The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1878-12-20
Tbe wess.srs Tfse.

no question that the people are com
ing West. Ins residence Of twenty
years I have never seen any thing to
compare with the stream Of immigra'
ton that Is now flowing Westward.
Every railroad Is doing is utmost to
bear the tide along. Long trains
crowded with immigrants, pass by eve
nv day, carrying the uncessing multi
tudes on "into the empty continent
beyond us; for the plains beyond, be-
tween here and the mountains. are al
most a continent Of themselves.
And these are not the chronic from
tiersmen, who move on to keep out Of
the way of civilization. But they are
mostly people Of the better clsss-far-
mers and mechanics and the better
grade Of iaborers. They are people
who have been "well.to-do,' but who
have suffered in the revulsions Of the
past few years, and come West to be-
gin again. Thousands Of these from
all over the land, who have been ac-
customed to comforts and Injuries and
refined surroundings. are going back
into the woods of Michigan and out
on to the prairies Of the far West.
Many Of these will be disappointed,
many of them, like the Prodigal, will
"spend ALL" aud then 60 back to their
fathers house. But the great mass
come TO stay, and will become found
ers Of new homes.
There are many reasons for this in
creased flow Westward. One is the
financial disasters, which have thrown
30 many out Of employ and unsettled
80 many in their business. But an
other is the increased facilities Of
travel afforded by our railroads. Emf
grating to the far West is no longer
dreary pilgrimage Of weeks, but an
easy railroad ride of a few days sets
the immigrant down a: his destina
ton. And he no longer waits half {
generation before neighbors thicker
around him, but the process Of settle
ment Is so rapid that nation Is borI
in a day, and schools and churchei
and civilized institutions spring up
once.
Another cause that has contributed
very largely to this same end is tn
effort made by these railroads to scat
ter information and foster settlements
In old times railroads followed bust
ness. Now they go on ahead an
meet business, Through land grants
local subscriptions and mortgage bond
great lines of road are built out hun
dreds Of miles into the wilderness
They must then create that on whicl
they feed. and secure the settlemeu
of the country, 10 order 10 furnish bu
siness for their trains and sale for thei
lands. They have, therefore, scatter
ed every where papers and bandit
and maps setting forth the attraction
and capacities Of these Western lands
as no Bureau Of Immigration coulC
ever do. It may also be added that
in the main, they have not gone be
You'd the record; in fact, it is hardly
possible to overstate in regard to the
richness and productiveness of these
lands. 81 Z w n q Az
Another cause which may have
contributed to this same result is the
reaction from the town-seeking ten
dency of few years ago. After the
war every thing tended 70 towns, and
! agriculture suffered, and farm hands
could not be obtained. Every thing
centered in towns was overdone, while
there has never been a glut of farm
produce, with all the Immense crops
raised, aud farming was never more
prosperous than during these years Of
general disaster. There have been
good crops, fair prices and ready sales,
and the man who had a farm-paid
for--was happy and a prosperous
man.
This is having its effect, and farm
ing is stepping To the front as a desi
rable and attractive occupation. The
tide is now turned that way. This is
doubtless one reason that the rich
lands of the West are in such demand,
and that the rush for them is so great.
Il Kansas letter in the Chicago Ad-
vance.
Impassioned eloquence is hardly an
aacantricitv. hnt M nrofass;on hoe