Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-03

By Hon. M. V. Richards, of Washington,
 Not many years ago there came into my
 office out west of the Mississippi gen.
 tleman from an eastern state. He was
 looking for home for his wife and
 children; was unable to purchase and
 operate a farm in his native state, so
 came west, Being hard working. hon
 est fellow, he soon secured forty" acre
 tract of land for $5 per acre upon easy terms. No payment required by the
 owner for three years. His family soon followed and with the very few dollars he started. By strict economy and prudent mana gement the farm was paid
 for long before the amount was due. He rapidly improved the land extended his buildings, purchased more land and to- day is an independent citizen. He at all times believed in the improvement and betterment of the country schools where his children first attended, and from there to the town and graded schools thence to the colleges. These children were educated and are prominent citizens | as well. That man grasped the opportu- nifty just as many others did and will continue to do. The west is full of such examples-but change is upon us. There is no more west, such as we had In those days. THE SOUTH IS TODAY TO THE | HOMESEEKER WHAT THE WEST | WAS THEN. Hence, the people of the east now situated like the gentleman re- | ferred to was when he journeyed west will have to come southi We want that | kind of people. If he has only limited amount of capital and is honorable and | upright, we want to and will make room 1 for him. We want his success and the | achievements of his children to set up as an example. If he has large capital l we want him-we have so many avenues l for its good use and safe returns. WE | DO NOT WANT the undesirable class, | the unreliable, the non-progressive, the pessimist, the chronic kicker.
 DO WE WANT FOREIGN IMMIGRA- TON?
 This is a question which meets with l the approval as well as the non-approval of so many that it might be we'll to give some facts and figures. Personal experi- | ence is great factor in studying these questions, and I desire to relate little biography. When I was a boy my home was out in that western country where so many people direct from Europe emi- grated. Time and again have I been play ing around my fathers office, when in would come the emigrant; just landed that morning direct from the steamer, which anchored him in New York, for the first time upon American soil He came with his wife and children, pos sessed of only a few dollars and lack of knowledge of our language, customs,
 manners, etc. That people came to us to live, gain a home, educate their chill dren and become good American citizens They encountered difficulties, but by per- sistent work they secured the long cher ished home and gradually met success Possibly some of the elder people never
 learned to speak the English language they reached our shores after the period of life to cultivate new language had elapsed, but we tody find the children of
 that people leaders in our commercial and social affairs. They have been ex-
 tremely successful, and the section of country in which they live bears evidence
 of prosperity. I will acknowledge that
 possibly we have coming to our lands
 undesirable emigrants That class we don't want, and should, and will discour- age their settling among us. During the
 year ending June 30, 1896, there were
 263,709 emigrants come into the United States; 144,073 of the number either have been in the United States before or went
 to relatives already in this country; 11S,636 were brand new" emigrants.
 Certainly there were many of that mum
 Der who could have found in the south
 the best of locations. The nucleus is
 being formed in the south for these peo-
 pie.
 We are already getting colonies of Ger
 mans, Scandinavians and other nationali-
 ties and the people abroad are beginning
 to hear about this settlement in the
 south. They get down the atlas of the
 world, find the map of the United States
 and locate Alabama and other southern
 states. They make inquiry about these
 southern settlements, learn all they can
 about their success and the country in
 which their people reside. Then they
 will occasionally obtain such information
 as I have today, which is quoted below
 from my church paper, as follows:
 Thanksgiving day will be ever memor-
 able as the day of the blizzard, mercury
 registering from 10 to 20 degrees below
 zero, snow falling fast and wind raging,
 according to measurement, from forty
 to sixtyone miles an hour. Trains were stalled, roads were blocked, travel was at a standstill; farmers could not haul lig-
 mite; trains could not bring it; coal yards
 soon exhausted their supply, and poor of wood to prevent freezing. Thinking
 that the fuel necessary to heating of the
 large church would be better used by
 keeping it in reserve for those needing fuel. and letting union services be held.
 the pastor announced accordingly. The reserve was soon in demand, and was
 timely relief until the rotary snowplow could dig out trains, buried up to smoke stack, and roads could be broken through the drifted coolies."
 This is from a state in the northwest where many foreigners have settled and l am sure the reports they will receive from the south will be more convincing that the south is the place for them.
 Recently I was on a trip out west ands visited small town of about 1000 popu- llation in which are several merchants
 and residents with whom I attended school. asinr+H
 They are foreign born, went into that country with their parents without mon ey. Today they are quite independent and desirable citizens. They are beSom ing interested in the south, want to know more about it; think they would like to reside the remainder of their days on l this earth in the south, and at the same I time start their children in that section.
 In fact. go where you will. the people are talking about us and all we have to do is to keep the merits of the south before them. Then when they do come among us see that they are located where they will be happy and prosperous. 2 WHO WILL GET IMMIGRATION?
 Only the communities that work for 1t will secure immigration. Don't keep your light under a bushel. I like to go into community where the citizens say We have the best town, the best land, the best schools, the finest caurch- es, etc. in the state" Occasionally I have visited places where some citizens would remark, If we only lad a man like MT. ------ over in -------- Gan active