, 1884-09-12

representing, as TINS company doeS,
large ocean and land transportation inter
ests. and having, by reason Of their ex-
tensive European agencies and corporate
organizations, unequaled facilities for Sc
Letting, transporting and locating the very
best class of immigrants from France,
Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Sweden,
etc, and such as, from their previous
habits, education and pursuits, would be
best qualified for settlers in the States
named, it is the desire to submit to the
owners of lands contiguous to the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad system
proposition looking to a land-pool, which
must aggregate not less than $4,000 acres,
the interest of each to depenp upon the
value of the acreage put in. In order
that the interests of the different parties
may be equalized and determined, the
lands pooled shall be surveyed into tracts
of twenty-five acres or more, with refer
ence TO a proper distribution of water,
timber and cultivable lands, and shall be
valued by a disinterested board of ap-
p~raisers, consisting of not less than three
persons competent in such matters, and
entirely independent of, and unconnected
with the interests involved, to be nomin-
ated by those Joining in this plan, and the
pooled interests of each landowner shall be
based upon this valuation. Certificates
of this interest will be issued TO the sew
eral owners in exchange for the lands,
which will be placed in the hands of Il
trust company, or trustees mutually Sc
lected. So soon as the trustees are in
possession of these lands and can pass
title for any tract that may be sold, the
Baltimore & Ohio Immigration COM
pany will proceed, with the aid of the
foreign emigration agencies associated
with it & the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad company, to secure the
most thrifty and desirable immi-
grants, and such as are best adapted to
the peculiarities of climate and soil of the
tracts to be settled, and transport and
locate them upon such lands within a rea-
sonable period and without expense to
the land owners. In order to secure the
best kind of immigrants, provision will be
made for furnishing houses, tools, cattle,
etc to the immigrants it settles on said
lands, upon reasonable terms, so as to en-
able them to make a good start.
This is a sketch Of n plan which, it is
believed, will readily commend itself to
favorable consideration. 1t needs no
argument to show, ifcarried out, the great
advantages which will result to all con-
cerned, particularly to those who own
large tracts of land now substantially in
the wilderness and difficult of disposal at
remunerative prices. Under the pro-
gramme proposed such lands can be sold,
populated and improved without trouble
or expense to their owners other than the
appropriation of 25 per cent. of the net
proceeds, which, it is believed,
would be almost Immediately more
than covered by the enhanced
value of such adjacent tracts as they
might reserve for private disposition.
The history OF settlements in the West
and Northwest shows that where land
companies with sufficient resources have
been properly managed, under well-or-
dered systems the result almost invariably
has been large profits and benefits to all
concerned. While the conditions under
which settlement must be made in the
above named States are essentially differ
ent from those encountered by colonial
ton societies in the West, it is believed
that the proposed plan can be started
under such favorable auspices as will
insure equally favorable results.