The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1894-01-27
IMMIGRATION.

for an immigration Of farmers aud
farm lAborera Of the truth of this as.
sertion there Is abundance of evidence.
"There are thousands whoo would
60 South If there was some ono TO start
the ball" Thus writes a New Eng
lond farmer. A letter from Minneso-
to gives q long list Of persons anxious
to come South, aud expressing ths
hope that "God will aid in the move
ment for the benefit of. us frozen
denirens Of the Northwest" Still an
other letter says "The South will beat
California for fruit: l have lived In
California and know whereof | rite. I"
Southern publications and public men
oil over the country are receiving let
tiers from North and West, making in.
quiries and repeating the earnest de-
sire Of settlers to come 10 the South.
The causes promoting this move
ment are too manifest, and have been
too often stated to receive recspitula-
tion here. They have long existed in
dormant sta.e-awsiting . due en-
couragement In the South, and the
proper recognition In the North. These
factors are at last actively aroused
and bid fair henceforth to fuse and
fructify together. Enough time and
argument has been spent on this sab.
ject. Its dosirability and advantages
are acknowledged by ali far-seeing and
public spirited men. 1t is time for &C.
tion-for the people Of the South to
prove that they are In earnest in the
matter. Speaking for the Delta we re-
joicc TO say that the much agitated
plan has crystallized, and there is now
nothing IN the way OF an influx Of i'm
migrants--laborers, renters, or small
farmers, wishing to purchase land. A
number Of the most prominent plant-
ers In this and adjoining counties have
laid aside considerable bodies of land
for the express purpose Of giving i'm
mediate employment to white labor
ers. A colony Of twelve families 10
now on route from Ohio, and have
been assigned to the Bee Bayou plan
tat'on Of Major G. M. Helm. They
are ltslians-of the same class as those
who live on the Sessions place; aud
who have proved their adaptability to
the climate and labor of Delta farm.
Ing. The agent who sends them re-
ports that he can procure any number
who are willing and anxious to come,
provided their transportation 10 ad-
vanced. In the case of the IL families
mentioned this difficulty was met by
Major Helm a. soon as It was suggest-
cd, and other planters are ready to
make the same arrangement. Mr.. Jas.
s. Richardson, Capt. W. L. Gay, Capt.
W. W. Stone, DR.. A. j. Phelps aud
Capt. John Willis are some Of the
planters In the Greenville district who
are most interested In the plsu, al
though IL is viewed with general ap-
proval. Mr.. Chas. Sessions, of Coaho-
ma county, 10 offering large portion
of bis plantation for sale In 20 and 40
acre tracts to bona fide settlers, aud
this is the plan adopted by .all those
who do not wish to rent Such colo
nists will be 80 located and housed az
to satisfy their social and religious
needs. During the last summer Mr..
Sessions rented 200 acres to Italian
farmers. On this 200 acres, in the face
ofa most unfavorablc season. theymade
100 bales Of cotton, ample crops of corn
and all the oats, hay and potatoes they
needed. They paid $3.50 per acre,
and every other obligation they owed.
They bought stock, made gardens and
raised poultry. At this time some Of
them are still holding q portion Of
their cotton, and oil are comfortable
aud satisfied.
The railroads and steamboat lines
are as mucn or more Interested In this
question than them planters themselves
and have pledged themselves to put
down the cost to transportation to al
most nominal fgures Many plsnta-
tions In the county are now in the
hands of loan syndicates or foreign
capitalists. Some Of these places are
worn and unproductivs for Gotten, but
unsurpassed for fruit and grain, and
only need year or two of intelligent
care to bring the back to their origi-
nal condition. II would be greatly to
the advantage to the companies own