The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-31
The Santa Fe and Kansas.

IL is now nearly seventeen years since the
last great movement Of domestic migration
IN the United States came to an end, and
the conditions are such that there viii
prooaoiy never be another movement of the
Kind Domestic migration has been going
on steadily since early colonial days with
recurrent periods of special interest. and
at every financial panic some measure OF
relef was found in emigration TO the va
cant lands of the west No considerable
relief come from which the country is now
slowly recovering. There are no more cheap
ana desirable vacant lands in large areas
ana the last great wave of domestic mi
grafton that this country is likely TO SEE
was that which followed the panic of 1873
says the New York Evening Post.
Inc movement OF domestic migration
from 1874 TO 1850 was the first 10 be syste-
maticaiiy promoted and directed by the
railroads then recently extended into the
lar west. There was some such prom
ton few years earlier. and the movement
begun in 1874 continued after a fashion for
the next ten years. Much of the movement
was directed towards peopling the region
cetween the Rocky mountains and the Ms
sour river, while Texas received an enor-
nous toe of domestic immigrants. The
| movement is sometimes spoken of as in
|
dren, doubtless an exaggeration, but the
fact that the Arkansas valley in Kansas
received about 17o.oO0 immigrants in four
years is significant.
Much of the immigration into the Arkan-
sas valley was directed by the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, and New
Yorker who helped in the promotion Of the
work has an interesting story to tell of the
| movement. The panic of 1873 and the de-
preston of the next few years checked for
| elSn immigration for time and brought
| ABOUT great distress among the people of
the east and the middle west. The newly
completed railroads into the western coun-
try, robbed of their expected food of for
eign immigrants, undertook nevertheless
to open up their lands to settlement, and
! the disconnected of the east and of the mid
die west took the place of the usual stream
| of Europeans.
| Land offices were tabiished in the re-
| eion to be settled, every station agent was
| also land agent and ticket-sellers through
out the middle west. the east and the south
were made agents of the railway compa-
f! MES for the purpose of promoting immigra-
ton into the vacant lands. Special arrange
ments were made with the eastern rail-
ways whereby domestic immigrants were
at low fares, and special observation tick
cts" were issued emitting the holder to
travel into the territory of the Atchison
and for an additional ten dollars to traverse
the whole line, and If dissatisfied with the
prospects to return to his home Never be-
fore had it been possible for an eastern man
of small means thus to examine his posi-
Die future home in the far west before de-
Gliding upon a change of residence. II was
especially conceded that should a person
using such a ticket decide 10 settle some
where on the Enc his ten dollars should be
credited in part payment for the land he
was to purchase.
The middle west and much of the east
and south were soon thick with advertise
ments of the western railway lands II was
good country and the advertisements
spoke well of it with truth, though doubt
less the condition of the Kansas farmer
was painted roster colors than the facts
warranted The whole region to be drawn
upon for settlers was divided into districts
and an agent was placed in charge of each
district. The Atchison company was the
first to adopt the device of land lectures"
delivered free in school houses, churches
and lecture halls all over the country east
OF the Mississippi. The possible settler had
directly from the lips of one who had seen
the new country detailed account of its
soil, climate, products and scenery These
lectures attracted large and attentive audi
ences. Struggling farmers and idle mechan-
les clutched the hope of better times In a
broad country with room for all.
Colonies for immigration began 10 form
in all parts of the older-settled regions.
Even New England and the Dutch" coun-
Ties OF Pennsylvania were reached and stir
red. The bulk of the new settlers, how
ever, came from the middle west and IN
Guided thousands who had already emf !
grated from the east. Acquainted with the |
hardships of pioneer life, they bodily left |
homes they had wrested from the wilder |
ness, and set out anew for an untamed |
country. 1t is we'll known to nurserymen |
that young forest tree is less likely to |
bear transplanting well than one that has |
been disturbed time and again In the nur- |
sery. So. too. apparently, the human plant |
Farms and homes left behind were sold for |
less than their value, but the new land was |
cheap and the new dwellings were TO be |
mud huts or some such rough shelter, so |
little money was needed. German farmers |
In Lancaster county, Pennsylvania whose |
ancestors had bought their lands directly /
from the descendants of Penn. sold their
beautifully titled farms in the finest farm
ing region of this continent to begin life
anew upon the plains of Kansas.
Agents of the companies often went with
the colonists and saw them settled in their
new homes. Here was the method as IL
Illustrated by the case of a colony from Penn
sylvania. The colony numbering sixty men,
women and children, took a comfortable
special car at Harrisburg. where the COM
pany's agent Joined them. The coIonists
were a neat and well-brought-up company. !
They brought food for the journey, and the
agent made a few simple rules, mostly of |
sanitary nature. The car was swept daily |
by the women. and the agent gave the hint |
TO take the opportunity at one station or
another TO wash their hands and faces. The
journey was made TO Topeka without incl
dent. and the whole colony was lodged at
a cheap hotel, while the heads OF families
visited the company's general land Office
and arranged for going out on the line.
The colon;sts finally went TO a little town.
and there lodged in a Methodist church
while they looked about for suitable land.
None was found just there, and the colo
lists went ten miles further 10 the county
seat. Here they were lodged in the court
rouse. and having selected their lands
hey at once began TO build shelters.
They were not in a wilderness. but build (
ng materials were high. and although there ,
we're carpenters in the country they were
busy. and wages. too. were high. The men
If the colony helped one another. and the
ew carpenters among them built houses
or all. while the farmers pioughed the
ands OF the carpenters. There was a vast
leal of nejghborly good fellowship and
.elpfullness. but no thought OF land-hold-
ng in common The socIalistic idea mad