The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-10-09
FARMERS COME
SOUTHWARK.
As Il Result of the Work Being
Done by the Southern Rail
roads, Industrial Agents.

roads, Industrial Agents.
An important influence in detcrnin
ing tho trend of immigration in thi
country, especially since thousands o
foreigners have ilocked annually to tn
United States, has boon tho activity 0
railroad limos running East and West
Following the pioneor and cstablishet
lines OF trade between the coast and tn
backwoods, such roads woro the earlies
to be completed, and tho general rule O.
immigration that parallels of latitude
are followed, was reinforced thereby
During the past ten or fifteen years {
number of Independent lines, some o.
them quito weak, have been unltct
into strong systems, giving prompt ano
comfortable means of travel botWeel
the North and the South.
The first effects, the diversion OF
outward-bound trade from the middle
West and Northwest to South Atlantic
and Gulf ports, have boon followed by
all increasing tendency Of farmers to
move toward the South, with it's virgin
opportunities and its promise of large
profits on comparatively small invest
ments. This movement has boon ac-
celebrated by persistent and intelligent
work by several of the leading railroad
systems of the South, and the results
arc becoming strikingly manifest.
Since the days sixty and seventy years
ago, when the new lands of Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Toxas in
vited settlers, there has boon no
stronger interest in Southern lands
than there is today. The movement is
80 important that the Southern Farm
Magazine, in its October issue, pub
fishes several special articles from rep
resentatives of railroads who have becn
active in immigration work for the
South. Their statements are not only
valuable rs records Of what has been
accomplished, but they are full of sug-
gesllon about the future.
Mr.. M. V. Richards, of Washington, +,
ID. c., land and industrial agont Of the
Southern railway, writes:
To the general public the best
proof of tho growing influx of settlers
into the territory tributary TO the South
ern railway lines ia found in the grad
uai advance of real estate values, the
opening up of the wild lands to the OK
tent of millions of acres and the en-
ormous increase Of Southern travel
locally. Prosperous colonies have been
established, while grain, fruit and stock
areas have been created and improved, :,
and extended in numberless directions
along our lines. Within tho past year
635 new industries have been located
along the Southern railway system, 215
industries have been enlarged and 1856
industrial enterprises are now under
construction, which, with other impor-
tant developments, aggregate a total
disbursement Of $117 900 900, all this
adjacent to and upon tho Southern
Railway lines only. The effect upon
immigration has been marked. Thou
sands have come Southwark in conse-
qucnce of this industrial activity, as
sured of employment, and as we are in
close touch with evory portion of our
territory we are constantly in a posi-
ton to know whether these people are
content and prosperous. We have no
information to the contrary and be-
lieve that az they become accustomed
to tho new conditions and familiar
with climatic and soil requirements
and effect, their own domestic life and
welfare are bettered and their pros
poets brighter than ever before. The
present outlook is emphatically en-
couraging and tho present decade will,
we feel assured, round up with a
totality surpassing that of the palm
lest year of immigration Westward. "
Col. j. B. Killobrew, of Nashville,
nd, k,;o };>,
agent of tho Nashville, Chattanooga
and St. Louis Railway, writes
"The Immigrants now settling on
the line of the Nashville, Chattanooga
and St. Louis Railway are of high
character, industrial habits and great
intelligence. During the past eigh-
teen months not less than seven hun
dred and fifty families and single mon
have bought farms in the territory
tributary to the road and settled on
them. There arc many that have not
been reported to my office. Many OF
these have paid from $5 900 TO S12, 900
them are not only pleased with the
soils, markets and climate, but they
arc making efforts to have formol
neighbors and kinspeoplo to join them
I estimate that during the past ter
years something over throe thousanc
heads Of families and single mon have
purchased farms in the region travers
cd by the road which I represent
They have bought on an average
something like one hundred acres
each, making about 100000 acres tha
are now occupied by Northern farmers
"The tendency of thought throughou
the Northwest is leading to bette
understanding and higher apprecia
ton of the agricultural capabilities AM
advantages Of tho South. The thou
sands of new immigrants now buyin,
lands at high prices in the Northwes
are causing the earlier settlers to seel
new fields, and these are provide,
with ample funds and are acquirin
better information of the Souti
through the distribution of literatur
by the Southern railroads. The pros
poets, therefore, for an increase i
Immigration arc very good"
Mr.. w. T.. Glessner, of Macon, Ga
commissioner of immigration of tn
Georgia Southern and Florida Railwa,