The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-16
ON THE WESTERN TRAIL.
Indiana's Thrift and Enterprise Emil
grating to the Great West.
Republicans and Industrious Farmers Going
Vest, but Democrats Stay at HOme--Stat-
istics that May Explain Some Things.

"Is the man who has just left you good rep
resentative of the class who are seeking home:
in the newer Statesl" was asked of gentleman
largely interested in forming colonies for settle
ment in the West
Eyes He is. 90 Of hundreds seeking informa
ton with prospecting tour as the motive Dur
ing thrtpast two seasons family after family
Ihaye gone West from this State. One here and
fhere is not particularly missed, except by those
lin the immediate neighborhood, but the aggregate
emigration from the central States within two
-or three years past amounts to considerable"
The farmer, whose departure from the colony
office, after closing up his business, led to the
question and answer, is evidently of no slight
Simportance in his locality. His dress, care OF
Iperson intelligent investigation of the purpose
of his visit, indicated man of substantial quail
lties. He had about him the air of thrift and
energy. In a new country he would draw upon
IA bountiful resource of pluck, endurance and in
.dustry His honest, straightforward manner
Nof address gave assurance that in his present
shome he enjoys the respect of neighbors. and an
Influence in church and business affairs that can
salways be counted on for good, healthful en-.
<terprise.
such men are too valuable for emigrants.
Now he is somewhere about fifty years of age,
sand all signs do not fail he has had fair share
,of prosperity. He is going West to build anew,
sat the expense of his old home His place will
Ebe hard to fill. We're he younger, one might
attribute his desire for new fields of work to the
SAmerican liking for new conditions. Were
there less evidence of substance about him, his
-,
this case two of the chief causes Of emigration
bare absent. There must be cause What is
titl Surely, he is not the man to be caught by
any extravagant promises Of advertisements or
hope of large wealth"
81 have not had time to phlosophize on that
view of the matter. Emigration with me is purely
business transaction, but l assure you, in all
my transactions the would-be emgrants l have
come in contact with are of the class represented
by the man who has just left u.s." said the col
Onizer
'True, but perhaps you have a great deal of
information that is not altogether of business
value. | understand how men somewhat dis
satisfied with their conditions, although they
may be Of average prosperity, are attracted by
the promise of prolific lands where mere
scratching of the soil yields abundant harvests;
but dissatisfaction alone, unless of particularly
strong character, will not induce a man OF that
kind to sacrifice a bird in the hand for two In
%he BUSH"
HE has a cause, no doubt, and taking a
selfish interest in it is all that can do but
were relieved of the business feature of colo
MES and colony prospects do You think could
talk to him more fairly than did!'
mo. Your facts--as no doubt they are-were
intelgently and modestly presented. He knows
Just what he is going into, and if the grasshop-
hopper gets his first years crop, or cyclone de-
unands possession of his goods and chattels, or a
food carries him off, there is nobody to blame
but himself. Yet all that does not answer:
dnac 10 ant tn oct and hpOsD
again with conditions probably somewhat better,
and just as probably somewhat worse, as he be-
gan years ago|
II will turn over that phase of colonizing to
YOU and draw out of the investigation, except
1whern can be of service in giving you what in
formation you want, said the colonizer Mr.. E.
IT. Allen "and as starter, here are hundreds of
letters of inquiry you can peruse at your Leisure
The service was accepted, the letters taken at
random. and the revelations classified generally
under the head People Who Want to Get
Away" These letters asked for infor-
NATION, and showed that the spirit
of emigration was not confined to any
one locality. AS to Indiana, the small farmer in
Montgomery county wanted to know what his
fellow farmer in johnson county asked for, and
the inquiries Of the one in Greene were dupli-
Gated by an investigator in Shelby. Bare ques-
lions of the kind could not furnish much more
information than the fact that the emigration
movement, to Kansas especially, is of greater
limit than casual observation indicates. From
4his State principally affected are Carroll, Cass,
Clark Clay, bartholomew. Boone Greene,
johnson, Henry. Putnam, Shelby, Sullivan,
Morgan, Montgomery and Vigo. These repre-
sent sections of the State where small farmers o!
prosperous conditions either as renters or own
ers have contributed largely to agricultural ad
vancement and it would appear that among
them would be found general contentment com
pared with the risks and chances offered in q
new country. 1t is fair supposition that a,
the worst in any year in these counties living
is assured to the class that is affected by the
spirit of emigration, and in finding motives and
causes the investigator is compelled largely tc
disregard the common forces of seeking
new settlements. He discovers that
large proportion of these people are doing
well here and that for individual pos
present nothing better is offered in the West
why, then. does Indiana at loss contribute to
4he wealth and prosperity of Kansas and Other
Western Statesi
WORKING FOR THE FUTURE.
One of the best answers to the question in thu
aast paragraph is furnished in the desire of small
Aolders and renters to make better provision fo
their children. Considering themselves they arr
satisfied, but of the years of hard toll, econom!
and selfsacrifce the result, while giving enough
for present needs, is not enough for division
among a large family. Forty eighty acres O
and in the older States will yield o living blu
amount to nothing in starting in, life two o
three sons and offer chance for large &C
eumuations of savings. The man of forty-f
or fifty years of age, in any movement from al
old home to a new, is thinking of the future, no
as to himself, but family. Therefore, he gather
together his possessions and goes West
eff be has means why does not he invest then
about the old homel Land can be purchase,
there as well as in the new States" one may ask
''Land is high-priced in the old States" will b
che answer, as it was that of w. D. Hynes, of tn
Southern Kansas railway. with the S., 900 o
$40 900 which is about the average surplus
where there is any. you can expect to find in tn
middle class of farmers but little land can b
purchased at the prevailing rate in this State.
say little but that is in comparative sense.
may secure enough for one or two but no
enough for three or four, at which you can aver
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