The Portland daily press., 1894-10-06

special trains IN acquisition to Get Immi-
grants from the West toethe seaboard-
scandinavians Going to Their Old
Homes in Large Numbers.
Chicago, October 5th.-One of the most
pronounced illustrations of the general
depression thrc ghout the country and
| one which is at ributed wholly to Demo-
| cratic misrule, is the extraordinary emil
grafton business being done by the steani-
ship lines.
According to the statements of the
steamship agents of Chicago, immigrants
have been leaving the United States for
their ole homes in European countries
at the rate Of LOCO per week through
Chicago for the last nine months. At
the present rate of emigration the
steamship agents says there will have
been nearly l2,000 people returned to Eu-
rope at the END of 1874 These figures
are authentic, being based on the ac-
tual business and the reports sf pros
pective buisness for the tall sent in by
the travelling agents, and do not include
cabin passen Zeis. Nearly every ship
leaving American ports is filled long be-
fore the day Of sailing with steerage pas
sengers who nave become discouraged,
and prefer to return to the old countries,
where living is cheaper, until better
times have come in the United States
Out of Colorado alone the steamship
agencies have booked thousands Ital-
ians, mostly n-inors, who were left to stare
upon the closing down of the silver mines,
and the rush back to Italy shows no signs
of aba tement.
Natives of sweden, Denmark and Norway
are returning home by the hundreds. The
steamship reports show that by far the
great majority of The steerage passengers
are leaving with barely enough money to
pay their expenses across the ocean.
The rate war among the steamship lines.
which has been for The past nine
months, is only Indirectly responsible for
the large emigration and merely afforded
the opportunity to leave, The inducement
being the prospect Of I, cheaper and safer
existence than is offered here at present,
The majority are expected to return within
two or three years, when radical change in
the affairs of the country is looked for. In
addition to the Zoo per week through Chi
cago there are large numbers returning by
way OF st. Paul and Minneapolis via Mon
treal, and the Southwest States are sending
hundreds every week by way of st. Louis.
swelling the list of emigrants to something
like S,t0a each week.
A special train with 200 scandinavian en-
grants left Chicago the other day 10 reach
New YoIk in time for sailing Special
trains are being made up regularly for the
foreig n.rs who had settled in Kansas, Neb-
1aska. Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and
Michigan, in order TO handle the heavy bus
mess.
Steamship ag nts do not hesitate to say
that the large exodus is due to the Demo-
cratic hard times. They also look forward
with satisfaction to the prospect of a Re-
publican administration which will bring
better times and second handling of the
emigrants on their return
I'VE. have done an extraordinary large
emigrant business this year." says Elliott
I. Montt, of the Scandal Line, land the
rush is still on. l have never seen such a
wild desire on the part of foreigners to get
out of the country. they nearly all say
they will return as soon as Times ct better.
and after the next general election we ex-
pect to do heavy business from the other
side. Very few people are coming over
now. and some who have been over but
few months are going back.
The exodus is due maiLly to the hard
times, and whit h are regarded by our peo-
pie as fixture until new government is
provided. OF course, tie cheap rates have
Influenced travel to slight extent but
when you are going across the water So or
So makes no difference, even if you have no
money to spare. It's a case of have to-
With the emigrants, and very few of them
taking back any money.