The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1909-05-03
ALICE BENNETT.

AL1CE
Exclusive Service The Survey Press
Bureau-)
In an Interesting paper read recently
by w. D. Howells before the Society
for Italian Immigrants he stated that
there were living at present more than
100000 Italians in Greater New York
and drew a picture Of the potential
genius which might be lying dormant
in that army tenement dwellers-sug-
costing a revival here of those arts and
crafts which have GouFished to such
perfection for centuries in Italy We
mentany applauded Mr.. Howells' con-
clusion that they should be distribu-
ted through country districts where
they are bound to become an import
ant factor in our national progress.
Here we will deal only with the
farmer or contadino. The first to
Cross off the list will be the gentry
black hand noteriety who is as far
removed from our gentle contadino
as the wolf Is from the lamb. Here
the italian government assists by pro-
syiding~ every subject leaving that
country with a passport which answers
also as a certificate for good or bad
treasures this passport as his. most
valuable possession. 1t should beIcare-
fully read by those contemplating bus
mess relations with them. The mano
culiar talents in the crowded condi-
lions incident to town life.
He is problem therefore for the po-
lice commissioners and courts to wres-
tie with
The Consensus of opinion gathered
from the largest employers of italian
farm labor throughout the United
States is that barring the Chinese he
ranks all other nationalitieS coming
to this country. Especially is this true
OF horticultural and intensive farming.
Another reason lies with certain ma
tional idiosyncrasies peculiar to the
italian. Owing to lack of informa ton
in Italy pointing explicitly to where
opportunity awaits the efficient far
mer, the Cantadino comes to friends
in one of the overcrowded cities, and
with only five or ten dollars capital,
he must take the first job which Of
fers; and thus the man who would be
invaluable as a farmer becomes a par
asite and menace to the city jewellers.
His health suffers from the over
crowding. lack of outdoor life, and
change of diet As 60 per cent. of the
Italians coming here are contadini
some plan should be followed which
would defect them to the land.
Another reason why previous at
tempts to colonize them have failed is
that men who had been trained to
trades We're sent to the country, while
others who had all their lives lived
on a. farm remained in town. Neither
have precautions been taken against
mixing men from different provinces.
The Italians patriotism has its geo.
graphical limitations. With him Pat
ria means Province We must re-
member that United Italy is a matter
of too recent date to have taken deep
root with her peasant class. And
while they are most catholic in their
attitude towards the world in general,
for an Italian belonging to another
Province they evince an antipathy
amounting almost to aversion. Time
mil <1.ar1H 1ncc hire H,ar- f~inr-C
down. but until it does this antagon-
ism must be recognized in any plan to
.celonize them, and by following the
simple rule of not mixing the Prov
inces the promoter secures a spirit
of loyalty. and good team work.
= About fifteen years ago ChristenZo
,Seragosa. a Sicilian, drifted to FIRE.
sonia. Chautauqua county, New York,
as a day laborer. He applied at the
canning factory for work for himself
and friend from Buffalo. They were
accepted but owing to a prejudice
against Italians which then prevailed
in F'redonia, they were unable to Sc
cure a. house within two miles of the
factory. Undaunted they moved in
and by the end of a. year had made
themselves so we'll liked that the nu-
rnerous Sicilian families which follow
ed found no difficulty in securing nee
essary housing. The factory attract
ed them only as a means to an end.
What really drew them was the out
lying land suited to grape culture. All
that they could save from their daily
wage was invested in land and plant
ed out to vineyards. There are now
1900 Italians in Fredonia, many of
them own large vineyards. Nearly
all of them have cottages with gardens
attached. Their places are we'll kept,
and they have raised the standard of
farming in that vicinity-Americans
have to hustle to keep up with them.
Land which sold ten years ago for $50
and SIS per acre cannot now be bought
for less than $3.50 per acre. There
arc 800 Italian children in the grammar
schools-10 in the Normal College and