Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1883-02-22

p ing advance in prices as result of tin
enhanced demand
Transactions III pine lands, purchas
. ed for their timber, have been enor
, mously large, but do not enter int,
the calculations of this Office.
IMPROVED FARMS.
Improved farms in the southern par
of the State are exciting Interes,
among farmers of means in Other
States. Compared with similar prop
erty elsewhere, the prices at which
they are usually held are low. The
advantages Possessed by Michigan
farmers in the adaptation of its soil
and climate to n great variety OF hus-
bandry, and TO the cultivation of fruit.
are very highly estimated by intelli-
gent inhabitants of States less abund-
antly favored. There is also a marked
reaction of The tendency toward prairie
country, especially among those who
have themselves experienced the in
conveniences arising from want of
timber. The large immigration which
is now in progress. and the widespread
inquiry concerning the character and
resources of the State, cannot fail to
enhance the growth and values of all
its sections.
CHARACTER OF THE NEW POPULATION
AND WHERE 1T COMES FROM.
1t is the concurrent testimony of
persons who have had the best oppor-
tuniti"s of observation, that the new
population flowing into the counties
lying north of the Saginaw and Grand
River valleys is of an unusually desir-
able character. Except in the lun-
bering and mining districts, where
there has been an active demand for
woodsmen, miners and laborers. it has
come principally from the farming
class, who in addition to their knowl-
edge of agriculture, have also brought
with them, as rule, some accumula-
tions in property and money. a very
large element in this iniux-pcrhaps
one that is larger than any other
| came from the older counties of the
State, showing an important change
i'll movement which had hitherto set
strongly in the direction of the Far
West. Next TO that i'm proportion has
been the immigration from other
States of the Union, Ohio and Indiana
each contributing the largest individual
percentage, with numerous additions
from New York and Pennsylvania.
The numbers reported from New Eng
land are fewer in comparison, though
all the Eastern, as well as the Middle
States, and some of those in the West
Illinois more notably have helped
to swell the population of Michigan
during the year now closing. The
movement of new settlers from Cana
dian provinces has been large and
steady, and is increasing. The coun-
ties lying nearest the border, and in the
upper peninsula. have felt this gain
the most sensibly, but the element
represented by it has found its WY in
to many of the central counties, and
even into the Traverse region. The
immigration from Europe has been
relatively much smaller than that from
other sections of the United States.
but it comprises various nationalities.
The gfeatcr portion are Germans. and
next TO them ScandiIIavians-N -Norweg-
ians, Swedes, and Danes There have
also been numerous arrivals of Holland
ers, who have established new colony
| i'm OSceola and Missaukee counties,
and the tendency of the people of that
nation toward Michigan is marked and
increasing The Britso Islands are
al represented among the mes settlers
| in the State.
PROBABLE INCREASE IN TIE UPPER
COUNTIES.
a careful estimate, based on much
personal intercourse. vide correspond.
ence, and newspaper reports, justiiies
the belief that the accessions to the
population of that portion of Michi-
gan Indicated above, during the year
1882, ranged from so, TO rs, 600. All
parts of the State have added to their
inhabitants, and there can be little
doubt that census taken now would
show population of nearly or quite
nineteen hundred thousand.
THE FUTURE.
All indications point to a still strong
er impulse in the growth of the State.
Should the same relative ratio of in
crease in population be maintained
throughout the States of the Union
during the present decade as that
which prevailed in the 10 years preced-
ing 1880, Michigan will rank sth in the
order of precedence on this basis when
the next national enumeration shall
be made, having overtaken Massachu-
setts and Kentucky, and being passed
by Texas. II the present movement
continues, however II will probably
outrank Indiana also, and become the
seventh state sisterhood.