Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-06-06
THE GERMAN EXODUS.
villages Dcpopula.cd4Why Hans g,
his Face W Resh ~ n -

vllA~Hcs Dcp0Pu19ted-"hy Hans Set
his Face Westvvarl.
A correspondent of the Mancheste
Guardian writes from Berlin, unde
date Of May 4:
It is q rather curious fact that Just a
this present moment, when the fortune.
Of Germany appear to have reached tn.
top of the wheel, the number of he1
sons who are desirous. of leaving hel
and of seeking q home in the Far West
is greater than it has ever been at an,
former period. The emigration
question is assuming very
serious dimensions for some parts
of the kingdom of Prussia, but more
especially the provinces of Pomerania,
West Prussia, and the more northerly
districts of POsen. In most of the vii.
lagos in the first mentioned provinces
many of the peasants houses are eth
er empty or being pulled down, and the
small proprietors are selling for TWEEN
ty-tive per cent. under recent values, in
order to realize quickly and reach the
land of promise with the least possible
delay. Little holdings which only q
short time ago were very much in de-
mand are now mere drug in the mar
ket, and it is diaicult to find purchas.
ers at any price. - = s:.-s.
'A:Pomeranian landowner writes that
his own village, which is only q very
little one, had lest thirty of its most
able laborers on the LIST of April, and
that another village in his neighborhood
had already lost all it's inhabitants ex-
cept three families but these intended
to follow the lead in few weeks. The
place would then become "deserted
village" in the strictest sense, though
not at all like that of Goldsmit6's
"Sweet Auburn" as the desertion is
not oocasioned by the rich mans van
ity Of . park, but is directly against
his wishes and interests. He would
gladly keep his. poorer neighbors with
him If he could, for with them. his
wealth will emigrate too.
It is easy to obtain ocular demonstra-
tion of the height of the present; emf
grafton fever by paying an evening
visit to the Potsdam or Hamburg Rail-
way station. +. At the former I have
often seen hundreds, of emigrants en-
on the bare boards, sitting ON
their luggage; surrounded by the wreck
of their household goods, and soothing
their babies, while waiting for the next
train for Bremen, where they will
EMBARK FOR AMER1CA.: - ".,t :
The first instructive feeling at such q
sight is one of pity; but it is certainly
very much misplaced, as the emigrants
are for the most part extremely happy
in the hopes that have prompted their
step, and which in most cases are full
unless some unforseen circumstapces
check the, present. westward
land must fall, in the depopu-
lated district, and then perhaps the
new corners, who will have bought
cheaply, may be able to pay the next
generation wages sufficiently attractive
to keep it at home = but in the. mean
time the small landed proprietors will
have suffered severely. Some, indeed,
are already following the example of.
their men and emigrating too. The
Pomeranian Agricultural Society at .
recent meeting held at Stettin, passed
two resolutions from which it hopes for
some relief. In the first place, to Pc
tition the Chancellor to. instruct the
German consuls at American ports to
how many sble-bodied .emi-
grants were. staying at- ths,-same, and
willing to return to their native coun
try on the condition of a free passage ;
and secondly, to recommend that emf.
grafton be: placed under more stringent
police regulations than it is at present.
It would be incorrect, however, to
suppose that the entire loss of popula-
tion to the hesPomefanian>~vi villages is due
entirely to the fascinations of a back
wood life in: America; very different
sort Of life in the towns is also . great
The peasants daughter
takes houseaaaid's- place. in, Breslau or
Berlin, and writes home, flaming ac-
counts of concerts and theatres. The
brother reads them, and straightway
THROWS down his spade or leaves the
plough to try his fortunes in the same
great wofld which has made his sister
such % fine lady. Railways and the uni
versatility Of certain amount Of educa-
ton render such an ambitious step far
e.asier now than fOrmerlv.s t,...j ~ -,