The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-21
RAILROAD NOTES,


Never has the northwest attracted
more new settlers within its product
i've boundaries than this year. Since
the days of the buffalo nearly every
year has witnessed a steady increase
IN immigration, SO that the statement
mas been made almost periodically,
put this year 1t Is more marked than
before. There have been lean years
as we'll as fat years in the immigra-
ton business, 1t must be admitted.
This Is a remarkably fat year. The
years records will show more than
steady and normal increase; they
Will furnish proof of tremendous
growth of the northwest.
The increase is in face of the fact
that the movement OF aliens into this
territory has been less than in form
er years. European immigration this
year has been from the southern
countries, such as Italy, and consti-
tutes class OF people which does not
get much farther than the big cities
IN the east. The movement from Scan
dinavia, Germany and the British Isles
mas declined considerably. They were
the people who came in such numbers
TO settle In the northwest for many
years. They continue to come, but
the countries were feeling SO keenly
the drain that a systematic and sue
cessful effort has been made to pre-
vent anybody from leaving for for
eign shores.
The movement into the Northwest
mas been of Americans. They are am
bilious farmers from the middle west
ern states, Michigan, Illinois, Indi-
ana, and so far back as the eastern
states. Some are farmers from Min
nesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, who
find 1t advantageous to go into the far
west, and the Canadian northwest.
They can sell their present holdings
at a good price to neighbor, who has
no desire to change location, and they
can buy land in a more western state
for less money and have a fine bank
account. The fact that they are ex-
perienced farmers and are familiar
with advanced methods also insures
more prosperity for the northwest
than ever before.
Settling North Dakota.
AS an indication of the increase in
immigration, the movement this year
into North Dakota has Keen heavier
than for any previous year in ten
years. During the summer, registra-
tiohs at the land offices averaged 5000
month. This is only small proper
ton of the movement, for most of the
settlers purchased their lands from
land dealers, say the railroad men.
The movement to Montana, Idaho
and Washington has been remarkably
heavy this year. Washington un-
doubtedly has drawn more settlers
than North Dakota, and it is certain
that some of the provinces in the Can
adian northwest have also. While
South Dakota was tagging behind for
many years, it has been booming sur
prisingly this year. Convincing evil
dence OF this is shown in the remark
able railroad activity there.
The lack of railroad facilities has
been the cause of much of the ebbing
period in the immigration business in
some of the western states. Even E.
H. Hartman has come to realize that.
His policy has been to let the people
first settle in the country, and then to
build the railroad for them. James J.
Hill, on the other hand, has always
been believer in first building to
take the people into the country. The
numerous feeders" which branch out