The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-06-23
A Bright Hope for the State.
IN. o. Times I

With the appointment of Board of
Commissioners of Immigration, and
their subsequent organization, it may
be said that the first step has been
taken towards organizing some practi-
cal measures having in view the in
PRODUCTION into this State of an indus
trious class of white agriculturists,
and the consequent occupation amp
utilization of the hundreds of thou
sands of acres of untitled land that
now are left to grow up in brambles
and sedge grass.
From the composition of the board,
and the programme which they have
adopted, we should judge that it will
not waste valuable time in mere
speculation or theories; but will ut
once take hold of the work before it
in way which will be bound to bring
forth positive results. Each member,
from long residence in the State and
an intimate knowledge of the induce
ments it offers to the immigrant, has
doubtless long ago fully made up his
mind as to what ought to be deue and
how best to do it; and hence will be
prepared to make q prompt advance
towards the desired end.
Compared with Texas-the State
which is now being SO rapidly peopled
Louisiana may almost be called a
paradise for workingmen. Every pro-
duct of that State can be grown here
to an equal, if not better advantage.
Louisiana minerals, although hardly
any effort has ever been made to
develope them, are nearly as abund-
ant and equal in wealth. Louisiana
lands, without exaggeration, are the
richest ON the continent.
The means of cheap transportation
are almost limitless. We have more
miles OF navigable streams than any
State in the Union, and climate as
salubrious and as delightful as that
of Italy. Those terrible storms aud
freezing northers which are SO de-
structive to property and life in Tex
as, are unknown within our borders.
Within the memory of man, lOcusts
and grasshoppers have never invaded
our territory as they almost annually
do Texas.
In the northern sections of this
State, wheat, rye, oats, barley and
cotton, all produce heavy crops,
while potatoes. both Irish and sweet,
every description of garden vegetable
can be produced in enormous guam
titles and with little labor, almost
every month in the year. Fruits, such
as peaches, pears, apples, plums,
ounces and berries, all thrive and
produce most abundantly, aud with
railroad facilities which will come in
time, that region of the State will
supply early frnits and vegetables to
the North and West in such quantity
and at such prices as will bid defiance
to competition.
In the southern part of the State
are those lands which so rapidly en-
rich the sugar and rice planter and
the orange grower. Here extremes of
either heat or cold are unknown and
here life is more enjoyable, possibly
| than anywhere else in the world.
Is it not strange, then, that with
such inducements to the immigrant,
but little over one-twentieth of the
area available for agriculture is oc-
cupied 2 Yet it is nevertheless too
true. With land enough to afford
homes for many millions of people,
yet unoccupipd, that can be had al
less than a tenth of its intrinsic
value, Louisiana sees the neighboring
State rapidly filling up with busy
throng, and she is neglected aud un-
noticed.
The intelligent gentlemen who com
pose the Board of Commissioners o.
Immigration are aware of all thes'
things and now that they have beguI
operations, We think that the people
of the State who have its best interest
at heart, can congratulate themselve
that henceforth the tide of immigra
tinp will not flow mast mr. hnrIe erS.