The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-12-24


din have been transported there |
to exercise their creative powers.
Let be clearly understood that we are not |
emigration. It is no wish of |
ours that the farmers at home should con-
ceive ideas of an agricultural Ell Dorado |
and rush away unnecessarily in search of |
fortune. Those who can enjoy fair share |
of comfort on this side of the Atlantic !
ought to rest where they are, content with |
their modest competence. The breaking up !
of home, and the parting with all it's asso-
can never be accomplished without !
pain and suffering, and whoever sets up life !
in Minnesota has to toll hard, deprived of
many pleasures, and subjected TO many in
But there will be emigration
whether we say yea or nay. There are peo-
pie always desiring to go westward, and graf
flying their penchant when the opportunity
offers. Farmers have gone constantly from
Ireland since even before the famine, and
farmers are now going from England also.
It is to guide and assist those Catholics bent
upon emigration that we wish
to deal here with the ad-
vantages and attractions of Minnesota.
Hitherto want of system has prevailed to q
large extent. Men with little capital have
landed in the United States hoping to make
fortune, and losing their money instead.
Every intending emigrant ought to make in
quiries, and map out course of action be-
fore commencing the voyage at all, and
their substance would not be wasted on az
rival. Every facility is now given for &C.
quiring accurate knowledge of the mcst
eligible settlements for the industrious, and
ignorance is inexcusable.
Minnesota was first officially known as q
State thirty years ago. In 1849 bill passed
through Congress defining it's territory, Gre
ating it regular State, and fixing st. Paul
an unknown village Of five or six houses
as the capital. There were then about 1000
inhabitants in Minnesota. It area is SO, $50
square miles, or more than the entire of
Great Britain. The soil was seen to be fer
tile and singularly well watered.
Mountains there are none, though the sur
face is well diversified with hills. No bog,no
waste, no aridness, appeared anywhere, while
the lakes numbering seven thousand and
covering an aggregate of 100000 acres
found to be unsurpassed in healthfulness
and suitability. The State lies between 431S
and 40 degreeseporth latitude, which we may
render more Ineligible by saying that the
northern boundary Of Minnesota is south of
the entire of Great Britain and Ireland. Bel
gum, and Holland, and part of France; so
that the temperature is never extreme at any
season of the year. &
The Americans are proverbially practical,
and when they take work in hand, they
execute it with an energy and disregard of
obstacles of which We have no experience in
Europe. 'This is goodly land,'' they
said to themselves, lit will become rich and
busy and full of people, and We must set al
our go-ahead qualities in motion
to cover it with facilities for tilling, forest
telling, building and commerce." Therefore
they commenced q survey which has already
oomprehended 41,782,416 acres, and which
will soon embrace the entire territory. To
encourage development in the most efficaci-
Gus way, they planned lines of railway and
donated to companies 1000, 900 acres in lots
danklng the lines at intervals, not covering
unbroken stretches Of ground. Schools
were the next thought, for the genuine
Yankee has sacred regard for education,
and 1855, 900 acres were appropriated for
school purposes. Indeed, they've speak
of Congressional 80 far as to set apart
92,548 acres for State university. These
lands are not merely for school and college
sites, but property to be sold by the State
when the proceeds are required for the
erection of educational institutions. When
earth ia plentiful such things can be DONE and
it is plentiful enough in the United States.
Now for the growth. In 1850 there were
1900 acres under cultivation. In 1860 there
were 433, 267 acres, or an increase at the rate
5000 acres per annum. The statistics for
1877 give the total at 1886, 1876 acres under
crops. The principal grain product is wheat,
for which soil and climate are 60 unusually
we'll adapted that no other State produces 50
much per acre of such good quality. The
farmer finds that when he can SOW and reap
wheat with success, it is the best commodity
for him, because it sells most readily and
brings in the ready money with greatest
certainty. The average yield is sixteen to
twenty bushels per acre, and as this average
appears in sixty eight counties, it is safe to
assume that the whole Of the State is uni
fosmly as fertile. Some years ago but one
half of the cultivated area grew wheat, but
the total product was AZ, 00e, 900 bushels, o,
are not forgotten. In 1877 there was q YIELD
Of il, s19, $50 bushels Of oats, representing
391 bushels to the acre. ,s:@7
The most striking development, however
is perhaps to be found in the increase o.
population. We have stated that in 1854
Minnesota had between four and five thou
sand inhabitants. BY 1860 there were l72,
O20, . multiplication nearly forty times il
ten years. Five years later there were $50,
O99; five years later still, 499, FOG. No halt
ing in the influx; 1875 showed 597,467
1877 showed 675, 900; and 1873 showed 825,
600, It is anticipated that 1880 will disclose
100000. Was the like of this ever zee,
befOIe2 The growth Wa not Onlv nnntinn
ous, but ever magnifying in proportion
Speculative men had besn gradually comm,