The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-22
APPRECIATION OF LAND

The more we realize that the we'll
watered lands Of the United States proper
are now practically all taken up and that
the present mighty influx of immigrants
into the northwest and southwest will.
within year or two, take all the good
government land and buy all the cheap
private land, the more jealousy do we
guard every foot Of American soil.
twenty-five years ago many of us would
have been willing to give half Of Alaska
to Great Britain rather than have any
international friction about boundaries In
that distant region We regarded a fixed
boundary there as Of about as much i'm
portance as similar division in the
moon. r.. 49,
Now SO certain are we of the great
value OF Alaska and so hopeful that 1t
will prove even much more valuable
than we know it to be that no
American government would dare to cede
a foot of Alaskan soil. Rectifcation Of
boundaries, according to the metes and
bounds of what we bought is proper, but
no change in the construction of the de-
accepted for fifty years will be tolerated
by the people. All the nations realize
now that the world is small after all,
that it is not safe to say lightly that any
piece of land is worthless.
And as the nation realizes at last the
value of land, so also do the people realize
the value of individual holdings. So. it
gin prairies and unbroken. forests the
numbers Of those pressing in to take pos
session, eager, alert and keen to get title
to land surpasses all previous similar
movements. To-day 5000 Mssourians
are passing through Minneapolis en- route
to farms in North Dakota. Every week
thousands of settlers pass through this
gateway and hurry on, hopeful and deter
mined to make new homes in new coun-
try. In this day Of railroads, when the
immigrant moves in day a distance
that his grandfather took fifty days to
make, the public does not see and feel
the population movement as it did when
long lines Of wagons westward bound,
creaked and groaned and ratified through
Allegheny passes, when the rude fatboats
hoated down the Ohio, and in the later
day when crowded steamboats, painted up
the Mississippi and white-topped prairie
schooners meandered across the prairies
in endless lines. But frequenters Of rail-
way stations and railroad men who see
the great steam caravans, made up of
scores and hundreds of freight cars loaded
with live stock and personal property and
the passenger coaches filled with hui
manity, pouring through this gateway
day after day, understand the magnitude
OF the movement and how, though less
seen of the generality of the people than
in the days when it was promised that our
-four horse team will soon be seen FIN
Idaho" it nevertheless is now proceeding
in even greater volume than it was a
hundred years ago-when the great wave
of humanity debouching from the Allie
ghenies began to spread itself over the
Mississippi valley. -..
There is something inspiring and i'm
posing in this ceaseless migration, this
wonderful characteristic of American life.
What will we do when all the lands are
taken, how will this instinct of the peo-
pie satisfy itself? All the American lands
being gone they will spread over western
Canada and submerge that country. AL
ready the restless ones have their eyes on
the lands Of Alaska and they read with
avidity the reports of c. C. Georgeson and
others assuring them that cattle raising
on a large scale and extensive agricul-
tural operations-sufficient to feed 3.000,.
900 people-are possible in Alaska. Ane
after that what? Only the tropics will
remain awaiting the coming of a vigor'
Gus race to utilize and develop them, as
the same race has availed itself Of the
possibilities and opportunities of its ma.
tive zone. Z