The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-08-25

of a different mind after a talk .. h
an immigration agent. DESTROYS as
these hardy Northern people may be
TO better their condition and enjoy
less rigorous climate, and desira-
bic as they are as agents in the build
ing up of the West, the change is
made with difficulty, principally. per-
haps. because they are so unimagina-
tive and phlegmatic. and thus far be
yond the wiles of the ordinary emf
grafton agent
And so il is that a New York COM
pany, which obtained control of sew
eral hundred thousand acres of land
in Michigan for the express purpose
of colonizing it with these people,
made slow progress until they aban-
doned certain outworn methods of in
ducing immigration. How do you
secure immigrants" a land agent
was asked today.
We'll, it is not done by spreading
abroad pamphlets telling what fine
new Eldorado We have for them. oh,
no; they have been fooled by that
device too many times. It is now
wolf with them We have colonies
of Fins and Danes, Swedes and Nor
wegians all over Michigan. and they
are all remarkably prosperous When
We have acquired new lands for set
Enthusiastically territory that has
been cleared of timber by the lum-
bermen. and is therefore virgin soil
We select some unusually prosperous
member of colony and propose to
him that he go back to his home on
a six months visit. OF course, he
says he can't afford it, and then we
offer to pay his expenses both ways,
and so much a day besides. if he will
spend most of his time in telling how
successful he has been In the new
world Then We tell him that for
every countryman of his he induces
to come over and buy our land we will
deed him an additional acre In
nearly every case the man accepts the
offer and goes vigorously to work No
doubt he makes of himself an awful
bore among his kinfolk and friends
by tales of his success IN the land
of the free. but the plan works well
for him and for US.
Firms. as q rule. are the best class
of people for farming in the West At
home they till the soil under ad-
verse conditions and life generally is
along hard lines Politically, too, they
are oppressed, and are compelled to
do military service for the car out
side their own small country. Liv-
ing close to the soil and being unusu-
ally clannish, this is the last straw
for them. and once they can be per-
suaded that freedom and prosperity
lie over the sea, they are ready to
come"
do you make any effort toward
getting foreigners from the large CT
ties of the East?"
Not at all" the agent said quickly:
I'VE don't want them They are lazy
and generally no good for our pur-
poses after they have once got a
taste of city life. They might be in
ducei to go West on our land. but
they would soon let it run down, and
this would have a bad effect on the
other colonists. Many of our best
settlers are Dunkards. whom we have
secured from Pennsylvania. They are
very religious. as you know-almost
fanatical on the subject-but they
are as sturdy and thrifty as the Films
and make fully as good farmers. In
getting these Dunkards westward the
railroads have done a great deal. by
fitting up special cars. advertising lAe
advantages Of certain parts Of the
West. and sending them in charge OF
a glib agent for exhibition at places
where these people are holding re
hgious gatherings
During the last year the most note
worthy increase in immigration has
been from the Austro-Hungsrian coun
tries. Italy. Sweden. Russia. Finland
and Ireland but the Italians and the
Irish will not go West If they can
possibly obtain foothold in the East
For the year 1900 1i4.s47 Austro-
Hnngsrians came to this country. an
increase OF $1,000 over the preceding
year. From Russia and Finland
came so.7S7. an increase Of 10000:
from Sweden. 1850. an increase OF
5000; from Norway. s575. an increase
of 5000: from Italy 100. 600. against
goo the year before. so you see this
country Is in no danger OF going back
ward in population. though for the
purpose Of building up the West Il
Is the northern Europeans that we
want rather than those OF = warmer
cline