The Dickinson press., 1883-07-28
WILL 1T CONTINUE.
jamestown Capital.

The question often arises, GLOW
long will the present migratory move.
ment of the population of the country
from the east to the west continue!
Will it cease this year, or will it con-
tinue for one, two or five years longer!
These questions are of more than pc
cuniary interest to all who have come
here to make their homes in the new
Northwest.
There are various influences which
tend to make people dissatisfied with
their lot in the east, and wish for
change. The most powerful of these
is the comparative deafness of east
ern towns and communities, and the
lack of business chances for young
men. Here where everything is in
an embryo state of organization,
where thousands of people come in to
make their homes, and hundreds of
lines of trade are to be opened in
every locality, men who are not satis-
fled with their lot in the east, and
young men who are just about to
start in the world on their own ac.
count, find a chance to establish
themselves. This cause, and the fer
tile, cheap land of the west which in.
creases in value in few months sufli-
| ciently to make the possessor of a
| few hundred acres rich, have always
operated as powerful magnets to
move the tide of emigration west
ward. These causes exist in as great
force, or even greater, now, than at
any time since the history of this
country commenced. The greater
population of the states east of the
frontier adds an impetus to the move
ment which increases constantly, and
has now acquired force never pos
sessed in any former years. There
are vast areas of fertile lands still un-
occupied in the Northwest, compris.
ing millions of square miles, which
are free to all who will come to live
OH them. AS long as this state of
things continues, the tide of emigra-
tion will continue to roll on. There
is no reason to think it will cease in
five years. OF ten years, or until the
whole fertile territory between this
and the Pacific coast is filled up.
OF course the influx into gwen sec
tions of the west will vary according
to the influences operating to direct it
here or retard it there. The failure
of crops in any locality for a success
sion Of seasons will depress enthusi.
asm in regard to that section, and
check emigration there. But the
tide will only turn i'll another direc.
tion. Like stream of water dam.
med up in its course, it will find an
other channel for it's flow.
Here in North Dakota we have all
the elements to draw very large
share of the westward movement
We have a vast territory yet unoc
cupied, of land as rich as lies under
the sun. And we have very strong
feeling in our favor existing through
out all the length and breadth Of the
states to the east of lis, as well as the
countries across the ocean. AS yet
we have experienced no setback in
the way of crop failures. The ele
ments have favored us while other
sections of country have greatly suf
fered from storms, floods and various
causes. The bad weather OF the pre-
sent summer, following hard Win
ter, is causing great deal of dissatis.
faction in many quarters of the east
and will doubtless tend to increase
the force of the tide toward the
Northwest. A private letter from
Ontario indicates the feeling which
exists in many localities. The wri
ter says: ''Thcre have been many days
of heavy rain, which made one feel
very gloomy and depressed, after
such long, snowy winter; in fact
the weather we have had has made a
great many people feel that they
must endeavor to find some place
where the climate is more equable.' y
Taking reasonable view of the
matter, therefore, we cannot doubt
that the movement westward will
continue for many years, and that
North Dakota will receive a large
share of the immigrants. This coun
try has a great future in view, and
it's prospects grow brighter as time
passes.