The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-05-25
ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS
| Colonies VIII BE Located in Texas
Nv the BraZos Valley.

hN tlIt avs
While most of the European gov
ernments are endeavoring to check
emigration of their people. the move
ment continues,
Forced away from home by de
pressed agricultural conditions and
encouraged by promises of high
wages for ordinary labor in the great
commercial centers, close to quar-
ter of million people, mostly agri-
culturists, leave Italy for the United
States every year. Knowing nothing
of the opportunities, leading to in
dependent land ownership, open TO
them, they crowd the eastern cities
and labor centers and only about
four per cent find their way to the
vacant lands of the southwest.
In determined effort to divert to
the territory served by the Rock Is
| land Frisco lines, a share of this
great south-European immigration,
John Sebastian, passenger traffic
| manager, accompanied by c. b.
| Schmidt, who has had many years of
! practical experience in European i'm
! migration, made an extensive tour
of Europe and a thorough study of
the situation.
| The Italian government realizing
that it is powerless to stop the emil
grafton, and solicitous of the welfare
and future prosperity of the depart
ing subjects, welcomed proposition
to give the emigrant proper direction
and to point out a way to greater
usefulness and independence. A COM
mission of agricultural experts was
sent over from Italy in March, 1907.
After a thorough exploration of the
entire Rock IslandFrisco territory,
a report was made to the govern
ment in Rome strongly favoring the
suggested plan for colonization in
Texas. A syndicate of capitalists in
Italy has been organized to aid in
1.-the movement by the purchase of
! Texas lands for Italian settlements
and to provide necessary funds to
maintain the colonists until estab-
lished in individual ownership of
the land il small tracts.
The Italian agricultural emigrants
as has been demonstrated in several
colonies already established in this
country, are industrious, home-lov-
ing people, conscientious with re-
gard to their obligation and ambi-
tons to become proprietors and free
from debt. Italian colonists are de-
sirable and there is an especial de-
mand from Southern Texas, where
extensive farming in truck, berries
and fruit is becoming one of the
leading agricultural interests.
Just such opportunities as these
exist along the line of the recently
icompleted Trinity and Brazos Val
ley railway, which connects the Rock
lsland-Frisco territory with tide
water at Galveston. The owners of
a large tract near the station OF
Tomball, few miles north of Hous-
ton, are arranging to provide for a
nucleus of ten Italian families, each
a 10-acre tract, with dwelling house
barn and ready to put in crops The
necessary work animals and nipple
ments will be furnished and their
cost added to the purchase value OF
the land. At total cost of from
$1,000 to $1,000, payable in 1G
years, with interest at per cent pei
annum, the new settlers will secure
a ready farm home of 10 acres with
all Improvements, capable of pro.
ducing at least 500 per acre the
first year, and several hundred in
succeeding years.
! Thus, the immigration now con
sidered in the east menace to so.
cial conditions is being made a rea.
and lasting blessing in the southwest
Ia benefit to the state as well as tc
to the present land owner, and mos,
of all to the new conner, who wi
rapidly develop into a valuable anG
producing American citizen.