The Washington times., 1905-07-23
TURNING TIDE
TOWARD SOUTH
Dixie States Plea for In
migrants Is Effective,
RAILROADS TAKING A HAND
Hoped That Obstacles Now in the Way
VIII Be Overcome IN the
Near Future.
RAILROADS TAKING A HAND

ward, are learning that conditions are
far different from those which were
faced a generation ago by the Western
railroads when they were developing
the Tar and middle West.
That the South needs the immigrants,
and that the West does not, are two
facts insisted upon by the men who
are working for Dixie Land. But the
obstacles TO be encountered are most
difficult
NJ V Richards. land and industrial
agent OF the Southern railway ssof this
city. has given a graphic statement of
these difficulties. No man ia the coun-
try has had = wider eXLefience in this
line of work than Ny Richards He
organized, for the Northern Pacific
Company seventeen years ago. the
first Industrial department conducted by
any road in the West, and made II
great success. About eight years ago
he went to the Southern railway, and
has ever since been laying the founda-
ton for a Southern immigration and
development movement, which Is now
beginning 10 assume significant proper
tions.
Difficulties Explained.
..Out in the Vest explained Mr..
Richards. every railroad. almost. in
kIOSG dS1SSg was q AcLlNA tlAAN S@'~+- -+-o
business of the industrial department
was to induce settlers TO come and live
OF these lands. We had lands to sell.
with Us 1t is different. We have no
cheap lands Of our own to market
Every dollar that the industrial depart
ment of a Southern railroad spends
must be written on the ledger in red.
It's all outgo; no income, except indi-
rectly.
Y remember when I worked in the
West, with the double object of mark
eting the lands owned by the railroad
and also Of getting people who would
develop the country and develop bust
ness. The railroads could afford to
spend a fair proportion Of the incomes
from their lands in order to get the
people and TO get their money out Of
the lands. They had everything working
their way. for the steamships that
brought the immigrants stopped at
northern ports the railroads ran west
ward from these points. and, finally, as
the years passed, there We're ties of as
sociation and relationship between the
newcoming immigrants and relatives
and friends who Were already located
in the North
This particular attraction has, OF
course, grown more and more powerful
as the years have passed. When you
realize the proportion of new immi-
grants who come. in part at least with
money sent them by friends in Ameri-
ca; who have brothers or sisters or pa
rents or children already here; who
come from neighborhoods in the cid
world which have sent perhaps scores
OF their people in colonies to this coun-
try-taking all these features into con-
sideraJion you cannot fail 10 see that
the West and Northwest have an i'm
mense advantage by reason Of being
first III the field
In the beginning il was cheap lands
which the railroad companies were
anxious TO sell As the latter We're sold
OF, these ties of relationship and assO-
citation drew the newcomers. Naturally
it is hard TO get the ScandInavians,
Bohemians. Danes and Firms 10 go
South, because they know that there are
communities Of their own people in the
North and Northwest. and they prefer
70 60 among their own people.
When South Disliked Foreigners.
''Then, too, there was for many years
IN the South considerable prejudice
against the incoming foreigners They
Were not wanted. l remember when the
same was true Of the West. but this mas
not been the ease for many years.
Some time ago IL an address in q
Southern town talked of this prejudice,
telling Of nay old home county out
West, into which. when / was a boy, a
great settlement of Bohemians came
The Yankee settlers were hostile They
wondered what would bccome Of the
country If this Incursiou OF people who
didn't talk their language should con
tinuc.
The Bohomians lived as Boherlians;
they built their own churches on sun
day morning their village saloon opened
as usual, closed duTiae church hour.
opened again after services and was
open all dag. In The evening there
would be dancing and the kind OF merry
making they had been accustomed to
at home.
Imagine the disgust with which that
class OF people were at hrst regarded
by the good old New EnBItaders
'Hoosiers and buckeyes, VINO had
first settled the country
And yet what is the condition tOday2
You can go into those communities
and never know you have passed out Of
the most distinctly American 81 atmosphere
except for the differences in names and
even that IS not very marked. for every
generation tends TO Amerlcalize the
names. as they have already adopted
American manners and customs and
ide.tis and views OF life.
THE Sunday saloon. the Sunday night
dance are unknown. The people own
their farms, their daughters teach the
schools, ana the younger children at
tend chem. Sometimes you WlH aud
among them older people who use their
native language. bun among the younger
ones English is universally used and the
tongue OF the fatherland is almost un-
known.
= told this story 30 my Southern au-
dience, and in concluding asked if they
didn't want that sort of people sent
among them. I told what immigration
had done for the West, and would surely
do for the South. And l found tE5.su IHey
are today with MS. They realize their
needs. and are anxious To help las.
Problem Of Distribution.
THE South IS as well able 10 absorb
immigration as & ever was. II needs
people 10 develop its resources. The
problem is one OF distribution. We are
setting more and more Of the anml-