The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-16
OCCUPYING THE LAND
Northern Pacific Brings
Stream of Settlers.
PROMOTING THE FRUIT BUSINESS
Immigration Agent GrOat Tells of It's
Growth-The TrsnscOntinentsl
Collapse.

p. B. Groat general immigration agent of the
Northern Pacific railroad, 10 In the city in the
course of a trip over the road. In an interview
with PosT-lNrELLIGRNcER reporter he said:
immigration to the Coast is good and con-
tinues. 1t consists not 80 much OF foreigners as
OF people from the middle West. People from
New York. Pennsylvania and other far Eastern
states do not usually care to move so far at once,
but go to such ztates as Illinois, Iowa, Wsscon-
sin or Minnesota, where they can get cheap
land. After a lew years they say, swell, fhink
! will try this new country" They sell their
farms, worth $40 or $50 al acre. and move to
Eastern Washington, where they can ges land
for s. or $40 an acre, and better land at THAI. We
are not holding railroad land ut high prices, for
our policy is to sell it at moderate prices agd in
duce settlement.
There is no great movement of emigration
from the Dakotas to Manitoba has been
ported; in fact, the immigration into Canada
and the emigration from Canada to the Us,ited
States just about balances, though there might
be slight net gain. About year ago the Ca
madam governments sent missionaries to south
Dakota to procure settlers, and when they found
man who had a 500 or $500 mortgage Or his
farm they took it up and paid his fare to sIani--
toba, where they settled him on farm OF the
Manitoba II Northwestern railroad. Thee he
would remain practically slave to 3 land COM
pany until he had paid back the money they
had advanced to him.
We are making arrangements for the shipping
OF fruit from all parts of Washington ana are
giving the business every encouragement. We
fitting up refrigerator cars with Miller plat
forms, air brakes and all the appliances for rum
Ming them on passenge. trains While the fruit
of Washington is far superior to shat OF Caiifor-
mia, it has not had the standing In the Eastern
markets which California has had by reason of
its superior methods OF packing, with STAN
dard box for each kind and grade of fruit.
These improvements are now being introduced
i'll Washington, and measures are being taken to
spread information on the subject. so as to bring
about uniformity.
As result, shipments from this state are rap.
idly growing. At North Yak ma, on Tuesday,
saw between 200 aud 800 boxes OF peaches aud
melons shipped TO Seattle and Tacoma Fruit
shipments TO the East are also growing rapidly,
and the railroad company il using its efforts to
build up the fruit trade with Montana ana the
Dakotas. II is only question OF getting water
on the land in Eastern Washington and it will
become one of the greatest fruit districts in the
country. Western Washington also offers fine
opportunity for people to put a few acres under
cultivation. for the crops are so large that,
though it costs good deal for clearing, a man
does not have to clear much to make a good
living, whether he puts it in vegetables, hops or
fruit man with fifteen acres cleared and
planted will have as good thing man
with much larger acreage of prairie land.
The request for letters from farmers telling
their experience in the Northwest, which sent
out some time ago, has brought number OF
replies, which will be published some tinfe in
her