The Van Buren press., 1897-03-27
HOMES IN THE COUNTRY.
How TO Turn the Trend Toward CitS
Life Hack to the Soil.

How to Turn the Trend Toward titS
Life Back to the SOIL.
An intelligent writer of Maryland adj
dresses this letter to Gen. Felix Andrus'
himself tiller of Gods given acres:
would you kindly allow me space
through the columns of your widely
read journal to place my views before
your readers regarding the best means
of relieving distress already existing
and increasing annually throughout
these United States? Distress and des-
titution exist in all the large cities OF
the union. Thousands of dollars are an
nuallv distributed all over the country,
charitable institutions and other means
of relieving this distress, but, neyerthe-
less. the number of those destitute and
depending on charity is increasing. Can
this state of affairs be improved upon'
and if so, how? AT least so per cent.
of the immigrants coming to this coun-
try were reared in agricultural districts
in Europe, but on arriving at New YORK;
Boston. Philadelphia, New Orleans, etc,
they think no more of farming life, to
which they were raised, but they settle
in the already overcrowded towns and
cities. Besides this, the tide of immi-
grafton. even at home here, has the
wrong turn. 1t is from the country to
the city, when the reverse should be the
case.
There is hardly a state in the union
which has not its thousands OF areas
awaiting the care, handling and man
agement of the agricultural laborer.
Not n state in the union but is trying
to induce eolonists TO settle within Its
borders. know hundreds of large land
owners in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana,
Alabama and other states, who have
thousands of acres for sale and open for
settlement. But they want cash for
their lands, and so the land lies on their
hands.
snow, supposing, the state of Mary
land would set the ball rolling and try
the following experiment.: Let her
(the state) buy what lands she can,
how she can, and at as reasonable
figure as she can. Let her COLOMBO these
lands with agricultural laborers, not
from Europe, but right here from their
own Baltimore. Say, for instance, the
state fund in Baltimore, 100 families,
more or less, who are actually depend
ing on charity for living. Give each
family 100 acres, more or less. Build
them house, give them the necessary
stock and agricultural implements to
cultivate these 100 acres, the necessary
seed for the first year, build school i'll
or for each colony, give them also med
icine and medical attendance for the
first year, and appoint special agent
to attend to all this. Give them the
proceeds of their farm work the second
| year free, and thus give them good
start. Let each family begin to pay
back to the state the third year so
| much, the amount1 10 be stipulated after
thorough consideration, per acre per
year, as rent for ten years, when the
| land shall become the property of the
| colonists.
| This scheme is simple, and it may
be considered visionary, but l have seen
| it worked.
/ EuCH ldllfllN, uOW uIl1OSl Sldi III
no work, no home, nothing but distress
| and poverty on all sides, will find them
| selves owners of their own homes, pro
| ducing all the necessaries of life. They
| will be away from the trials, the sick
| ness and vicissitudes of city life. They
could have their churches, their schools
| their innocent and healthy amusements
| their school entertainments, and, after
| awhile, the country life would be the
| desired and desirable, not the disagree
| able and avoided, life it is. Those now
| starving and depending on charity and
| living in idleness and its temptations
| would be producers, and independent
| citizens. They would be living where
| God intended them to live-on the land
| which was created for their use. The
state would not lose nickel by d
scheme of this kind, if it were carried
out in proper manner.
"If l could get land on these terms,
| could myself get 500 families in either
st. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, Pitts
burgh or Philadelphia, who were raised
| on farms in Europe, and who would
gladly exchange the city for country
life, if they only got the means to sus-
tain them, and help them until they got
on their feet. All the charity in the
world will never do away with the neces-
sity for charity. Street cleaning, pub
lie works, ice cutting, etc, as tenn
porary relief, will be only temporary
| and poverty and want will continue to
exist amid plenty. Ameri.
| can.