The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1888-03-23
THE BEST ON THE GLOBE
THE LAND AND CLIMATE OF
MNNlEaEANA.
A strong Tide OF Western KEl1-
InigratIOn Already Pouring
into she State The GomveE-
tlOn win Accomplish q Vast
Deal Of Good.

L NAAAaAAA @'etNhNf-
A States reporter called on Col. w,
Fl. Harris, State Commissioner of Inn
migration, and asked him TO furnish g
few facts concerning the advantages
Louisiana offered immigrants. He
willingly complied with the request
and said; "We have right here IN
Louisiana the best lands and the
healthiest climate TO be found on the
| globe, and the people are beginning
TO find it out and TO come to this
State. The immigration of Western
men to Louisiana has been greater
than to any Southern State except
Texas, and this is the kind of immi-
grafton we want.
"How many Of these Western peo-
pie have made their homes in South
western Louisiana, say 10 the past
FIVE years"
"Well, it is difficult TO make an ex.
act estimate, but Professor Knapp aud
Others, who are in a position TO know,
say that at least 10000 Western peo-
pie, men, women aud children, have
settled in the southwestern portion Of
the State in the past five years. This
will not prove improbable 10 one who
will examine the records Of The United
States and State Land Offices, see not
the large tracts of land sold TO wealthy
individuals and corporations, but the
number OF homesteads and timber
claims which have been taken up BY
heads of families.
THR TIDE oF IMMIGRATION
I'has found its way to Southwest Louisi,
ana, not that it was lauded higher than
the balance Of the State, but for the
reason that the same condition exist
ed nowhere else in.the United States,
to-wit: Prairie land at $l4 for 160
acres, even climate and regular rain.
fall, we'll water at at depth Of fifteen
feet and an everlasting meadow Of
natural grasses Five years ago | re-
garded these lands as poor but re-
gard them so no longer The Western
people who have settled in Calcasieu
parish gather the prairie grass, press it
into bales and sell II, clearing $40 an
acre, and in decade from now these
lands will be worth more than cot
ton plantation. The Western farmers
prefer tho Southwestern portion Of
our State because they are used to a
prairie region aud say that it is easier
to put in cultivation forty acres Of
prairie land than It is to clear one
acre OF timber land. Five years ago,
at Jennings Station, 40 acres of land
was all that was taken up for ten miles
around, induced Mr., S, L. Gary, Of
Iowa, to settle there, and he was so
we'll pleased that he sent off TO parties
In the Western States over 1000 Of
the books issued by the State Depart
ment Of Immigration, setting forth
the resources Of Louisiana In short
time many Of his relatives and friends
came out and
SETTLED AND THEY BROUGHT OTHERS,
and the result is thriving and most
prosperous community at Jennings.
| ] am in receipt Of letter from Mr.,
s. T. Carey, who has been appointed
| Immigration Agent for the Southern
Pacific road, that he is now on his way
| to New Orleans with a party Of 200
home.seekers, who are going into the
southwestern part Of the State TO pros
pect and buy homes, If you once get
a neucleus Of Western farmers estab-
lished in one place they viii bring ont
Others and gil up the surrounding
country. II is a difficult matter, how
ever, TO get them to come separately,
because they think that the Southern
people do not desire immigration, and
are not anxious 10 settle among peo,
pie whom they imagine are hostile to
| them.h
! 0What are the advantages offered
to settlers in Southwestern louisiana
HTheir name Is many. Farmers
arc enabled TO raise corn, cotton, oats,
| fruit and sorghum and all the choice
grasses. Besides that portion Of the
State is famous for stock raising.
Last week there were 200 Western
people in Lake Charles hunting
| homes, and Of that number at least
| 100 bought land and 10000 acres
were sold BY one firm, Ten sites
were also bought ID the town by some
wealthy men who gave orders for the
| building of cottages which they will
occupy hereafteras their winter rest
/ dences. AT the present time AL the
hotels on the Southern Pacific road
from Lafayette to Lake Charles arc
filed with home seekers. This viii
4 give you a faint idea Of what Western
farmers think Of theA AAttakapas prair-
lest
i "What advantages does North Lou.
isiana offer ~ inquired the reporter.
'.There arc no better lands ID the
worldn replied Col. Harris ''than tbose
of
NORTH AND pENTRAL LOUISIANA,
There Sc have tha Bluff lands, the
good uPlands, The pine, alluYial and
| the rcd or amulastop upon which
wheat cap be raiaea Louisiana can
raise al the eropa raised in she North
and others, snch as sngar ahd Flca K
i'What have You ID say about thc
Florida parishesn 7
Observation-Disclosures of climate fog ffah
and vegetable growing ana shcsp and
stock raising, none are better All
lhe "a fields and cleafi1gs along tho
Amile liver aFe covered with ihe cas
Bet gsas sre gilhip ths pat three