Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1879-09-19

lie was asked what was the matter
with the soil in England, put his
head on one side, scratched his
chin, and replied: "Wall, I dean'l
molnd tellin' thee, its material
wretched bod"
Robert Applegarth of Durham
was one of the immigrants, and
had his wife with him. He is a
country journalist, and a good deal
of farmer besides, and goes out
for the purpose of living In Texas
two years as close observer, after
which he believes he will be able
to make an intelligent and trust
worthy report of the character of
the people, soil, climate, and cattle
of Texas. Others in the ship say
that as he reports the farmers of
Durham are certain to act.
"There have been no good times
in Durham" said Mr.. Applegarth,
"since the invention of steel rails.
Iron working was the main indus
try there; and now that iron rails
for railroads are superseded by steel
rails made by machinery, affairs
have been bad. The steel rails last
nine times as long rs the iron ones,
and but few people are employed
in making them; so that, besides
their own troubles, the general
stagnation is added to the burden
of the farmers. There is no longer
market for what we raise, yet
our landlords, who raised our rents
in good times, have forgotten to
cut them down. The immigrant
went on to say that the system of
renting Is a great source of the dis
tress. In his neighborhood the
great land owners are Lord Eldon
and Mr.. Milbank, NJ. p. These
men let their land TO people who
sublet it to the farmers. 1t is so
every where in Great Britain. The
farmer does not have his choice.
The choice is given to the favorites
of the land owners, to retired army
officers and country gentlemen.
Ninety mine times in hundred,
the farmers have to take sterile,
bad land. They pay from ten
shlllings to five pounds per acre for
it. They are given notice to quit
whenever the landland finds he can
get shilling more than they are
giving per per acre. Lately the
wheat has failed. AT present ii is
MS green as grass, and will not be
ready for harvest until October.
The land is so peculiar that it some
times produces good straw and no
grain. Competition with the
American and Russian farmers is
out of the question. The potato
rot seems ineradicable. Barley
will not grow, and the tax on grain
for mailing imposes is very heavy;
turnips grow in only one year out
of four, aid the year they do well
the grain fails. In short, it is
rare thing for farmer to retire
with money enough to live out his
old age, though he may have
worked like slave for forty years
at farming
Another farmer, from another
part of the country said that even
the grass land is dead. He said
that his people are oppressed by
high rents, by the favoritisn and
injustice OF the landlords, and by
the cheapness ami fine quality of
the farm products imported from
America.
"Why," one of them added,
"wheat does not average fourteen
bushels to the acre, and oats aver
age less than twenty bushels. If
man neglects his land two years in
England, it neglects him great
deal longer.p They all dwelt on
this point, and had evidently all
been informed that the land they
are going to settle upon will not
need much attention or exhaust its
inherent richness while they re.
main alive to enjoy its produce.
ave knew all this twenty-five
years ago." said farmer, referring
to what he had said about the
causes of the distress in England,
shut we are quiet, slow, stubborn
people, not liking to change. But
for the energy of one member of
my family in making the first
move, all my people might have
stayed in England and starved"
These farmers have been induced
to make this move because at this
time of their keenest distress the
agents of the Texas railroads have
been circulating pamphlets and
newspapers, and sending out lec-
turers to fiji the minds of the farm
ers with stories of the attractions
the veloped Southwest offers.
Australian capitalists have been
doing the same thing, and they
have been backed by British Inter.
ests; but the English farmers heard
from their friends and relatives that
what is said in behalf of emigration
to Texas Is true, while Australian
crops have been failures of late. In
the company on board the Helvetia
Is Mr.. Elder, who has spent some
time in Texas and purchased farm
there. He has lectured to his PEG.
pie about the advantages of en-
igration, and many of them are
now with him, while othere are
coming. The other organizer, who
is responsible for the coming of the
remainder of those now here, is DR..
Kingsbury, the Liverpool agent OF
Texan railroad. These farmers
when at home managed farms vary
ing from 100 acres to 800 or 40C
acres. They bring with them sums
of money ranging from 600 to
G3OO apiece. 1t is estimated that
the heads of families possess on al
average e300 each. Others, group
ed together in sort of partner.
+ ship, have polled their funds, and
thus command from 5000 to Sl0,'
! 900. Many of the.a have selected
/ s,la Tf n nd thA Af h G
great railroad grant, but they have
. not be obliged to pay for them il
a..# 1913 .. n.. l.
H.i '.n' 0t"