Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1903-06-03

my tie ticket. X. KAY.
Hopewell, Mo-, May q, 1903. .
How the Ozarks May Be Colon
iZec.
There is about to be held in the
fourth city of the Union and The
first city in the empire known as
the ''Louisiana Purchase' an exhi-
bition of the products and resour-
ces of this empire that will amaze
the world. This exhibition will
include the products Of field and
forest as well as of factory.
While we are heralding to the
world the fertility of the soil of
the Louisiana Purchase and tho
many evidences of the skill, energy
and invention of our people, it is
proper to call attention to where
our fertile soil lies fallow, where
we are slothful instead of enorget-
ic, where we are dull and stupid
instead of skillful or ingenious. The
most striking instance of our lack
of ability in adoption Of means to
the end is the neglect to devise and
put into operation some modern
method of colonizing the thousands
of acres Of available land within
100 miles of the city. Throughout
Jefferson, Franklin, Washington
and Crawford, the four counties
Just south of St. Louis, in Mis-
souri,, are dotted little farms and
orchards. These were cleared up
and planted by the patient toll Of
the pioneers OF the last generation.
Surrounding these evidences of the
fertility of the soil and its adapt
ability to human use, are large
bodies of land from which tho val
uabie timber has been cut for pur-
poses Of lumber and fuel. Not
used for any human purpose ut
this time, they exist simply as
great blots upon the landscape.
These unused lands, Or 80 per cent
of them, are adapted to all the or
dinary uses of agriculture, and are
in the opinion of the experts,
(which opinion is verified by actual
performance on lands of the same
character in the neighborho od) the
best orchard lands in the Mississ.
ippi Valley, and the equal fol
fruits, of any lands in the temper
ate zone.
Why are these lands not settled.
if adapted to the uses Of man! The
answer is simple: Because the ole
method Of pioneering is no longer
possible and because no new meth
DDS have yet been substituted. W.
are in gap between the abandon
ment of the individual method O
settlement and q method OF civil
zation Or co operation. Under th
old method, a man took his family
in a covered wagon and with nj
means but his gun, his axe, hi
plow and his team, ''squatted
near water, erected bis cabin, ant
while howing out his field from tL
forest and until his crcps matured
subsisted upon the products of tn
chase. This method is no longe
possible. What is the remedy
What should be the modern meth
od9 The modern method shoald b
, for capital to step in and by hire
labor do the preliminary work {
, preparation. Suppose in eac
county company were organize
to purchase at the ridiculonsly 10
prices, e body of these unso|
lands. For example, take 3o(
acre tract, lying in a body. LIE
this out into 80 tracts OF 100 acr
each, With Il narrow frontage urt
, the road, after the plan of Il
Mennonite settlements in the ives
y Clear upon each 100 acres, 10 acr
- - and erect thereon a four rooa, ct
:. tage in the centc: of the fror
Then offer the lands for sa!e al
:: settle at once whole cois:nunit
Lands of this character Gun
bought for frNc S3 to $5H1er acl
!, or say ri average of "a yer ae,
Il The cost of ;Spoe acres of Ia
70 would be, say st2:o0o, The c,