New-York tribune., 1880-06-22
4DTycE YO INTENDING COLONISTS.

~
Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, practical phi
lantnropis, has just sent II circular unpub-
li,hcd letter to such persons as are Interested,
like herself, IN the drainage of the surplus
population of the cities on! into farms or
colonies. Tho aim of the letter is to persuade
them not to send such cmigrans to the West,
but rather to the inviting and uu0ccupird
lands that lie I'm abundance near we'll
" favored settlements at the very doors OF
large and thriving cities The objections
to settlement in the West are strongly urged
the great scarcity of water, long droughts.
d" high winds, grasshOpprrS. etc., to which
might have been added the danger of mala-
ria in some districts, and tho long
drain on the functions Of life re-
0ni,itc to ensure success to the West
crn slnattcr. Tins last is matter of su-
prcme Importance to a middlr-agcd man.
The ordinary American father and mother,
who break ground III the far West. may
have to drag out tho rc4t of their lives
in priyation in order to pay taxes ON
land which will increase in value when
they are dead They Dig their own graves, in
n word while they cnsrIlo II fortune for their
children.
Mrs thompson clt"s Garden City and the
town of Yncland, Ncw-J,r,cy, rs examples of
whnt can bc done by colonlss just outside the
walls of our large cities. Her argument iS i'll
fact II moqicatIOn of that used by Tie
TEIBrNE during the last three years, while
urging the colonization by unemployed working
men of The waste lands of the Older States,
especially those of the Southern border Since
our series of papers on this subject was pub
Hshcd large and successful colonies have gone
ont from New York. Philadelphia and Boston
to the rich unopened lands in Virginia, Ten
nrsScc and North Carolina, under the auspices
of private individuals and of churches. One
colony is managed by the Friends of Philndcl-
phia, another by "A combination of Protostants,
while two are cOntrOllcdby the Catholic Church.
NcnInrss to the great markets is the strong
argument in favor of settlement III tho older
States IL small patch Of ten acres, if cult-
waited in herbs. peanuts, garden stuff,
flowers, or the finer fruits, will yield as much
to the grower ns would hundred acres In
grain in Kansas. Another point s, that the
cmigrant to the West burns his ships behind
him transportation is so costly that if he
fails he must rcman it is the lions den
where all footsteps go in and from which
none return. A third is, that in the older
l
kindly nrighborhOOd roads. schools, churches,
society, all arc already established, and
their influence is ready to humanIze and re-
fine his children; in the West he must face the
bedrock of savage Nature and build up from
that himself with what success he can. TO
many q father (cvcn the pOorcSD these con-
sidrrations outweigh :hc nero advantages of
making money. Lastly, the cmigrant to the
West must compete now with mOncycd cor
pOiations The great grain and cattle farms
which are beginning to control the European
markets are run by wealthy stock companies
and worked by steam. They have large
capital TO support them if tho grasshOppcr or
tho drought or the wind does sweep away
years crop when the individual rancher may
be having Il hard tmo Of it to keep from
starvation.
For men with money to support them
through a year or two of beginnings and dis
astrrs, for healthy young men, for any man,
I'm Il word who Is Jealous and ambitious, fit
for and not afraid of work. the West il
field of unlimited promise. Work is plentiful,
food cheap, tho soil lncxhauSlible, the land
certain to increase in value. We do not I'M
dcrrato the value of our vast unopened terri
tories, waiting to supply labor to multitudes
and food to tho world. We only urge upon
colOnists not to overlook the fields nearer ut
hand, where the venture Is less and the sue
cess as great Within half a days distance
from New-York and Philadelphia there are
cleared productive lands which can be bought
mt low rates. There are rich farming COM
munities among which efficient labor, male or
female, Is not to be had ut any price
The incoming swarms Of thrifty cmigrants
should not all pass by these certainties of COM
! fort and competence.
Mrs. ThompsOn's letter has much solid sense
and sagacious advice In 1t, and we sincerely
hope 1t may succeed in tho purpose for which
| it Is written.