The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-24
PHILADELPHIA, March IA. 81.
HEADQUARTERS TEUToNIA Co
OprR ALIVE COLoNIZATION SOCIETY }

HEADQUARTERS lECIoNlA 70
OPERATIVE COLoNIZATIoN SOCIETY
Randolph A. .ShotceN, Esq:
DEAR SIR:-I notice i your paper
there has been a consolidation OF the
North Carolina railroad companies,
which also have elected a general agent
for immigration. Our Society wants to
send a committee TO North aroilna,
probab,v at the beginning OF next week,
TO examine la d. They will first go TO
Raleigh to introduce themselves to the
Department Of Agriculture, as also to
Yourself, to get some information about
special points and from there then TO
Marion, Mcdowell county, where the
land to be inspected, is located. |
take the liberty now 10 suggest some
remarks of my own. The State of
North Carolina pretends that 1t does
or will do, everything TO stimulate lm
migration, for which purpose there had
been established a special Bureau cot
immigration) but where and what Is 1t
doing? Should it not be the first duty
of the same to tx up a schedule with
time table. Irice list and railroad maps
combined, with the also lust as much
interested railroad companies, and pub
lish them everywhere, as all the West
ern railroad companies do, which there
fore draw all the immigration into their
region?
By these schedules every outside per
son NAV see, what road to take to this
or that place, how much time 1t will
take, and what would be the fare, which
of course shonld be put down as low as
possible for that purpose by inter posi-
ton of the State it also dlsposes OF
maps of every county. to be given away
on request, as they are very useful Tor
information concerning population,
communications. geological conditions,
etc, for selecting a location 10 settle
upon, for which maps a price may be
requested. | make these remarks be-
cause [ ~endeavored several weeks TO find
the best route for our committee and to
also a moderate price for the fare,
which [ think to be proper. rs our So
ciety has the most honest and earnest
intention to establish a tiourlshlng
community and to become a profitable
and respectable acquisition to the
State.
/ beg your pardon now for consulting
you about this matter. The Interest
your paper shows regarding immigra
ton, assures me that you will have the
favor of informing me where the office
is of the above mentioned agent, so to
be able to apply upon him, or if that
office is in your city, that you may have
the kindness. to get information for us,
which way to take best and what will
be the iaie for 3 or 5 persons there and
back to Philadelphia or FROM Norfolk
to Marion and back.
| enclose a paper which shows what
advantages the State o. Virginia, and
the railroad companies OF that State Of
fer to al Immigrants.
Oar Society numbers about 20 mem
bers now AID viii increase rapidly as
soon as we have the land examined and
selected. We want to commence with
the settlement then az >uon as possible
An early answer (cither by letter "
in your paper will obiige
Yours, very respectfully,
j. EDELMANN, Secretary,
903 Poplar ST., Philadelphia, Pa
The remarks of our correspondent
are in good taste and very suggestive.
But there is no likelihood of any i'm
provement. The Legislature adjourn
ed without doing anything for imrnigra-
ton the money being needed for an
Increase Of salaries, and junketting at
celebrations.
As for the State Agent of Immigra-
ton there Is such a person but where
be is, or what he is doing. we haven't
any idea. He sent us a request to
print some OF his circulars. but if we do
gratuitous work for the State, we pre-
fer to do it according to our own knowl-
edge and notion. Several weeks ago
we wrote this person, Col. A. Pope,
stating that We were in receipt of a
large number of letters of inquiry about
the State but failed to receive even
the courtesy of an acknowledgements.
So, we conclude there is little doing,
and that this latest flourish Of trumpets
was designed for some special purpose,
G~ubernatoriai, AGRICULTURAL" rollti-
cal or railroadic. You can try
your luck in getting the maps, ETC.,
from Pope at Richmond. Va, (not ex-
actly the place for headquarters of
North Carolina Immigration) but we
are bound to say to you that since we
sent out our circular, land got above
100, 600 copies printed in Northern
journals without costing the State one
dollarJ We have grown skeptical of any
adequate effort to bring more people
and more capital into the State. To be
frank with you, more persons have left
North Carolina within 80 days past
than came into the State within six
months. Not because Of any defect in
our climate, or crops, or advantages;
but because the Western States are Of
fering SO many glowing inducements,
and are sending out So many picturesque
pamphlets, that a certain class of our
people imagine they car do better out
there. We should be sorry to see
North Carolina lose your colony of 70
Industrious Germans and their families,
but we have done all we care to do in
the matter.
What They Will Have to Fight.
Our Temperance friends will find