Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-29

vii be numbered among the things of the
 past. Something shou.d be done to com
 pensate for the loss of these industries
 There is TO way of overcoming this, ex-
 cept by settling up the country with
 small farmers and encourage thsm in
 truck gardening, growing semi-tropical
 fruits, nuts, grapes, etc.
 To present these facts to the northern
 farmer will and must have very decid-
 Sd tendency to settle up our unemployed
 lands. My observation is that no better
 opportunity ever presented itself than in
 West Florida, South Alabama and Ms
 sissippi, for the establishment of the
 above named enterprise. The indus
 tries alone are sufficient to attract the
 average farmer from Iowa, Wisconsin,
 Minnesota and the Dakotas and that ter
 rltory whose inhabitants are now striv-
 Ing hard in a few months of th= year
 with one staple crop of wheat to make a
 living for their respective families Not
 only do they have only this one crop to
 rely upon, but to make the situation
 doubly sever, is the long, hard cold and
 tlresome winters to contend with, while
 With us, the sun shines just little
 brighter than any other place in Gods
 green earth.
 It is unnecessary for m= to dwell long,
 CT upon our many advantages and great
 possibilities, by going into details. You
 are all familiar with the products of the
 soil, our balmy climate, free from the
 lHClSilSul WlnIeTS, neHltn, tlc., WHICH
 climate enables the tenderest plants and
 vegetables to be grown out of doors and
 shipped to northern markets at fancy
 pricss, when they have nothing else but
 snow. This Is one of the many reasons
 why railways should promote a hearty
 immigration, and encourage 'all good
 people in their coming
 Cullman stands out boldly today as a
 monument of perfect success, and shows
 the feasibility of successful colonies in
 tha south. Then again my mind dwells
 upon newer colony scarcely one year
 old of which am proud. That of Thors-
 by, Chiffon county. Ala. This is com
 posed of a desirab class of Scandina-
 vians, live, energetic and industrious
 young men and families from the great northwest.
 They ar4 devoting their energies to the
 culture of grapes, fruits and diversified farming. It will be but short time when the railways will feel it's great i'm portance in the way of shipping fruits, etc. I could dwell at length upon At more, Fitzg srald. Fruithurst etc.
 From my previous remarks it would
 seem a duty involving on all railways,
 the necessity for them to use all reason abl diligence in securing a good class
 of immigrants to settle within the t=rri-
 tory upon and strictly tributary to their system.
 It is hardly necessary for me to remark for it is generally conceded that profita-
 ble traffic is the one great ines ntiv3 that
 prompts the undertaking of building
 trunk lines, and the greatest revenue is
 derived always from that known as "lo-
 cal" i. e.: that which originates at local
 points along tha system Of railways. In
 cases of building, this is generally brought about by the cedng of each alternate section of agricultural lands for given number of miles on each side of the roads right-of-way. The quick ttfv, rNf 1ol, 1a1 6c tn colo Q growing of grain, cattls, sheep and other commodities are shipped to large mar kets in the interior. This naturally be- comes a prime necessity with most or the land grant railways. My personal views are that it pays probably better to ex- pend money in the building up of traffic from local points than in expending 1t to obtain traffic from connecting lines. My reason is that the division of revenue from such sources is said to leave littlr if any net revenue from transportation of such freight. I could illustrate and extemporize on this subject to any length, and give the data regarding the shipping of lumber from the south to Ohio river gateways, compared to the shipment of the same to points beyond, all this to draw the comparison why the local business is more profitable. If this is applicable in one instance 1t only proves beyond question that 1t is to the interest of railways to build up their ter rtory adjacent to their lines, and see no way more clearly than In putting a class of people who will enter into diver sified farming and stock raising, and In this way furnish the lines a frelght traffic from local points. However, l will adhere to the necessity of all lines doing all that Is consistent in filling up the country with the desirable lmmi- grant. I do not believe railway corpor' ation is in duty bound to do any more proportionately towards accomplishing this move than the state, county, clty or town or even the people themselves re. siding along it's line, in the promotion of immigration and vice versa. This brings if down practically to a cooperative af- fair. to the extent of each doing thelr en- tire duty in the premises. farmer who has an excess Of lana suita ble to agricultural pursuits, IS about the first one to be benef1ted py lmmlsIa tion. as he comes in contact with the horticulturist truck gardener, stock raiser. etc., who enable him to obtain a fair price for lands which in the past proved of little if any profit to him. fel I have found very few land owners Wno are willing to join an organization in th cir immediate neighborhood or district, who were willing to expend few dol lars towards the maintenance Of sucn an owganlzation to aid and foster immi- cration and at the same time they would admit it profitable and a public benefac- r,
 results. Without such an organization in the towns and cities along the rail- ways, the most strenuous efforts Of those engaged by the lines to promote immi- grafton will bring about but small re- Suits comparatively, that would be ob, tained in conjunction with such unlted organizations These within themselves, if well officered and worked, with req sonabIe energy are really the base Of op- eration from which great results in inn migration can be accomplished. There Is nothing to be gained without united CO., operation of both. Show me city, town or district with an enthusiastic, har- monious organization of this Kind, ana l will show you a prosperous and happy people made so by the benefits arising from a healthy immigration from the
 north and west. This brings me to what
 my limited experience has taught can
 he brought into existence throughout
 the length and bredth of the territory of A liberal trunk line railway.
 If is the r,-ral impression of great
 many he . met in my travels, and so
 errIph1xizei by cur las. general assembly,
 arti direcsay contrary to t5a wishes Of our
 exnellent governor, Jos ph F. ] ohnston,
 si,rr- ,1 fl1Itx