The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-13
Railroads Preparing for a Great
. Influx Of Farmers.
HEADING FOR WASHINGTON.
So Great Has Been the Demand for
Homeseckers' Rates That Special
Excursion Days Have Reen Set
Apart-Northern Pacific Land Of
fee Mt Tacoma Flooded with In
Quiries Regarding This State.

The transoontinental lines. through their
immigration departments, have been called
upon to prepare for the greatest rush Of
this class of business in their history,
expected this coming spring. The land
departments Of nearly all Western roads
have revised and reclasslfied their lists
OF available lands During the past five
months these have been distributed
throughout the rural districts Of M.chi-
gan. Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and some
states further east and, according to local
advices regular boom in Washington
and North and South Dakota lands has re-
suited. The demand for homeseekers'
rates, 1t Is said. has been so great that
not alone the Great Northern and North
ern Pacific. but many other Western roads
reaching out with connections to the coast.
have been compelled to fix upon certain
days each month for this business At
these times they will run special trains
to accommodate the home hunters IN the
West.
The Northern Pacific land office at Ta-
coma reports that east mail floods the
ONCE with Inquiries concerning farm lands
In this state, all Of which are answered.
The Great Northern Eastern agents re-
port greet crowds to come within the
next two months, and the Seattle a In
ternational Is making preparations to
properly display the fertile lands along
Its line m skagit. snohomish and What
com county
According to local advices 1t is esti-
mated that between now and the spring
months at least lo.o0o intending settlers
will come to this state. In speaking of
the demand for Washington lands. Cen
eral immigration Agent Mott, Of the
Northern Pacific. says:
II have never seen the equal of the
present demand for information about
Washington. If half the people who have
spring, do so, the state will have an in
creased population of . hundred thousand
In another year. Washington win be one
in It's settlement. Unlike the immigration
that generally In the past. has sought
homes in the new West. the people who
are going to Washington are Of the bet
When this business starts UP in the spring
l do not doubt that We will have to run
special trains for their accommodation at
least once week"
General immigration Agent Bass, of the
Great Northern. also confirms the farm
ern' stampede this way, when ne says:
THE location of settlers in the North
west during the past two years has been
Ike bread cast upon the waters. The
returns are coming In a hundredfold.
OF prosperity had become manifest, and In
a few short months I accomplished more
than had been possible In the previous
Ave years, and yet It was only the begin
nine. Where I sought one family in a
community I found five who were in
search Of new homes in the Northwest.
They knew the resources Of WASHINGTON
and the Dakotas as well as I did They
have had responsible and reliable agents
in those states, and they found the condi-
lions exactly as We represent them, lfhe
past season has been the easiest for i'm
migration agents that I have ever expert
eneed. The people know Just what they
are doing. ] am surprised at the class of
immigrants that I find. All Of them have
money, condition that. did not exist ten
years ago. when we had to take the poor
people West and stay by them until they
had got q start We will also take n
large number of settlers into North
western North Dakota and into Minnesota.
but the bulk of the new settlers will 20
to Washington
In its efforts to settle up Skagit, Sno-
homish and Whatcom counties, the SEE
attic & International will receive material
assistance from the Northern Pacific