Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-15
CURRENTS OF EMIGRATION.
where the Immigrants Come From
and Where They 60.

It has been observed in all countries and
in all ages that the course of emigration is
almost uniformly along the parallels of lati-
tude. There are, it is true, occasional in
stances of emigration taking northerly or
a southerly course, but they are not of suf-
ficient number to have any serious effect
upon the general rule. The great move
ments of population in the Old World in
past ages were almost always in westerly
direction, so that the emigrants did not suf
fer any serious change of climate in their
change of homes. At the present day the
greatest tide of emigration in the Old
World is from European to Asiatic Russia.
The dwellings on the banks of the Volga
are transferring themselves to the Amoor;
the two rivers are thousands of miles apart,
but in practically the same latitude, so that
the emigrants find their new winters and
summers almost identical with the old ones.
And the tide of emigration out of the Old
World follows the same general law.
Westward across the Atlantic stream
of emigration is steadily flowing toward the
New World. Germany, Ireland, and Scan
danavia are sending their thousands upon
thousands to new homes in America and
the emigrant from each of those countries
seeks. the region which corresponds as nearly
as nearly as possible TO the land of his birth.
The bulk of the Scandinavian emigration
goes TO WISCONSIN,, uilnoi5 ana 3IInnesOta;
that from North Germany seeks Wisconsin,
Iowa and Nebraska; while that from MIDI
die and Southern Germany seeks its home in
Southern Ohio and Illinois, and in Missouri
and Kansas. OF course there are thousands
of Exceptions to this rule, as Norwegians
may be found in New Orleans and Italians
in st. Paul, but the general rule holds good
in spite of the exceptions, aud careful OBJ
server will generally discover that these
sporadic emigrsnts do not appear satisfied
with their dwelling places, and it is just as
fair to suppose that Norwegian or man
from North Germany would be contented
in Louisiana as to expect a Hottentot to be
happy in Greenland or an Esquimaux in
Central Africa. In the United States the
same general law of migration is found to
hold good. When the tide of travel moved
westward in the early part of the century
Northern Ohio was settled by eruigrants
from New York and the New England
States, while Southern Ohio was settled
mainly from Pennsylvania. Kentucky drew
most of her early settlers from Virginia,
while Tennessee was peopled partly from
Virginia and partly from Nerth Carolina.
As the Western States filed up they were
generally settled by people from the States
| living east of them, and not from those north
or south. For example, the farm settlers of
| Minnesota are mainly from New England,
New York, and Northern Ohio, while those
| of Arkansas are from Tennessee and the
! States which border it on the east. The
| Virginia farmer who makes up his mind to
1 loOlya Al
as the promised land, while he of New
| England turns his gaze towards the upper
portion of the Mississippi Valley. Califor-
MIA is an exception to the general rule, as
she was peopled by those who went in
search of gold, and the thirst for wealth in
dependent of home pays little heed to par
allies of latitude and isothermal lines
Every stream is swiftest and most pow
erful at its center, and it is so with the great
stream of navigation. Its northern bank
may be roughly set down as the line of the
great lakes, while the southern bank is
found at the Gulf of Mexico. Beyond the
Mississippi river the heaviest stream of mi
grafton is in and through Kansas, large
portion of it hating in that rich and attract
i've State. Many emigrants start without any
fixed destination, and travel until they find
| locality that suits them. Instinctively
they move west, and as Kansas lies on the
great route of travel they are pretty sure to
see it before they conclude to stop. In this
way the young State has obtained many set
tiers; they came, they saw, and were con-
| quered. A recent visitor to Kansas says
the country is rapidly filling up, and before
many years lands will command q high
price, in the market along the line
of the st. Joseph and Denver City
Railway. There is now a heavy
migration and settlement, so that in a few
years the rich valleys of the Bic Blue and it;
tributaries will have an abundant and thrifty
population. Where few years ago there
was little more than wilderness one can
now find well cultivated farms and every ev
idence of prosperity. That peculiar and tC
many persons inexplicable tendency of Z
railway to create business for itself is exem
plifed most happily in this instance. WheI
the st. Joseph and Denver City Railway
was projected the settlements were no
numerous and when the first section was
opened the business was comparatively
light. But day by day it increased, until il
now surpasses that of other and older road
of the same length. As fast as the line wa
pushed forward the business increased, anC
the speedy opening of the whole route from
st. Joseph to Fort Kearney gives brillian
promise for the future. Lying, as it does, IL
the richest part of Kansas and Nebrask l
directly in the line of the heaviest immigra
ton, and also in that of bus ness and pleas
ure travel, it holds a position second t.
that of no other road West of the Missouri
river. On the West it connects with tn
great through route to the Pacific Ocean,
while at its Eastern terminus it unite
with lines to all the great cities of the
East. These Eastern feeders of tn
st. Joseph and Denver City Rail
ways are as important as they are numer
GUS. With one it dlaws from st. Louis
with another from Chicago, with an
other from Cincinnati, and with others from
New York and the other great centres Q
commerce on the Atlantic coast. Shorten
ing by many miles the distance between tn
occident and orient of America, this line G
railway is destined 70 perform agrest worl
in the future devs opnent of the Tegio
through which it passes, and those othe
and greater regions which bound it on tn
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