The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-07-06
ITALIANS FOR The SOUTH.
They are a Hard-working, Money
making and Money-saving Pee
pie, Suited to This Climate.

week in correspondence in the Manu-
facturers' Record from Independence,
La, where a settlement of Italians
has done much toward increasing the
rvalue OF land during the past ten
years from 81 to $50 an acre. Mr.. G.
L. Buck, one of the leading Ameri-
can-born citizens Of the community,
said:
"Twenty years ago lands could be
bought in and around the town for 81
to $50 per acre that are now selling
readily at s25 to 500 per acre. One
tract here of 900 acres sold twenty
five years ago for 81, 900, and only
few weeks ago the purchaser sold 200
acres for $40, 400. The assessed value
of lands in this parish has been
doubled IN the past four years. One
will ask what was the principal cause
of the development. The answer must
be the Italian immigration that has
come here and improved the conci-
tions in respect to production. The
majority Of farmers have done away
with negro labor. Why? Because they
are shiftless, worthless sort; where
the Italian laborer is g success. His
sole object is to make money, and he
knows it must come out Of the ground !;
therefore ne is always at work when
his work is needed. The question OF
his desirabiIity as a citizen is often
asked. ! can say that thus far in our
| 12 or Is years. experience with them
they have given no trouble to any one.
They are. prompt to pay the debts
at the stores, meet their paper at the
banks when due, and often before. l
do NOT think there is case on record
| in this parish where the State has had
to prosecute them for crime or mis-
demeanor, and that is saying a great
deal when we consider that there are
$50 or 25O families living here, and
every berry season there are probably
500 or more who come to assist IN
! harvesting the. crops. l can speak
from experience, and say that thus Far
I have found them good neaghbors
and good tenants. They are frugal
and Industrious, and when working
as tenants they are always willing to
do their part, and find it q great I'M
provemnet and cheaper than the nergo
labor Of today, that wants a dollar
| per day for a half-dollar's worth OF
work. AS tenants they never take up
more at the store than will be reailz-
ed from their crops, as is often the
case with the negro. After they are
here awhile they become more or less
Americanized, and live better and
spend more money as their means JUS
tify. They are, generally speaking,
cleanly about their houses. They are
capable Of improvement in many ways,
which is not the case with the negro;
and as far as I know here they have
conducted themselves in moral law
abiding way. ! am, of course, speak
ing from the past and present expert
ence we have mad with them. As
fruit and truck growers they will be
hard to beat, and see I no reason why
they cannot be used to- advantage tor
other sorts of farming: They soon
make fair or good plough hands,
though at first they are green ABOUT
handling horse.
:. sThey are not hard to teach, as
rule. They want to make money,
which is their sole object, aad they
try 10 follow instructions, and 1t IS
inevitable that il they make any the
landlord will, too. This Immediate
section would never have been what It
IS in. so short time without the
Italian labor; The price of land is 10
object if they want ii and can see
their way clear to make living on 1t.
Ise they think thsy, can make. a. living
oneten acres Of land and have Sl,O
they will try it and not think it too
moeh They, reason that it is that
much Invested from which they can
derive a livelihood and have home
besides. Numbers Of them have set
tied here on ten acre plots and mace
|-a living and saved up money, notWish-
sanding the fact that she family was
of large size. So. far we hnd. ynem
peaceful, law-abiding citizens without
the dreaded. stiletto. This ls glTane a
general history of them as l know IL.
OF course, some are more prosperous
than others" ,,
:, One Of the Italian farmers, Dir.
Geo Allessi, said:
s'In another generation, when my
children speak the English language
and own good homes, why should they
not be as good Americans as you are
whose forefathess came from lrelano'
or some one else who sprang from any
of the other nations?
.tThey say an Italian doesn't spead
any money. An italian comes to THIS
country without anything, and ce
doesn't spend anything until he makes
it. The first thing he wants to do IS
to buy home. The negro rarely
owns a home or really cares for one,
and spends dollar day while ne IS
only making sevetny-fye cents, alo
sooner or. later goes to prison, while
the Italian practically lives IN prison
for three or four years and spencs
nothing, and then buys home: An
Italani farmer with home paid for
and few hundred dollars IN the oank
will spend money just like any one
else. A few of the older ones, WITH
commendable love for the place OF
their birth, return to the old country
to spend their old age and DIE amid
the scenes of their childhood. ou5
their sons and daughters remain IN
their American homes, where tl!e
presents so many attractive possl o1l-