The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-05
Mr. BRO MN IN TERVIEWED
BROUGHT OVER 100000 INTO
ThE STATE TO INVEST.
THEY MAKE EXCELLENT CITIZENS
Why Cannot Every County in the State Adver-
Use its Resources and Advantages
as VIZ. Brown Has Adver
tisad roItnh q
tised CoIlmb S =?


Mr. Joseph A. Brown, manager of the
Sunny Side Colony at Chadbourn, was
in Raleigh yesterday, returning from
hunt at Cameron. Mr.. Brown made
many friends in Raleigh during his term
as State Senator from Columbus and
Robson.
For FIVE years past Mr.. Brown has
devoted himself to bringing immigration
to the State, and his success has been
remarkable. In radius of eight miles
from Chadbourn, the company of which
he is the North Carolina manager pur-
chased eight thousand acres of land.
They began their operations in 1895,
carrying their first eXcursionists to
Chadbourn in March 1895. Since then
they have settled about four hundred
people on this land, and have sold off
the entire track except 600 or 700 acres.
Most of the immigrants came from Illi-
nois and Michigan, but there are settlers
from all the Northern States from as
far east as Massachusetts and from
as far west as Oregon. / asked Mr..
Brown to give me some of the results
Of his successful work, and he said
1.-THE people of the State do not know
what they have. If they had to go and
live in the western country for awhile
they would come back here and think
their homes were Paradise.
1.-THE only thing we need in North
Carolina is to bring our resources and
advantages to the attention of the whole
country. If we would do that in the
proper way the tide of immigration
would be turned toward us so strongly
as to surprise us all.
1.-The tide of foreign immigration is
pouring into the west in such numbers
that it tends to drive native Americans
into the more truly American South,
where there has been so small an admix-
ture with foreign people as to be inn
perceptible
North Carolina is well thought of by
prospective settlers. 1t is regarded as
a conservative and stable State, with
an abundance of undeveloped resources.
Everywhere | have gone to secure set
tiers. find that they feel kindly toward
the State. Prof. Shaler, of Harvard, said
TO me: You have the best people in the
world--a conservative people,
''0ur company has spent over $1,000
in advertising the State. The industrial
editions Of the News and Observer have
helped us very much. Nothing better
or bigger for the State has ever been
done than the publication of those mag
nifcent editions that have shown what
North Carolinians are doing. Wherever
they have gone. they have helped to
turn the tide of immigration toward
North Carolina"
Referring to the colony of four hun
dred that Mr.. Brown has settled at
n hn foIIr
hundred settlers have brought an aver
age of $500 apiece. One man will
come to the colony this month worth
$4,000 The total amount in that one
colony that has been brought to North
Carolina exceeds 100000. In addi-
tion to money they bring, most of them
bring car load of live stock. Some of
those who have come lend out money at
interest Some, who have succeeded
well, had little money.
Zone man, Mr.. j. +. Payne, drove
through the country in covered wagon
from Oklahoma. When he arrived, he
did not have FIVE dollars to his name,
nothing but an Industrious and intelli-
gent family, and his two horses and COW
cred wagon. He swapped one horse for
a piece of uncleared land, and went
right out into the wild woods. His boys
helped him, his daughter taught school,
and they have done well. He now has
a good home and good farm, which he
has gotten in three years"
/ asked him about how well the men
had succeeded. Mr.. Brown said they had
experienced the two dryest years in the
history of Columbus county, and yet
they had done well. The farmers in the
season of 1897 averaged $500 net profit
per acre on strawberries, and some made
as much as $500 an acre. / put a crop
of three and half acres in strawber
ries in 1895. They were the first straw
berries grown in Columbus for shipment.
In 1898 strawberries viii be shipped
from 200 acres in Columbus county. In
1896 we shipped 700 crates from that
county: in 1897, we shipped 5000
crates, and in 1898 we will ship $4,000
crates.
while the strawberries bring most
profit, the newcomers and old settlers
who have also gone into truck, also made
good money in Irish potatoes, making
from $50 to 100 per acre net. My crop
Melted me S1O0 per acre. Beans also paid
very handsomely, netting something Ike
$50 an acre. After the trucking is over,
the farmers make a second crop, plant
ing their land in corn, peas, forage
crops, etc"
| asked Mr.. Brown about the increase
In taxable value the newcomers would
secure to the county, their character as
citizens and kindred questions. He said:
''The colony will increase taxable prop
erty of the township in which it is stu
ated from $4,000 to 100000 at the
next assessment.
1.-The immigrants make as good citi-
gems as You find anywhere. Their chief
interest is in good schools. Oar greatest
difficulty is to give them as good school
facilities as they desire. They are
church-gong people. They are neighbor-
~ and kind industrious and frugal.
They get on wen with our home folks,