The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-01-26
OFFERS FREE FARMS
Motley Horde Seeks Man Who
Promises Home Comforts.
Texan Advertises for 1000 SettIero-
Promises to Furnish Expert Teach
ers, Seed, and Tools for
Working Land.

New York. - Manager Copeland
Townsend Of the Imperial, is trying to
ngure out whether Theodore Hook, the
practical Joker, who almost a century
lgo sent half the tradesmen Of London
to the houses of modest citizens, with
wagons and drays. bearing everything
lrom hairpins to pianos, has not come
to life in the person of a man, who
described himself IN the register Of
the hotel as 20. L. Williams. of
Texas"
Msantime George Burrell, the room
clerk, and Adam Lauder, the Scotch
laird who presides over the informar
uon desk, are growing gray telling In
Quirers that Mr.. Williams has left the
hotel; that they know nothing about
the 1000 five acre farms In Texas
which Mr.. Williams says he Is giving
away.
Letters and notes accumulate by the
stack every day, and citizens Of every
origin under the sun and would-be
citizens who have been here only
week are making the lobby of the I'm.
perial look at times like Ellis Island
Just after a ship from Libau has dis
charged its human cargo.
Mr.. Williams arrived at the I'M
perial on October 81 and took .
modest 81 room. After q few days.
be was changed to a large room and
bath, and then he notified some OF
the papers that he was In town and
had some news. He paid his bill
about s o'clock on the afternoon
Of the day before the story appeared
and has not since been seen. When he
left he gave the address Of a little
town in the extreme north of Texas
near the Oklahoma line.
In an interview with Mr.. Williams
which appeared last Saturday, he was
| described as the representative OF an
| alliance Of commercial and industrial
organizations and boards of trade and
said he wanted to find 1000 young
men who were not afraid to work.
"Our association" he said, will give
each a deed to a five acre farm and
expert farmers will teach him agricul-
ture, horticulture and the art OF get
ting enormous crops from the Texas
soil and not only land. but a four room
cottage with each five acres, w1thoVt
a dollar of expense.
Besides, we will furnish teams,
tools, seeds and other equipment for
working the land, supply provisions.
medical attendance and library facili.
ties for one year free. The title to
the homes and lands Is to be perma'
nent."
Inquiries for MI. Williams started
coming to the hotel early Saturday
morning.. The earliest corners seem
ed, according to the clerks, to be just
the kind of %colonists Mr.. Williams sait
he was seeking, young men Of Ameri
can birth. Some of the local foreign
papers copied the story Saturday aft
ernoon and Sunday morning and thu
result was that a steady stream hal
been pouring into the Imperial lobb,
ever since, and then out.
One caller was a l%ong-whisr sret
man, from the lower east side. HI
said he wanted a farm. He was tolt
there was none in the hotel just then
"Who has the farm for you," asket
the clerk.
"villyums," was the reply.
Hes in Texas" said the clerk.
We're is dot?"
ION the railroad"
"Den I get a ticket" and he wal d
rected to a railroad Office down tn
street.
Two young Italians came in. On
could speak English, the other ooul
not. The first said that he ha'
been scurrying about among hi
friends and had got a colony Of fit
young men, including a doctor, VIII
were prepared to accept the farms an
go to Texas Immediately provided M
Williams would add the railway far
to other allurements held out.