and ever see his
money back again. In concluding, all | have
to say to my Eastern friends is, look well be-
fore You leap.