The morning call., 1893-06-08
THE QUESTION OF POPULATION.


A comparison of the tables of the late
census leads to some curious discoveries
Minnesota and the Dakotas are not ideal
States to live in. They grow large crops
of wheat. but hardly anything else. When
the wheat crop fails the people have a
hard time. The climate is severe. The
winter is long and bitterly cold. Such
long distances divide the place of produc-
ton from the nearest distributing market
that the bulk of the money realized by the
wheat is absorbed by the carrier, leaving
bare pittance for the farmer The
States are not intersected by navigable
rivers, thus the railroads must maintain
forever monopoly OF trans portation; they
need never fear cheap water transporta-
ton. On the other hand California yields
every variety of product. 1t will grow as
fine wheat as Dakota, and, with proper
skill in cultivation. as much of it to the
acre. 1t will produce finer barley than
Dakota; IL will grow every kind Of fruit.
and almost every kind of wine; it yields
gold. silver, quicksilver and lead 1t en-
ys climate that prolonss life beyond the
ancient span and makes every hour of it
enjoyable. Throughout its length it is
Yet we find, on looking over the census
of 1890, that in the decade 18S0-90, Mime
sofa increased her population $4,000. or 70
per cent: Dakota increased hers 275, 900. or
just 200 per cent, while California only in
creased hers $4,000 or 40 per cent. That
is very curious anomaly.
1t is partly accounted for by the intelli-
gent efforts which are made by the people
or the Government or the railroads or the
grain States of the Northwest to attract
foreign immigration. In a late Gumber of
the american Artizdn there is a notice of
phrase book just issued and distributed
on the wharves of New York to newly ar
rived Swedish immigrants. 1t appears
that the State of Texas has been making
efforts to attract foreign settlers, and 1t is
at these efforts that this publication is
aimed 1t is in the form of a catechism
and is published in parallel colums in
Swedish and En- glish. One section reads:
Q.-After land in New York shall 1 there
stay?
A.-No. You should take a train and 60
West 10 Minnesota or Dakota, where you can
get a g farm with little money.
Q.-Why shall 1 not 60 to Texas?
A.-Texas Is not a good place for the Swedes
TO go. The people are not good like In Min
mes ota but had and fierce. The people liVr in
second stories and pull up their ladders at
night, or else The cowboys would rob them. No
Swede must go to Texas.
Similar fatheriy a dvice is, no doubt,
rendered to immigrants who con templated
casting their lot in California. 1t Is more
than likely that the innocent Swede is told
on landing at Castle Garden that we are a
ta NJ Hota
Lynch. addicted TO robbery. brutality and
murder, and that the advice is supple
mented by copy of Mr.. Wiiley's circular
showing that thousands of workmen are
dying here of starvation. An Immigration
agent in New York who was working for
a land company in Minnesota lately con-
fessed that he carefully pasted in scrap
book all the paragraphs he could find in
San Francisco papers showing that this is
a disorderly community and that the al
legged profits of agriculture and horticul-
ture in this State are imaginary.
Comment on such things is superfluous.
The situation speaks for itself. Many of
our people imagine that the European i'm
migrants who are arriving at New York
al the rate of half a million year ale as
well informed as Americans. That is
mistake. 1t is often necessary to remind
even Englishmen that Colorado is not the
capital of Denver and that the Columbia
is not the river up which Columbus sailed
when he discovered Hispaniola. If the
descendants of our ancestry are so de-
icient in Information respecting this
country how must it be with the peasants
of Sweden. Germany and Hungary? Are
we taking any pains to inform the better
class among these immigrants that it
would be for wiser for them 10 pitch their
tents on this slope than to burrow in the
snowdrifts of Minnesota? If we are not,
we must not be surprised if the census of
1900 shows a continuing relative increase
in the population of the grain States over
that of this State.