The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-11
The LANDSEEKERS

1HE DANUSEEkERS
The J ou IN devotes special atten-
tion to-day to landseekers and landsellers.
1t is an attention deserved by what has,
within the past few years, grown into one
of the greatest businesses of the north
west. 1t has absorbed millions of capital
and the ability of some of the brainiest
and most energetic men of affairs, in Wis
consin, Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotss and
signl Land Office" was sure, token of
a deserted place, but now the land offices
firms, whether in the cities or the towns,
are thronged with inquirers and buyers
and the mail thar goes to those Offices is
filled with questions about land and sale
terms. This activity is accompanied by a
population movement OF remarkable, pro-
portions, little realized, perhaps, by the
mass of the people. .fH :. ~
The census of 1900 showed that one
fifth of the native born population of the
United States are living in states other
than those they were born in. This means
that about 13,OOo 900 of our people have
changed their habitatiors within thirty, or
forty years. In country that is being
settled for the first time evidences of
this movement are plain, but they are
not so obvious where the movers settle
down among we'll established popula-
ton. The present movement in the north
went is of both kinds. Some of the new
Corners are pushing Oh toward the Mis-
souri, river or north toward the interna-
tional boundary into practically untn-
buying farms in long settled though,
sometimes, not densely populated regions.
There are many interesting phases of
this new homeseeking movement. It often
involves two distinct sets of movements.
The farmer in Iowa OF southern Mime
sofa, say, moves OF into northern or west
ern Minnesota or the Dakotas and the
farmer from Illinois or Indiana or some
older state takes his place. And when
he settles down he will very likely find
that the man who owned the farm he
buys has moved further west or north.
OF course thousands jump directly from
Illinois, Iowa or elsewhere into the new
est regions.
The cause of this great population move
ment are not easily given in few words
It is partly due to the migratory spirit
that is Unborn in SO many Americans. 1t is,
partly due to the general good times which
have made it possible to dispose of farm
lands to advantage and partly to a general
realization that, with the fast approach
ing complete occupation of all the lands
that can be cultivated without irrigation,
land values in the crthwest will continue
to advance, and that, therefore, now is
the time, for the man who wishes to place
his money to the best advantage, to buy
The population of the northwestern states
will probably increase much more rapidly
during the decade 1901-1G than during that
Of 1S91-190O, and this inevitably means
a great increase in land values The
lanaseekers understand that they are in
all probability vastly lettering their ma
terial condition when they sell their old
farms for $50 or $50 an acre and buy new
ones at from So to $780, often with as good
or better soil and as accessible to mar
kets. IN a few years the new lands will
in many instances be as valuable as the
old ones are now and in the meantime the
farmer will be making as much from the
new as he could have made from the old
farm, while enjoying an income from the
sum representing the difference between
the selling price Of the old farm and the
purchasing price Of the new farm Be
sides these land dealings of prosperous
farmers the present movement has a great