Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-01-07

state reports is that of the state board
OF immigration just submitted TO the
governor. OF course the board s
work has been to attract immigrants
to the unsettled portions of Wisconsin.
Since its organization, May Is, 1895, 1t
has induced thousands of desirable
citizens to come to Wisconsin to take
up their home. This has been done
largely through advertising in news
papers. Auxiliary immi grafton
boards were appointed in thirty-nine
counties of the state. OF these coun-
ties thirteen appropriated from 500 to
5000 to assist their boards, nine have
issued books setting forth the advan-
tages of their lands to home seekers
and several have employed agents to
interest emigrants.
THE board would recommend that
the next Legislature should enact a
law which will continue the work
begun. A large amount of advertls-
ing has been done which will bear
fruit in the future. The board is in
receipt daily of numerous letters of in
quiry WI ich will continue to come for
the next year at least, as the books
arc constantly falling into new hands.
Ii these inquiries go unanswered inter
est in northern Wisconsin will soon
die out and even the local interest will
not be retained or improved as it must
be in order to make even the results
of what work the board has Lone what
they should be. The thousands upon
thousands of acres of land within
Wisconsin which would make good
homes for people whose condition viii
be bettered by occupying them should
be an incentive for the state to follow
some line of work which will aid in
bringing about a settlement of these
sections.
The question of the amount of
money to be expended by a board en-
gagged in this work settles largely its
line OF work. 1t is the judgment of
the board that continuance of tie
advertising will ultimately bring
about the end desired. 1t has already
brought thousands of Investigations
OF the state and hundreds OF farmers
to single counties. 1t has stirred
feeling of local pride and awak sned
interest in localities whose future de
ponds solely upon the settlement of
the counties.
The board mas now on hand tnir-
teen thousand copies eff Professor
Henry's two hundred page Docks;
seven thousand copies of the German
pamphlet four thousand copies of the
Norwegian pamphlet and two thou
sand tive hundred copies of the Eng-
lish pamphlet.
Soon after the board was organ
lied, says the report, 1.-THE governor
and secretary visited several eastern
cities for the purpose of bringing be-
fore the people of that section the adj
Yantages which this state had to Of
fer, and also to interest, if possible,
some immigration agencies of Europe
in the work of guiding a suitable class
Of people this way. Each daily paper
in New York city, and, through the
press associations, all daily papers of
the country, published a statement OF
the opportunities and advantages for
agriculturalists in the newer part of
Wisconsin. These articles have
brought inquiries from every state in
the union and investigations from
large number. Extended articles set
ting forth the home seekers oppor-
tunity here have appeared as news
n1a ftA. IN q IN r-cra nur,,h ar ~ arr,-io,,I
turl papers of the country and the
responses from this line have been
many. There has been no money
expended by the board for newspaper
advertising with the exception or one
bill of S43.
Aside from the advertising FEATURE
of the eastern trip of the governor
and secretary, some of the people en-
gagged in the colonization and imni-
grafton work decided TO make an in
vestigation OF the state and its OPP
poI1unities. An inspection OF ten
northern counties was made by two
experts from Germany who were sent
here by steamship company inter
ested in the immi grafton traffic.
Their report was that the northern
part of Wisconsin offered advantages
superior TO many Of the prairie states,
and their conclusion was that ayiscon-
sin furnished better inducement for
the industrious foreigner who was
looking for cheap land good market
and a permanent home.
"a large number Of letters have
been received from ministers
and dozen or mere personal !nvestt-
cations have been made ~ them
These Investigations have proven Sat
isfactory in most cases. aud a triai
colony Of Dunkards will b located ii
the northeastern part OF the state next
spring
The inquiries which have come to
the board show that from tho thickly
populated portions OF our cum state
and those adjoining there is ample op-
poFtunity ID secure thousands III set