Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-08-29
SOUTHERN
What Public Enterprise Might
Accomplish for Tennessee
and Alabama.
Cincinnati Times-Star

Cincinnati Times-Star.l
Along the main arteries of railroad
travel month after month the cease
less flow Of emigrant travel from the
seaboard to the vast unoccupied terri
tories Of the West goes on. Near three
quarters of a million of sturdy emf
grants arrived upon our shores the
past year, the largest number during
the same period of time since the
country wa a government, but it is
curious to observe that by no means
all or nearly all the Western-bOund
travellers going to look for homes in
the far West are foreign. AS Ohio,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota,
Kansas, Colorado, Dakota, Northern
Illinois and Indiana are peopled main
ly by settlers originally of New
York and New England stock, so, in
spite ofthe constant deluge of foreign
emigration to the newer States and
Territories, the drifting tide of new
settlers continues to drain heavily the
older States Of a large share of their
young and more enterprising popula-
ton. So also Ohio and indeed all the
central Western States contribute
their share to the rapidly increasing
population of the remoter and newer
fields beyond the Mississippi. Among
the railroads holding grants of land
for sale it is customary Of late to
circulate descriptions, maps, circulars,
and full information of these in Eu-
rope, and by resident agents to supply
such full information to emigrants be-
fore leaving the old country that their
destination is settled before they leave
tor their homes in the New World.
Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Ar.
kansaw, Texas, offer inducements
not exactly similar, but in some,
indeed in many respects, superior to
those Of the great West and North
west, and the first Of these lie at our
very doors. Why should not the same
enterprise in securing foreign emigra-
ton to these inviting fields be used
by organizations in the States named,
as by the railroad companies to dispose
of their lands? Texas has d Bureau
of Emigration that is doing pretty
effective work, and the result is that
Texas is d~eseryedly securing a more
rapid increase Of population than any
of the newer States except Kansas.
Georgia is less enterprising in this re-
spect than Texas, but has done con-
siderable in the dissemination of
correct information as to her resources
and advantages, and is improving
rapidly as well, IfAlabama and Ten
nessee would show a like spirit, there
is no reason why they might not come
in for their share of this
development, in which Cinciu-
natl could ~proftably ItjOin, since
the territory of the States south and
southwest of us is now the balliwick
that by rights Cincinnati can most
legitimately cultivate. A South
western Bureau of Emigration, having
its central Office and headquarters in
this city, would be a most effective
agent for good in making known to
the people of the whole country the
advantages of the section above named,
and if co-operated in heartily by the
authorities of those States, might
prove a most effective means for turn
ing emigration South that now goes
ignorantly to the Northwest, to be
alternately tormented by the summer
drought and winter blizzard forever.
The cheap lands and genial climate Of
these attractive States neal our own
doors are awaiting development that
in turn would develop our own com
mercial and manufacturing prosperity
enormously.