Morris tribune., 1883-09-19
NORRIS.
WESTERN MINNESOTA'S AD-
vANTAGES.

sound and will bear careful perusal.
1.-THE man with limited means and a
few acres of land in the east may pull
through life and by strict economy
and self denial support his little home;
he may even attain wealth but the
instances are very rare. But if he can
raise money enough to land himself in
the west his success is very certain II
he has any tact or ambition at all.
All of western Minnesota has been
settled by men of moderate means.
Hundreds of the first settlers of this
county did not have dollar left on
their arrival here. Now they have as
fine farms opened up as there is in the
world, have large herds of cattle,
horses, and farm machinery, and are
blessed with abundant crops. All
this has been done in the last five
years. Coming from the eastern
states they have not lost sight of pub
lie affairs. They have built school
houses and churches and have found
time to improve their social interests.
What men have done, men can do
again. The man who settles with US
now has decided advantage over
him who settled here five years ago.
He can get all the land he may want
to work on shares at terms that would
astonish him. He may get work at
first-class prices and can get land at
prices and terms that any ability can
pay for. The man who cannot pay at
the rate of $500 per acre here, never
should have home, and if he should
persist in remaining in the east and
work for others for just enough to buy
bread for his family it is certain that
he will never be the owner of any of
Uncle Sans domain. Who reads
this can pass it by saying that it is
some western puff, if he wishes, but if
he does the loss will be his own. We
have hundreds of acres of land in this
county that are unoccupied. The soil
is as fertile and productive, the climate
as good, water as abundant, scenery
as beautiful, markets as accessible,
and society as good as it is anywhere"
Mr.. Young, secretary of the state
board Of immigration, in speaking of
western Minnesota, it's attractions as
place of settlement, says:
'The question for an immigrant to
consider when choosing location for
new home, is whether he will come
here, where he may become amember
of an already established community
and have the benefits of our numerous
railways, good wagon roads and
bridges, churches, schools, markets
and other conyenlences of civiliza-
ton. Where the climate is desirable,
it's healthfulness assured, the soil fer
tile and durable, the water from
springs and wells pure, abundant and
easily accessible, fuel comparatively
cheap and always obtainable, and
where he need suffer no privation
whatever. The question is whether
he will come here and help to improve
the cheap and still unoccupied lands,
and develope the resources of this
region, or whether he will 60 where
he cannot have all ofthese assurances.
And that question can only be an
swered by each immigrant himself.
Each one, however, should bear in
mind that for every mile he goes
further west he will have to pay addi-
tional freight or transportation on all
that he raises to sell; on every foot of
lumber, stick of fire wood, bushel of
coal, pound of sugar, coffee and tea,
yard of fabric for clothing, piece of
farming machinery or tools, and very
many other things that he must have
for use and consumption. And he
will have to do this not for one year
or one decade, but for his lifetime; and
when he lays the extra burden aside,
it will only be for his children to take
it up and bear it while they live. ALI
his final markets and his first sources
for supply generally are east of him
when here, and will always be likely
to remain so; and the farther west he
goes from them the greater the ex-
pense incurred in reaching them eth
er to buy or sell. Even if he could
find there the other advantages he
may avail himself of here, there is
still this disadvantage of difference in
distance from the great markets of |
the world, and it is one that cannot be |
obviated now nor hereafter. The mat
ter of few dollars difference in the |
cost of making his settlement cannot |
be compared with it. For several |
years past the tide of immigration |
has carried thousands of people annual
ly into states and territories furtheri
than Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and /
even Wyoming, has been the chosen
land to many who seemed to be inn
PEELED by desire to 60 as far west as
possible, and would not deign even to
stop and look at localities this side of |
the western boundary of Minnesota.
The chief attraction was of course
government lands to be obtained un-
der the homestead and forest culture |
laws; and as those first on the grounds
haG opportunity to select the choicest
sites, it was but natural that there
should be disposition to rush thither.
But such conditions no longer exist.
The crowds that have already gone
there occupy all the best and most adj
vantagously located lands, and then
those who follow now are compelled