The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-25
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND
HIS SUCCESSFUL WORK OF CoLoNIZ-
ING IN MINNESOTA.
His Influence Strong with People
Whose Condition He Bettered by
Finding Homes for Them.

Graceyille Mimi, Letter in New York Post.
Archbishop Ireland's ringing address in
behalf of sound currency and against Popu-
lism will have a wonderful effect wherever
he is known in the agricultural Northwest,
but in no locality will it do more to bring
the people to the right side than in the
counties of west central and southern
Minnesota. This prosperous little city, In
the center of one of the most thriving
farming sections in the State, STANDS
monument to the zeal, wisdom and broad
| humanity of the great prelate. for 1t was
he who founded the celebrated Graceville
colony and made it possible for several
thousand poor men to secure fertile farms
in the best sections of the State.
The success of Archbishop's Ireland's eff
forts to better the condition of the poor
in this country as well as in Ireland, by
persuading them to settle on the rich lands
of Minnesota and making it possible for
the poorest who were willing to work to
do So has been remarkable. Eight colonies
in all were established and all have pros
| pered, and to-day these colonies are the
most thriving spots in five of the leading
! agricultural counties of the State. Grace
| vile, the last to be established and at the
| time farthest removed from the comforts
and advantages of civilization, in the his
!
/ tells the story of the entire movement.
| Twenty years ago there was great suffer-
| ing in the larger cities of the United
| States The problem of finding relief for
| the unemployed was then, as it has been
| for several years past, q serious question.
| A Western man who had studied this prob
| lem both in America and in Europe, Arch
| bishop Ireland saw that if the unemployed
| in the cities and in the distressed districts
| of Ireland could be brought back to the
! land their lot might be vastly improved.
! The problem in this country, as he said, is
| different from that of Europe. 'In this
| country" he wrote at that time, there is
| such a thing unemployed labor. but 1t
bears no comparison to the amount OF IN
| employed land. When the question OF the
| solution Of the labor problem, especially as
| it presents itself in cities, is discussed, it
will not do TO keep out OF view the almost
| limitiess treasures of wealth that are MD
| den only by grass of our Western pralrles.
| If the suffering poor of the cities could
| be placed upon the land the labor question,
| it would seem, would be disposed of, for
| the immediate present at least.
Filled with this idea, Archbishop Ireland
| devoted some time to the selection of suita-
| BILE locations. He finally settled upon no
less than eight different localities for as
Clontarf and De Graft. were in the west
| central part of Minnesota, while the other
| five Avoca, FuIda, Adrian Minneota and
| Client, were in the southwestern corner Of
| the State. At that time there was moth
/ ing. far as the eye could reach at any
| of these places, save the rolling, grass
| covered prairie, and the only people who
| had ever gazed on these sites of now pros
porous towns had been soldiers hunters
| and wild Indians The success of each of
| these colonies has been without parallel
| perhaps largely due to the fact that each
| man who came to these settlements stood
| on his own footing. There was no co
| operative scheme that was to make all rich
| and happy without work. The opportunity
| to locate upon rich free lands or cheap rail-
| road lands on long time was furnished, to-
gether with supplies to last the settlers I'M
| til they had raised q crop; but this was all
| This has produced communities OF inde-
| pendent men, who owe no man anything
| save Archbishop Ireland, and the only DEBT
owed MIN is one of gratitude for the plan
| of colonization and the hard work he per-
| formed in carrying it to successrui term
A SYSTEMATIC PLAN.
| When Archbishop Ireland had decided
| upon this plan, although it was vast in con-
| ception, the magnitude of which no one
| realized better to a greater degree than
| he it was systematized to the minutest de-
| tails. An agent was stationed In the EAST
| whose duty it was TO reach the poorer
| classes and show them the advantages to
| be had for the asking, if they were only
willing to work and endure for time the
| hardships that necessarily accompany the
| life of a pioneer although in this case
| they were to be under the Watchtul eye or
| friends who would not allow them TO want
| office was located in st. Paul. to which all
| intending settlers were first sent: At this
| office the immigrants were allowed TO make
| their choice of the colony thry preferred.
| Two agents were located at Gracevflle,
! one who was to look after the material IN
| terests of the settlers and the otner,
! faithful priest who was the friend and
comforter of all in a spiritual way. The
/ former was a level-headed man. and when
| the spring of 1873 arrived and brought the
| first party of settlers they found ten acres
| of land plowed and ready for cultivation
| for each head of family. These We're To-
| Gated on the lands either under the home
/ stead or tree-culture laws. the greater pro-
| rsortion of the lands around what Is now
Ciracevilie a that time belonging to the
| federal government, Knowing that the COZ
/ ony III successful would soon require more
l lands. Archbishop ireland went TO Presi-