The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1911-05-27
IMMIGRATION TO THE SOUTH.
Prize Essay by Edwin Shelby,
Bay ST. Louis High School, III.

| q Bay St. Louis f1lgn 0cnooi, IL
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For the last ten years there has been
much discussion in Louisiana and Mis-
sissippi as to whether immigration will
prove beneficial or not. It has at last
been decided in these two States that
they need immigration.
The need of immigration in Mississip-
pi was shown as early as 1907, when the
Legislature appropriated $4,000 for the
expenses of a commissioner to visit for
eign ports and to try to get immigrants
to settle in Mississippi. In Louisiana
the Legislature has appropriated mon
ey for establishing an immigration Of
fee at New Orleans, the port OF entry
of Louisiana. AS soon as the immi-
grants are set free by the immigration
officials, this Office secures work for
them. The railroads, sawmills and
planters keep this Office posted as to the
labor needed by them; the alien is in
| formed of these and chooses the one he
likes best. This Office has literature
printed, which is distributed in New
Orleans and by all steamship lines car
rying immigrants to the same city. This
literature is printed in the following
languages: German, French, Holland
ish, Polish, Lithuanian, Croatian, Ital
ian and Hungarian. This Office not only
wants to get immigrants here, but after
it gets them, it wants to visit them and
see that they are we'll. treated and let
them know that we want them to sue
ceed.
Louisiana contains many colonies of
foreign immigrants. The Secretary of
this department makes a visit several
times year. First, will tell about
the German colonies. There are four
in Louisiana. One is situated at ST.
Leo. near Rayne in Acadia parish.
| When this colony first was started it had
only twenty-five families; now it has
| four hundred families. The second one
is near Clinton, in East Feleciana pa
rish. 1t began with ten families and
now has forty. The third is near Pom
chatoula, in Tangipohoa parish, and it
now contains seventy five families, hav-
ing begun with only four. The fourth
colony is in Covington, st. Tamany pa
rish. 1t now has forty families, while it
started with three.
The Germans are thrifty and in
dustrious race. They have succeeded
in the South, and, if more should come
lover, it would be benefit to the South.
1t would be beautiful sight to look
over Louisiana and Mississippi and to
see all the land, that now contains moth
ling but pine stumps, cultivated in small
truck farms. The South needs immi-
Igrations; it needs something to take
the place of the blacks of the past,
which are no good to the South.
! The Belgians are another good class
of people, who would benefit the South
| if they should immigrate here. Twenty
five years ago four Belgian families
came to the South and settled near
Alexandria. They succeeded and en-
Icouraged other families to come and
settle in the South. And now there are
seighty families in the colony. They are
farmers by instinct. 1t can be traced as
! far back as the time of Caesar. The
| Belgians are healthy, happy and highly
respected citizens of Alexandria.
The Hungarians did not come to the
South until about thirteen years later;
} nevertheless they in turn will do gooG
to the South. Two colonies landed a.
Hammond, on the l. c. r. r., ant
formed thriving colony, now contain
) ing about sixty families. At Hammond
the Hungarians are noted for strawber.
ry raising and truck farms. They are
!, showing the South that what land they
} thought to be useless is excellent fol
raising strawberries and cabbages.
There were Hollanders, Danes, Nor
wegians, Swedes and Scandinavians ir
Louisiana, but so far they have not set
tied in colonies. There is a movement
now going on now to organize Scandi-
navian colony near Homer. There are
Servians, Croatins, Austrians and Dali
matians in Louisiana, but they are Z
: rowing class of people.
There are Italians all over the South
who have truck farms. All along the
Gulf Coast you will find an especially
large number of Italians, who are grad
sually law-abiding citizens. Compare
any of these races which / have men.
toned with the blacks and you will see
how willing we ought to have them
come and settle in the South. The
blacks will work for one week and then
) rest one week and spend all they made
the week before. Such is the decided
difference in the Italian and the black
J The Italian will rent small farm with
house containing just two rooms, a
bedroom and kitchen. Sometimes a
whole family will live in even one room
Some time you will find chicken COOP
under the bed and bananas hanging ali
around the room. They save very near
| ly all they make and send for their