Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-05
WESTERN IMMIGRATION
At Present Time Surpasses All Pre-
vious Records.
Major RowelI Gives Some Interesting
Facts and Figures.

The Journal is in rcceipt of the follow
ing Interesting letter from Maj f. Rowell
of Hallowell, who is at present visiting
in the West:
Editors of kenncbec Journal:
The rush of immigrants at the present
time to this western region of our broad
domain. SURPRISES all precedent. and
| foreshadows an era OF expansion auu
| prosperity beyond comprehension. In i
| single dav this week 2o00 ''Dunkards
passed through this city, to become new
! settlers on their claims in the Dakotas,
| Montana and Washington. This number
| does not include those who left the same
| morning on the Great Northern and
| North Pacific trains. This movement OF
| immigration was the biggest in the his
| tory of the Northwest Notwithstanding
| this addition of eighteen cars to the roll
| ing stock. a large number of the immi-
grants had to stand in the aisles, every
seat being taken before the train started
MANY families will live in tents until
houses can be erected.
| one woman boarded the train with nine
| children the Oldest of which was fourteen
years Of age. She was destined for Il
point about thirty miles north Of Mnet,
n. d., where her husband had taken 4
| claim about three weeks ago. She SAID
she was anxious to get to the place carly,
| so that she might nelp break the ground
| and do the seeding Such devotion TO
domestic duties and responsibilities Is
| worthy of all praise.
The freight office of the Great North
ern Railway up to date has handled since
the movement of settlers began this
spring l1i6 car loads of household effect
and 25i car loads of live stock. Last
spring. up to April 20. the movement of
settlers was very light.
| Many farmers are removing from Iowa,
Kansas, Illinois and other localities of
the middle west to the virgin soil of the
northwest where greater extent of farm
ing lands may be secured at compare
lively low prices. The imagination can
not grasp the possibilities of development
throughout the entire West during anoth-
er fifty years of persistence, perseverance
and push:
| The wisdom of the advice of the late
Horace Greely-'Go West young man, -
depends on circumstances. With suffi-
cent means for purchasing a farm ana
equipments, the pioneer may succeed IN
securing a home and competence with
comparative ease SO far as labor is con-
cerned. The rich Soil, unincumbered by
stumps or stones, whether utilized for
grain crops or pasturage, may be de-
pended on to yield bountifully under ia
vorable conditions; and transportations
by rail to central markets of Mnneapo-
l
Paul, insure ready sales for all farm
products of corn, grain, beef and mutton.
The danger of loss by drought, blizzard,
frost and flood. throws a dark shadow
| over the otherwise pleasant prospect. a
failure of crops by any or all of these
Calamitous visitations, may cause ruin to
the unfortunate farmer, whose prospects
may thus be bliShted and hopes rudely
| blasted perhaps, in a single hour. All
| these things should be considered by one
who contcmplates going West to grow
up with the country" Starting out with
no capital, isolated from social compan-
| ionships and religious and educational
privileges, requires a degree of logged
optimism truly heroic! Our own garden
of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. county-or even one
of our eastern abandoned farms would
be preferable to a poor mans cabin on
| ranch belonging to somebody else,
Many young men also, from our east
crn towns and cities, regard the advice
of Horace Greedy as legitimate, and i'm
agine that there are positions lying
around loose" awaiting their services.
They are apt to find scores and hundreds
of young men in our large western cities
seeking employment at any rate Of com
pensation. The lucrative and easy places
are not so plenty as to go begging for
some one to fill them and unless one has
friends interested in his welfare, he may
be Obliged to be ION the waiting list
for an indefinite period of time If one
is expert in any trade or calling, and
can be depended on as honest and faith
full, he may succeed to his satisfaction
and secure permanent employment. Much
depends upon the character and ability
of the applicant for position in all our
large cities; and to leave home and
friends for the uncertainties of western
city life would not prove wise. notwith-
standing the sage advice of the late H.
jG
We would by no means, discourage
young men from venturing out in bust
ness life. but rather urge them to pre-
pare themselves for filling positions of
honor and trust in whatever locality they
may prefer, whether East or West. Many
of the most reliable business and profess
sional men os this city are eastern men,
and not a few from the State of Maine.
and they comprise the bone and sinew
| of this prosperous community.
| Yours sincerely.
f. ROWELL.
| MINNEAPOLIS. Mimi, March IS. 1892.