Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1879-04-30
NV Michigan.
From the Saginaw


People from foreign countries al
well as from the eastern States WHIT
are removing to the western States
should they pass Michigan will &c
farther and fare worse. 1t has
been the object of the Courier du.
ring the past eight years to sci
forth the advantages of Michigan
as combining all the requisite:
necessary to a comfortable abiding
place, and the effort has not beer
unsuccessful. There is, to-day
thousands Of acres of the best land
on which the foot of man never
trod, for sale at reasonable prices
and upon long time, so that the
poorest man who possesses fore
sight and industry and is bles,
with health, may obtain for him
self, in the course of 0 few years, a
rich and beautiful farm-a comfor-
table home with all the comforts
of the highest civilization for which
Michigan is so celebrated. Some
facts are set forth quite pertinent
ly in a circular which has been re-
Gently issued, from which the fol-
lowing is condensed:
A recent letter from farmer in
central Iowa says: "This part of
Iowa has very rich and produc-
tive soil. Corn, wheat and oats
yield well, but the great drawback
to farming in this country is the
low price of all kinds of farm pro-
ducts. Wheat is selling at 35 to
40 cents bushel; corn, 10 to u
cents, and oats, 0 to III cents. The
farmers as a general thing are poor,
and, in my opinion, will remain so
as long as they continue farming
in this country. If farmer can
raise wheat and corn at the present
prices, and make it pay, he must
understand arithmetic a great deal
better than do. Think of farm
er husking corn all through the
month of November, cribbing it
it mp, hauling it twenty-five and
thirty miles to market, and it takes
two days to make the round trip,
and then he gets only three dol
lars for his load. Two-thirds of
the farmers are bankrupt, and their
farms are mortgaged for all they
are worth. The Atlantic
ports are our principal markets,
and every mile the farmer travels
westward the less he will get for
his products"
This is not pleasant picture to
contemplate, but it is quite true
and as You go further west the cir
he mentions become
multiplied, and still others, as for
instance the great scarcity of
building materials, increase the ag-
CARNATIONS. Thousands of the re-
cent settlers in the west are now
living underground or in sod houses
modern cave-dwellers, and are
burning cornstalks and dried grass
or fuel. How different from the
armer in Michigan. From the
start he is sure of good fuel at the
'rifiing cost Of cutting II, and the
great abundance and cheapness of
lumber, shingles and brick, enables
lin to have decent and comforta-
lie house and good barns for his
took. The soil, for wheat and po-
atoes, is better, and equally as
God for barley, oats, etc., as eny
D the west, while for fruit It can
OF be excelled by any State in
be union. He has no protracted
rouths to fear, nor can he recall
he unwelcome visits of voracious
rasshoppers. 1t takes longer to
AXE a farm in Michigan, and
arder work, but with patience,
I'd prudent management, the re-
Its will amply compensate for the
ltlay Of money and muscle.
The State of Michigan, from it's
cation, is always sure to COM