The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-20
SPIRIT OF TEE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics-Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
THE TIDE WESTWARD.

THE TIDE WESTWARD.
From the NJ Y. Times.
When the student of history reads of the
immigration of the Northern barbarians over
the Roman Empire, of the stream of the
Goths pouring from Scandinavia and North
ern Germany into Southern Europe, or of
the Vandals into Spain or Africa, he fancies
that there must have been movement of
peoples then to which modern times afford no
parallel. But, precisely as in geology we
can hardly imagine that mountains of chalk
are being formed now at the bottom of the
ocean, and whole races of beings perishing,
and land sinking and seas rising, Just as and
no less than they did in ancient fossil periods
so we did not perceive that ancient history
renews itself in the nineteenth century The
'people's wanderings," as the Germans call
them, are nearly as remarkable now as they
were five hundred years after Christ A
steady stream of Northern barbarians" pours
upon our coast-an immigration like that in
the time of the Roman Empire-with this
difference, that it is well organized, and pro-
duces the most beneficial results
The descendants of the ancient Goths and
Gauls, and what not, lare invading our borders
as their fathers did those of the Cesars
Into the blood of the conqusring race of this
country they are infusing their new element
of power, as their ancestors did into that of
a more degenerate stock. Three hundred and
fifty thousand of these vigorous ''barbarians"
will probably this year come into our ports
and scatter themselves over our territory; the
Cslts, like their fathers, sticking to the large
towns, and the Germans going to the farms
But besides this vast movement of foreign
ers to our coasts, q continual and unseen
stream of population is coursing from the
older States to the new. 1t is said that no
experience of emigration in this country has
ever been paralleled by that of Kansas during
this season. Those who remember, a few
years since, the pathetic appeals for "bleed-
ing Kansas, and the cry through the North
ern States for aid to the impoverished settlers
who were nearly starving, can hardly imagine
that the El Dorado of the West is that once
much-abused State. Ia fact, no gold mine
ever drew such throng of industrious labor
ers as do the cheap, uncultivated fields of
Kansas and the available border States So
great is the throng that people have been
obliged to live in tents, and every line
leading to the region has been crowded
with passengers and crammed with
freight. The peculiar advantage of Kansas,
which. is thus attracting immigrants,
is that she is almost the only State left where
Government land can be bought, with good
soil and nearness to market. Excellent land
can even now be purchased from the Govern
ment, along railways, at 50 80 per acre, and
at $l 20 IN the interior. The railroad COM
panies sell at $0. The country is remarkably
clear, the soil good, transportation easv. a
variety of fruits grow, and the winters are
mllder than In the Northwest. The drawback
to be apprehended is drouth but the con-
structlon OF railroads and planting of trees
seem to be changing the hydrometric balance
OF the atmosphere, and occasioning much
more moisture The society in Kansas, owing
70 the character of its first settlers, is far
superior to that of most border States.
considerable portion, however, of this
incessant Western stream of population
eddies aside into Missouri. Here. in the
northern portion, are excellent lands, proba-
Oily as high as $40 or $15 an acre, but with
great capacities and near to mark ets Tn tba
middle and southern portion or the State are
very cheap lands, but with poorer soil and
more adapted to vine-growing. Good vine
lands within sixty miles of st. Louis can be
got from $3.50 to $5 an acre; but the obiec-
tions throughout the State are the ignorance
and inertia of society, the results of slavery.
A distinct branch of the great stream
always flows towards the Northwest, and
fertilizes those new States The amazing
progress of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin
during the last decade is due to this immi-
grafton, q valuable portion of which comes
from the ancient "hive of nations, Scandi-
navia The cool bracing climate attracts the
North Europeans. With population and
wheat-growing come railroads and that
region is attaining wonderful prosperity.
Still, land is usually held somewhat high |
Tor an emlgrant, unless it be very mac
cessible. The winters also are cold and
long, and fruits do not flourish SO well as fur
ther South. The central West, too, continu-
ally feeds the side currents of this river of
immigration. The restless Yankee, having
made the prairie golden with crops becomes
tired of civilization, sells his farm to the
newcomer, and moves on to struggle with
the wilderness. So land changes hands con-
tnualiy, and the van Of the army of foreign
settlers takes the places of the rear of the
cid army OF pioneers, who are marching for
ward. Not rs many of the waves of the
westward tide touch our Pacific coast as might
be desired. Possibly the news of the dro1th
of this year in California has deferred the
immigrants, as well as the overcrowdine of
useless hands in San Francisco. There is
still, however, boundless field open on that
coast for farm labor, and if our Pacific Mail
Company took the matter in hand vigorously.
they might lead thithsr vast amount of
profitable immigration.