The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-09
METRO CREnULlTY.
The wonderful Reports which are Bos
lieyed as to Free Lands I'm Kansas.
From the st. Louis Globe Demoorat.l

heyed as to Free Lands I'm Kansas.
from the st. Louis Globe Democrat
painter named JAS. Il. Mcdowell, Of Tall
| i,llah, La. has written several letters to
Messrs' D. U. Tut Co, OF this city, stating
that thsre Is great excitement among th O
negroes in this Vicinity In favor of q whole
Sale emigration to Kansas. From tho letter
OF the correspondent the negroes arc led
away by the most extravagant reports. II is
circulated among them that tho Kansas
Pacific Railway are offering to give them free
lands and free transportation from ST. Lonis
west; that the government will give enoh
family 100 acres OF land free, $500 In MONEY.
and n team, plows. etc; that Kansas Is n
State set apart by the United States for the
black people, that there Is n negro govern
ment there, and that no white people are
allowed in the State. Mr.. Mcdowell states
that 1t Is impossible to disabuse the minds of
the ignorant negroes on the subject so ex-
cited are they that many of them have quit
work without MEANS and are preparing to
come on to the promised land" Kansas to
them Is veritablo Garden OF Eden, "over-
lowing with milk and honey, without money
and Without price" Mr. Mcdowell Is also In
ugnant al what he considers q great injury
In the Anchor Line Of steamers carrying the
negroes up to St Louis at the reduced rate of
S3 per head.
The whole excitement excitement
among the negroes Of LousiOna undoubtedly
exists is begOtten by the denaest Ignorance
and capacity for being "gulled'' in the I'M
tutored African mind. Mr.. bcudder, Of the
Anchor Line, was called upon Yesterday hv n
reporter. He stated that the rate Of SD deck
passage is the same as il has been for years.
He was sorry that the Southern planters
should think that their company WAS doing
anything to take their hands away from
them. Such was not the case. No exertions
were being put forward to encourage colored
emigration North, and as O matter OF fact
very few negroes were coming. week ago
or SO fifteen or twenty came in n body, and
went West to SETTLE In Kansas; that WAS all.
They paid the regular rate on the boat, and
he presumed they would have to do the same
on the railroads. 1t was to the interest OF
the steamboat company, he said, for the me-
groes to remain at their work at tho Southern
plantations; and If u discriminating reduc-
ton would be made at al, 1t would be In favor
OF the negroes going South, instead Of COM
ing here.
Conversations with number OF steamboat-
men running below were Of the same tenor.
Mr.. james f. Aglar, the genial general pas
Senger agent Of the Kansas Pacific Railroad.
was interviewed. When shown the letters Of
| Mr. Mcdowell, he laughed heartily.
why" said he, this Is worse than the
| forty acres and the mule, which even now
| fingers fondly In the Negroes hopeful mindl"
"Can you explain how the wonderful stories
originated?" asked the reporter.
I'm explain as best can" And Mr.. Aglar
produced handbill addressed to "Iand-
seekers"
"You see this" he said, pointing to line
which stated Fare over the Kansas Pacific
Railway refunded to land-buyer5."
But they must purchase tho land first"
remarked the reporter.
Certainly. When an emigrant who has
passed over our line purchases some of our
I,-aiI Inn for nnr1fv pn paFtt IN
fare he paid from Kansas City. The Union
Pacific pays back 500 If emgrants purchase
their lands. We have not as yet sent an agent
to the State Of Louisiana; but we have one
who has been through Georgia and Jennes-
see. The white people Of the South are
migrating In large NUMBERS to the West over
our road. Owing to the scare Of the yellow
fever and the hard times, there will be an UNI
precedented flow from the Southern States to
Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska this summer.
The colored people have got wind Of the ten
dency to come West, and they magnify
| everything. On Wednesday morning acouple
OF hundred white immigrants came by the
Southeastern. Sixteen of them went to Colo
rado and the balance of them went to Kan
sas on the line of the Kansas Pacific, and to
| Nebraska on the line OF the Union Pacific.
| About month ago party OF forty went
through to California, from jackson, Tenn,
the first from that district. Every day re-
| cetve numerous letters from Mississippi,
| Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana and even
L IOIlldJ IbldbiNe W bUb HluuGbLieHb9 We OIbFs
| can well believe that the negroes are much
| excited. The other day negro came In the
office from Vicksburg. He asked for free
ticket to Kansas for himself and three or four
others. He said he had no money, and thet
he understood we were carrying negroes over
the road for nothing, and furnishing them
with free lands when they got to Kansas. /
disabused his MUD OF that mistaken notion
He went away much Disguised, but In an
hour or so returned, and, pulling out $50
bill, paid his fare. There IL very prosper.
Gus colony of negroes at Ellis, Kan, 300
miles. on the Kansas Pacific, and 1t will re-
ceiVe large accessions this summer. No
white man would believe the stories current
among the negroes on the Southern planta-
lions, and we are not responsible for them
We are glad to have negroes settle on our
lands, but we offer them no extra Inducements
above white men. | wonder how the Kansas
Legislature will feel on its learning that It isa
negro government and that no white men
are allowed in the State! OF course you un-z
derstand that II parties take up government
lands, and do not purchase of us, we do not
refund them their fare. We do all we can to
advertise our road and our lands, but we GER
tainly have not done anything which would
warrant the reports among the plantation
negroes. We are sorry such notions should
have been spread, as 1t might occasion us
much trouble from negroes arriving here In
an impecuniOuS condition"