The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-10
A Travelling Advertisement for
immigrants

and field of Investment for capital, it
will, we think, fall short of its duties,
as the administrative council, to which
the care and welfare, (both present and
FUTURE of the State has been delegated
There are many ways in which this can
be done. The Agricultural Depart
ment, as originally organized, was
named the Department of agriculture,
Immigration and 'Statistics.' All o. our
readers know what it has done, and left
undone; so that we need only say-H
has been tried For more than five
years it las had 100000, or more, a
year, with dozen employees, and large
Printing Bills,-while as matter of
fact there are fewer Immigrants in the
State to-day, than three or four years
ago. Tie Department has done good,
but not by any means the good which
was anticipated, and might have accrued
from its labors. 1t is too complex: yet
too diverse. You cannot mix Geology,
Botany, Fertilizers, Fish Culture, Sheep
'Husbandry,'' Statistics and Politics.
and expect much Fruit therefrom.
Maps are very we'll in their way-but
the way is sometimes a tri1e tedious.
However these matters appertain to
the Past. The question now is-What
for the Future? Will our people allow
another two years to go by without an
effort to secure some portion of the
wealth of brain, muscle, trained skill,
ant active capital that is flowing into
Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas? God
knows we have no selfish motive in the
thought,-or the wish that we might
hold the office of State Commissioner of
immigration, and have the right to ex-
pend even the small sum of ten thous-
and dollars in working up an Immigra-
ton '.Boom.,' We believe if an agent
were sent to every county, and public
notice given for all persons who have
lands to sell to come in and register
them, so that the Home Seeker might
know where to look for land.-it would
be found that millions of acres lie idle.
"a drug upon the hands of the owners.
Ten thousand dollars properly spent
would add half a million dollars to the
taxable values of the State for as soon
as the tide of ImmigIatio began the
value of property would increase; and
many poor man who can hardly pay
tax on his land would become rich
One reason outsiders do not come to
North Carolina now is because while
everybody says there is plenty of land
for sale, the stranger finds it very diff
cult to trace it up,-and Is often sent
away disgusted by lack of title, or some
hitch. after he has found what he want
ed. Many a man has come to Raleigh
with intent to settle tut eventually
went to Georgia, Texas, or elsewhere.
We began this article simply to intro
duce an extract showing one of the
thousand ways in which the Western
States advertise themselves, and there
by secure in one week more taxpayers.
road builders. scho | and church sup
porters, and hard working citizens than
poor old Tar-Heelia gets IN ten years
Phila. Record says:-
The great yellow exhibit car of the
Northern Pacific Railroad attracted
large numbers of visitors. The car is
81 feet long and 10 feet 9 inches wide.
1t is TILED to Overflowing with the pro-
ducts of the great Northwest. Some OF
the things to be seen would astOnish
even the prize exhibitors OF an Eastern
fair. A squash, for instance, weighing
- pounds, or a white potato inches
long and 3 inches in diameter cucum-
bels 10 inches in circumference and a
yard long; 50 heads of wheat grown on
one stalk. and hundred and one other
products showing the marvellous produc-
tive capacity of the great country in the
Northwest. Samples of wheat were to
be seen which weigh siXty-four pounds
to the bushel, and of which fitty-five
bushels to the acre can easily be grown.
Then there was coal from Dakota dug
tour feet from the surface. Natural
lime, requiring no burning. Petrilied
wood from the bad lands of Montana.
Granite from Minnesota. Bricks from
jamestown. Iron, copper and silver
ore from Montana, the copper being
nearly pure as it is dug from the mines,
while the silver ore runs $4,000 to the
ton. Corn twelve feet high from Da-
kota. Rye from Montan, yielding fifty
four bushels to the acre. Red top grass
from the same, seven feet high. Timo-
tiny from Oregon six feet high. Flax
from Dakota, eighteen bushels to the
acre. These and many other things
filled tho bucclic visitors with a desire
to sell their Eastern lands and start at
once for such country of big crops add
great possibilities. The car las been
sent East to direct public attention OF
emigrants to the lands of the NortherD
Pacific Railroad
-Hurrah for Charlotte! Hip! Hip!
IIoo-ray !-'Kause why,-she has laid
a fine of s. on all hotel portcrs and
''Bus-fusscrs who yell louder than an
whisper, when the train cometh in!