The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-03-20
Illinois Contributes Several
Millions of Dollars to
Grand Total.
CANADA ADDS WHEAT EMPIRE
SETTLEMENT ADDED 100000
ACRES AND NEW LAND WILL
INCREASE BY EIGHT MILLION
BUSHELS OF 1910 CROP.

Chicago, March 19,-Fifteen thous-
and residents of Chicago and Illinois,
taking a capital of S22, 500 900, joined
the immigration year" which ended
March 1. About one-half of them
went into western Canada. Estimates
for the entire country, compiled
from governmental and private
sources, show that 100000 persons
took part in the migration. OF these
nearly half, or 100000, settled in
Canada, and the other 10000 in vari
GUS parts of this country, on public
and private irrigation tracts, the south
and west.
March, the end of the farm settle
ment year, also marks the crest of the
movement for the succeeding year,
and the next twelve months promise
to show more activity than the past
year. The amount of individual capt.
tai involved in this tremendous migra-
tory movement for the year was $780,
100000. William Pearson, of Winni-
peg, who colonized the Last Mountain
Valley estimates the average amount
per person brought into western
Canada by immigrants from the
United States at $1,000, or a total of
S100,000,000 for the year. The $780,
900 who settled on farms in the
United States had an average of
$4,000 each, total of $500, 100000. G.
]. Broughton, the Canadian govern
ment agent in Chicago, has estimated
that 1000 persons went from Illinois
during the year to take up public
lands. Throughout the United
States" added Mr.. Broughton, the
reports which have come to US from
the three thousand government agents
and sub-agents point to a larger emf
grafton in the next twelve months
than we have ever known. 1t is a
striking fact that in the last twelve
months 10000 American homesteaders
alone, with their homesteads and pre-
emptions, have taken up 100000
acres of free western Canadian land.
Next year If they place under wheat
only 80 acres on each of their home
steads and pre-emptions, it will give
100000 additional acres under wheat;
and if the yield next year averages
Is bushels to the acre, as it did last
year, these 10000 American home
steaders alone will produce 100000
bushels. This, of course, is entirely
apart from the additional acreage that
will be seeded by buyers of privately
owned lands and by those settlers
who have been in the country some
time"
Use PrivateIy-owned Land.
AS Mr.. Broughton's figures show.
most of the American settlers do not
take up free homesteads, but rather
purchase and settle upon privately
owned lands along the Canadian
Northern and other railroads, purchas-
ing from Pearson and other owners
Of Juh t0
on easy terms hundreds of thousands
of acres. The trend Of the farm
movement in the United States, ac-
cording to c. L. Blanchard, of the
United States Reclamation Service,
seems to be toward irrigated lands,
many of the farmers in the older
states selling their property to new
farmers" and investing in irrigated
land further west. His statement is
upheld by the most of the large land
companies. On the other hand, the
irrigation movement" has rather
tended to help than to retard the mi
grafton to the rain land of western
Canada. THE influx of American set
tiers into the Last Mountain Valley
in Saskatchewan" says Mr.. Pearson,
lis steadily increasing" That district
has seen a transformation; a great
region WHICH lew years ago was
virgin prairie now is served by seven
railways and the grain elevators are
monster ones.
Charles L. Waite, until recently in
charge in Chicago of Uncle Sans
settlement work, has said that work
has been hampered because of delays
in completion of irrigation projects so
the land could be settled upon. How
ever" says Mr.. Waite, this has not
put damper on the back-to-the-soil
movement. Persons who have not
kept in touch with it cannot realize
how greatly wrought up the Ameri
can people are on the subject. It
seems as if every other person is
possessed with the idea that he must
own a piece of farm land. Private
and public land agencies are doing
a rapidly increasing business. Just
at present the sap is beginning to
rise and the enthusiasm is increas-
ing"